THORNLANDS boxer Michael Black is through to the grand final of a made-for-television boxing series after his opponent quit mid-fight in the semi-final on Sunday night.
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Just one night later, Black is set to face Rhys Evans, who has been ranked first or second in his division in Australia for a number of years.
Black, whose fight name is Boom Boom, beat Evans in a bout during the preliminary round of the competition in July.
A spokesperson for the Elite Boxing Championship said Evans was the raging hot favourite at the start of the tournament but people were re-assessing their perception of Black who had made it to the grand final undefeated.
“The fact that Michael has made it this far exceeds what many forecast for him,” the spokeperson said.
“He is now being recognised as one of the handful of genuine leading fighters in his weight class Australia-wide.”
The EBC involves competitors from five countries and will be showcased over 10 weeks on ESPN.
Fighters across four divisions – female 56 kilograms and male 63 kilograms, 70 kilograms and 78 kilograms – are invited to compete in three by three-minute bouts.
Trained by Gareth Williams at The Boxing Shop, Black started boxing to build confidence and learn the basics of self-defence.
Black’s fast moves have already won him a record in the street class drag racing arena.
The Thornlands’ boxer’s ambition is to turn professional, win world titles and be the type of boxer and person that younger fighters look up to.
Organisers intend to run two more EBC series next year.
The event is being held at Souths Sports Club, Acacia Ridge with action starting at 6.30pm.
The series is set to air weekly from September 12 at 8.30pm on ESPN1.