Boxing In Australia: Two Title Fights On This Friday In Mansfield

This Friday sees a good show in suburban Brisbane as the OPBF Heavyweight and the Australian Light Welterweight titles are up for grabs at Mansfield Tavern in Mansfield, Queensland.

Towering heavyweights Colin Wilson, 34-23 (20), and Nathan Briggs, 19-5 (16), have fought twice already with Wilson taking both contests by knockout in 2005 and 2006.

For the rubber match, Wilson puts up his OPBF crown, won from Alex Leapai via split decision in June.

Ironically, Leapai won that belt from Briggs via eighth round knockout in November of last year.

33 year old slugger Briggs, who won the Aussie title in just his fourth pro contest in 2001 before losing the same during a first defense, is riding a three bout win streak and aside from the Leapai loss, has gone 8-1 since the second Wilson fight.

Before winning the OPBF crown, 36 year old southpaw Wilson, who has held the Australian crown on two previous occasions, dropped four straight contests and looked to be headed out the door and this third fight against Briggs is a must win for “Kid Coalminer”.

Australian Light Welterweight Champion Chris McCullen, 11-1-1 (5), won that belt for a second time with a third round stoppage of John Cotterill, 22-5 (10), in March and the two will do it again on the bill at Mansfield Tavern this Friday.

Although 33 years of age, McCullen has only been a pro since February, 2004 and caged the domestic light welter title for the first time with a dominating ten round points win over Brad Hemming two years ago at ironically, the Mansfield Tavern.

McCullen’s only loss also resulted in his dropping the title as previously undefeated Dean Byrne floored McCullen in the first frame before cruising to a wide points win in March, 2007.

But McCullen bounced right back to regain the belt in his next action when he stopped Cotterill in their first fight.

Cotterill, also 33 years of age, turned pro in May, 2002 and won the vacant Australian Lightweight title a year and a half later, defending it once before losing the crown in 2004.

Also in 2004, Cotterill stepped it up a notch and took on future two-time world title challenger Naoufel Ben Rabah only to be stopped in the sixth for the WBO Asia Pacific Light Welter belt.

Cotterill picked up the vacant WBF Light Welter crown in 2006 and added the Interim version of the PABA trophy eight months later but failed to capture the full PABA, losing to Daudy Bahari in March 2007.

The New South Wales native had won three straight going into the first McCullen clash and will be looking for some serious revenge on Friday.