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Home / Sport / Boxing

Boxing: Kiwi cruiserweight fighting to make his dream come true

NZ Herald
21 Nov, 2014 04:00 PM3 mins to read

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Quitting isn't an option for David Aloua.

Quitting isn't an option for David Aloua.

Quitting isn't an option for David Aloua.

Trying to make it as a professional boxer is rarely a glamorous existence. You must balance work around your training, while fighting in between.

The Kiwi cruiserweight returned to New Zealand around a year ago, having spent three years in Sydney as he tried to build a pro career.

He turned to the paid ranks in 2011 after an appearance at the Commonwealth Games a year earlier and has largely fought in Australasia.

Unless you're an avid boxing follower in New Zealand, you probably wouldn't know a heck of a lot about the 11-1 Aloua but he could change that tonight.

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The 27-year-old will defend his collection of regional belts against Australian Anthony McCracken (16-7-1) as part of the Super 8 card at the North Shore Events Centre.

Since returning to his hometown of Thames he has worked at Watson Engineering as a welder, while balancing his training under City Boxing's Lolo Heimuli in Auckland.

It's a busy lifestyle and Aloua said there had been moments where he questioned if it was all worth it but he had no intention of giving the fight game away.

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"God gives people talents all over the world and to not use it to the fullest or see how far it could take you would be a great shame, I think," Aloua said.

"It's good for the people that inspire me, like most of family. We came from humble beginnings with a solo parent on the benefit growing up and there's a whole lot of us like that in New Zealand."

Aloua's return to Thames also came in part to be with fiancee Michelle Bourke, who is a teacher at Moanataiari School, the same primary school Aloua attended. The pair will marry in January.

Aloua believes there will be a time when he won't need to juggle work and boxing.

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"I feel I'm not far away from that if we get a good sponsor on board, so I'm almost there," he said.

"I've been doing it for this long, I'm just going to keep going until it comes because it's always been the dream."

Aloua, ranked in the top 15 with the WBA and WBO, has signed with promoters Sky Arena who have been vocal in their belief that he could fight for a world title in the coming years.

The cruiserweight division is cluttered with all four alphabet belts held by different boxers.

Tonight's Super 8 card will be headlined by Kali Meehan (41-5) and Shane Cameron (29-4), who will meet for the WBA Pan African heavyweight title. The eight-man cruiserweight last-man-standing tournament, featuring Australian Brad Pitt, should be entertaining.

Meehan's son Willis, a promising league player with a lone NRL appearance for the Sydney Roosters, will meet Will Quarrie (5-2) in his professional debut.

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