Boxing: 'Miracle man' takes to ring again

Regan Foley is a tribute to positive thinking, as PETER JESSUP reports.


It will be something akin to a miracle when boxer Regan Foley climbs into the ring to face Simon Whiu at Auckland's Downtown Convention Centre tonight for his first professional fight.

Foley is lucky to be walking, let alone boxing, after surgeons had to dig deep into his back to remove an abscess close to his spine.

That was in March last year, the illness ending his run for both the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games and the Sydney Olympics when he was ranked third in the world amateur ranks in the light-heavyweight division.

Now he is back, fit and keen to re-establish himself with another world ranking, this time in the pro ranks.

Foley takes on the big-punching Whiu in a cruiserweight contest over six three-minute rounds. The poison that went through his system is gone and its legacy is simply a greater determination to succeed.

He said: "I can't wait. I'm in excellent shape, never felt better."

He has not thrown a punch in anger in 20 months but reckons his return will not feel like a comeback.

"I've been hard out in training, hard sparring, the body's in awesome condition," he said.

It should be. He lives and works at his father Ron's Panmure gym, and the majority of the time he is away from there is spent at trainer Kevin Barry's central city gym. Barry credits Foley's father with giving him an excellent grounding.

Foley figured that at 21, he was young enough to learn a good trade in the pro ring and with time enough to push his claims for another world ranking. If he gets to the top five, he could earn six-figure sums in the United States, the Philippines and Japan.

"First things first though. I reckon I've got the experience on this guy. I need to get a few fights under my belt, then it's probably off overseas."

His opponent tonight is a big hitter with a 5-3 record, all his wins by knockout. Kuala Lumpur Games super-heavyweight representative Faii Falemoe fights his third pro bout tonight, against Lightning Lupe, a veteran of 18, including challenges for the Fijian and Australian heavyweight titles.

Barry believes the 110kg Falemoe is better suited to the pro game. Fighters who can run from him over the amateur distance are unable to escape for the greater number of rounds in the pro arena.

Mangere police youth worker Sean Sullivan fights Queensland's Oceania champ Brandon Wood in a junior middleweight contest. Sullivan was hoping for a challenge to his IBF Pan Pacific welterweight title but there were no takers so he moves up a division for what should be a very competitive contest.