AMATEUR boxer Tristan Maskell, of Bonnells Bay, will fight Zac Cotten, of Grafton, for the state cruiserweight title in Sydney on Friday night on the undercard to Billy Dib’s world title fight.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Maskell, 20, fights out of the Team Machine Boxing Club gym, in Toronto, where Daniel Ford, Chad Griffiths, and Matt Ford have been schooling him, with input from Toronto’s world champion Blake Minto.
Maskell won the Northern NSW cruiserweight title in March, and Griffiths likes what the local boxer brings to the ring.
“Tristan has the build of a boxer, and most boxers at his height are fighting in the super heavyweight division. But he’s fighting at cruiserweight (81kg to 86kg)” Griffiths said.
“He also has an excellent work ethic, and trains twice a day.
“Tristan started out with three losses before he joined our gym, but no-one’s been able to touch him since then, and he’s fighting people who have had 20 and 30 fights,” Griffiths said.
Minto said the Toronto crew first set about improving Maskell’s cardio-vascular fitness and strength.
Maskell has since strung together eight consecutive wins.
“He’s got such a long reach, and is tall for his weight,” Minto said.
“In all of his fights he’s just massive at his weight. And he trains morning and afternoons, which is what the good pros do.”
In the main event at Technology Park, Redfern, Billy Dib will take on American Tevin Farmer for the vacant International Boxing Federation world super featherweight title.
Kostya Tszyu’s son, Tim Tyzu, will also fight on the card.
