Liam Messam will take on Kyle Merewether in Hamilton's War in the Waikato fight night. Photo / Photosport
Liam Messam will take on Kyle Merewether in Hamilton's War in the Waikato fight night. Photo / Photosport
Liam Messam believes that his November 25 War in the Waikato fight night bout with Kyle Merewether at YMCA Hamilton, will be the biggest test of his boxing career so far.
Fighting out of the Hamilton-based Hit Fitness HQ, under retired professional boxer Cairo George, the former All Blacks looseforward, 39, has been preparing for more than four weeks.
With an impressive 5-0 professional record, Messam has also been involved in Fight For Life charity fights against ex-rugby league players.
He made his pro-boxing debut in 2015 against Rhys Sullivan on a Sonny Bill Williams undercard, winning by unanimous decision.
“I got into it when I was a young kid, watching Friday night fights with my dad. So I’ve always had a passion for boxing,” Messam said.
“The training is definitely a lot harder than rugby. You’re training sometimes twice, three times a day, full max.
“I’m still learning. What I like about boxing is, that people think it’s like two boofheads just trying to take each other’s heads off, but it’s actually a chess game, trying to read queues or trying to set things up, which I really love.”
The Neighbours at War-themed War in the Waikato fight night is presented by Team George Promotions and will see Messam face his most experienced opponent to date.
Merewether is a former bronze medallist at the Arafura games and Golden Gloves amateur champion.
“Originally, I was going to fight Kyle on his gym show in Taupō earlier in the year. Unfortunately, someone got injured so they postponed the event,” Messam said.
“With the show here in Hamilton, Cairo hit him up again and he was keen as. It’s good to have a fight down here on a good card.
“Something I’ve always wanted to do is test my boxing ability. I know Kyle’s really going to do that.”
Messam said being in the ring was about giving back to the Hamilton community while also staying active, healthy and fit.
“There’s not a lot of secrets to success in boxing, you’ve just got to put in the work and the effort. You’ve got to get in there and trust the work you’ve done.
“Something that I pride myself on is my work ethic and looking after myself. For me, it’s a good way to be able to do that and what I’ve learnt, is when you don’t have something to work towards, it’s hard to get up and train. But when you know that some other bloke across the ring is trying to take your head off, you train very hard for it and you stay sharp.”
The War in the Waikato undercard will see a square-off between members and players from rival neighbours Hamilton Old Boys Rugby Club and Fraser Tech Rugby Club.
Last year, Messam’s former rugby club Hautapu faced off against their Cambridge neighbours Leamington and Messam said “it was a doozy”.
Liam Messam during the 2023 I Am Hope Fight For Life in Auckland, Photo / Photosport
“It’s going to be a hell of a show. [There will be] some good scraps in the ring and hopefully they stay in the ring.”
The fighters are all going through proper training camps to ensure they get through the three rounds as safely as possible.
“It’s an awesome thing. People like to tick it off their bucket list but at the end of the day it’s about their safety,” he said.
Messam encouraged anyone who had thought about getting in the ring to head to the YMCA and watch as the gym had several shows annually.
“It’s going to be a great spectacle ... Come on down and support the two local clubs because it’s not easy. Getting in the ring takes a lot of courage. I’ve got a lot of respect for people that have never jumped in the ring before, that are wanting to get in there and test themselves.
“It’s a great little community event and it’s awesome to be able to headline this sort of show.”
Tickets can be purchased through Eventfinda. The event runs from 5pm to 10pm.
