Alex Leapai Australian Heavyweight Champion.
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Australia’s heavyweight champion Alex Leapai (22.3.3 17KO) has dominated the heavies of Australia, he has the skills and clubbing power to mix it with the top dogs of the division and now looks for worthy international contenders. Ranked No13 by the WBO he is focused on climbing the ranks defending his championships and closing the gap between himself and the top five heavyweights of the world. To help guide and take him all the way is trainer and manager Noel Thornberry.
Noel Thornberry helped get Alex to where he is today, before Noel came along Alex’s trainer was draining him of weight and not on the same boxing path as Alex. Taking over the training in 2006 Alex had a great winning streak, dominating Nathan Briggs in 2007, going toe to toe with Michael Kirby the following year and knocking out veterans Colin Wilson in 2009 and Bob Mirovic in April last year. Noel’s knowledge of the boxing game is respected by many in the boxing industry, training his brother Ricky Thornberry to three world titles: Rod Carr IBO 1995, Joe Calzaghe WBO 1999, Sven Ottke IBF 2002 winning the first super middleweight title and going the distance with Calzaghe and Ottke.
Samoan born and raised in Australia from the age of eleven, Alex prides himself on honouring his two home countries and looks forward to the day of declaring a world victory for the land down under. To get to this level of boxing he trains hard, working with people experienced in the science of boxing, when Alex reaches peak fitness and spars quality international boxers his preparation will be on track to contend against world class heavyweights. Keen to step it up and take on more high profile fighters Alex moves forward with Noel and team Leapai standing firmly by his side.
For Alex to move closer to a shot at a world title Noel has been working on his conditioning and
fitness. Noel speaks to KMA about what Alex needs to do to get his body in to peak condition for a fight at elite level of world boxing, sparring and his belief in Alex's ability to win a world title.
“Alex is only scratching the surface of his potential and the main way to get the main intensity out of him is to put another big man in the corner, then the basic of basic instinct will come out, if you're going to hit me hard , I'm going to hit harder and harder, that's the way to get the best potential out of Alex”
“We are in a hard position they spar one day but not the next or fight a few rounds then their tired and hurt and don't want to do any more sparring. We are concentrating on getting the best preparation we can, Alex has done as much as he's done with limited resources and can still beat world class fighters. I know more than Al can imagine how much more he's got in him, I've seen boxers go from here to here and they do this when they get the right preparation and if he gets that he can fight any heavyweight in the world”
After watching Alex spar 6 rounds, followed by physically challenging cardio work we sat down to lunch for a three way chat with manager and trainer Noel Thornberry by our side.
KMA steps into Alex Lionhearts corner for a one on one boxing chat;
Who makes up team Leapai?
“ Noel and Ricky Thornberry, Kenny Fuller, Chris Cole and my family”
How you did find your way to the boxing ring?
“My dream was always to play NRL but my fathers dream was always the boxing game, boxing is in my blood, it's my game”
So boxing was always your dads dream and it was in your blood but how did you stumble across boxing?
“I'll be honest the David Tua and Lennox Lewis fight stopped my family Samoa and New Zealand and during the fight dad (Faataui Leapai) said something that I have kept in my heart he said “I wish one of my boys could be like that guy” I was sitting up the back and I heard it, something sparked it later on down the track and now I'm here and I'm going to make it happen”
How did you end up in the gym with Noel?
“ It was after I fought cruiserweight champion Nermin Sabanovic when former WBA middleweight champion Maselino Masoe watched the fight, he told me I should have a chat with Noel who was the manager of Maselino at the time, he gave me some advise and I'll never put it down because Noel has got me to where I am today”
What is your greatest boxing moment?
“When I beat Nathan Briggs, I was the biggest underdog in that fight, the judges, the ref's everybody was on Nathan's side. I just had to let my hands do the talking, if it had to be eight knock downs to win the fight then that's what I had to do”
Noel –“ Alex dropped Nathan three times in the fourth round which is an automatic stoppage but the ref said the last knock down was after the bell. I walked away and after the fight I said why didn't we get a warning, they wanted Briggs in the fight so they kept it going, it shouldn't have happened”
Your fight with Mark de Mori in 2004 is very well noted in the boxing industry, did you cross paths with his management in the following years to organise another fight?
“Yes and they don't want it. I support Mark in whatever it is he does but at the end of the day we are here to give the people what they pay for. I'll fight anybody and if I've got to get in the ring and fight him I will. We have tried a few times but there's always a catch, they want to much money, I've never turned down a fight and never will. I'll tell you from my heart I'll give people a show, I get in the ring to fight that's why they call me the 'Lionheart', that's what people want to see, for me it's bombs away, we're heavyweights. Boxing has gone backwards we're lucky to have the likes of Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the heavyweight scene is dead and I believe I am the one to liven it back up again”
Who has been your toughest opponent and what have you learnt from the fight?
“Travis Walker, the reason why is we didn't spar I was sparring Sonny Bill Williams I'm not taking anything away from Sonny but I was helping him but for that fight I needed to fight the big boys. I needed guys who were explosive willing to punch. Do or die whoever gets knocked out gets knocked out and that's the type of sparring I needed to prepare for the fight. It is hard, heavyweights of Australia just don't want to spar, they wont to kiss and cuddle or something laughs Alex. We're there and we want to spar, I want to be pushed around and at that time I needed some heavy sparring, this time we needed to bring someone over”
You were a little, how could you say it 'gassed?
“I gassed because my body wasn't conditioned for the fight, my fitness was there but my body wasn't bashed it needed to be bashed to prepare for the fight.
So you've learnt from that, you can't go into a fight not conditioned so if you have to fly someone in then you need to fly them in?
“ I'm getting good sparring now my last fight I fought Jason Barnett it went one round. I was sparring Michael Kirby and Anthony McCracken, boxers like that come here to fight so when I fought Barnett nothing worried me because I did the proper sparring”
Paul Briggs called your win over Travis Walker a shallow victory do you have any comments on these tough remarks?
Noel – “Sour grapes because Alex knocked his brother out. He shouldn't be making comments like that considering what he did over in Perth to Danny Green. Travis looked at the judge he was leaning on the ropes”
“Alex looks at me and says he would fight Travis again and win again”
Who has been your main support/rock to get you to where you are today?
“My wife, she has to put up with a lot of stuff we have six kids and to be able to handle then, run the home and keep pushing me to train is a big job. Noel is always kicking my butt if I'm not training , he'll ring me up and make sure I'm doing the right thing”
When was the time you realised that you have the skills and power to overcome the heavyweights of Australia?
“ My fought my first pro fight with Mark de Mori I got fight of the year. I started going down hill after that my trainer at the time Barry Style wanted me to go down to cruiserweight, I had to lose six kilos in one day just to make the weight. It was not until I met Noel, Noel he teaches you a lot of what the other trainers don't teach their fighters. He teaches you to believe in yourself, there are world champions out there but they are no different to you, it depends on how much you want it. Ever since I've been with Noel we have had our ups and downs , I've had my own problems but he's always been there. Put it this way look at where I am, I wouldn't be here today without Noel I am on my way to becoming No12 in the WBO, I'll never change where I am today my goal is to become the first Samoan and Australian to be heavyweight champion of the the world”
KMA Boxing Australia
Melissa Green
Team Leapai is proudly sponsored by Madison Sport, Oxmar Properties,Tuff & Prestige Cars.
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Topic: KMA Boxing. (Read 3197 times)