YARRAWONGA forward Kayne Pettifer will put himself through five weeks of torturous training to ensure he is in peak condition to make his professional boxing debut next month.
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Pettifer will fight in the light heavyweight division at Melbourne Pavilion on December 13, with the star Pigeon describing the challenge as one of the most exciting of his career.
“I did a bit of boxing when I was younger and it was pretty big when I was at Richmond as well,” he said yesterday.
“I’ve always loved the sport as my dad was right into it.
“An opportunity came along and I thought I’d give it a go.
“My mates think I’m crazy but I’ll knuckle down over the next few weeks and get super fit and see how I go.”
Pettifer, who is good friends with former IBF World Middleweight champion Sam Soliman, will fight over four two-minute rounds, with his
opponent to be decided in coming days.
Soliman’s trainer Nigel McCarthy is putting him through his paces in Melbourne.
“It’s pretty exciting,” he said.
“I have had a fair few texts already.
“One of the first I got was from Craig Ednie, who said he couldn’t wait to come to the fight to see me get my head punched in.
“It’s totally different to anything else as you can be running fit and weights fit, but it’s hard to be boxing fit.”
Pettifer’s fight is on the Blake Caparello undercard.
Caparello is returning to the ring after recently losing to undefeated Russian Sergey Kovalev in the US.
Pettifer, 32, said the fight would hold him in good stead for Yarrawonga’s tilt at the Ovens and Murray premiership.
“I have been sparring for a week or two and I’m feeling pretty good,” he said.
“It will be great for my footy as well.”
Pettifer said he was excited to be returning
for his third season at Yarrawonga, with the former Richmond player confident the Pigeons can hold their list together under Brendan Fevola.
