Aussie boxing sensation Alex Winwood says “video can only tell you so much” in sizing up potential opponents in the ring, but he’ll keep a close eye on those contesting belts for when his time arises.
The brief he’s set himself is simple – win a world title inside seven fights.
Undefeated at 3-0 since turning professional last year, the 25-year-old has three fights to work with to beat Jeff Fenech as the fastest Australian man to do so.
Current WBC strawweight champ Panya Pradabsri held off Japanese contender Norihito Tanaka with an eighth round TKO at home in Thailand on June 28.
The pair met last year 2022 in a fight which went the distance.
WBC interim champion Yudai Shigeoka circles as Pradabsri’s next fight – something Winwood knows is an opportunity to get another look at who’s around the top of the tree.
A shot at a world title means toppling over those currently in the way.
At minimum weight, Winwood said taller opponents are something he’s used to, and a challenge he’s able to match even when limiting his natural ability as an outside fighter.
He joked that entering any fight “I’d love to knock them out with the first punch I threw” but knows versatility is his strong suit against more experienced fighters.
“I’ve got a pretty well-rounded boxing ability,”
“Naturally, I’m an outside boxer. But when it comes to size it doesn’t really suit me in some fights.
“I’m pretty adept to fighting on the inside, the outside or anywhere in between…my amateur career has obviously allowed me to have that depth of experience fighting at all different ranges.”
At 5-foot-four, Pradabsri has “an inch or two” on the Western Australian.
Winwood anticipates taking plenty away from seeing Pradabsri face a faster, more reactive, “more explosive” Shigeoka.
Panya Pradabsri retained the WBC strawweight title against Norihito Tanaka in Thailand on June 28.
“It’s gonna be interesting to see how he (Pradabsri) matches up in his next fight because then that gives us a pretty good understanding of where we need to be in the ring against him.”
Winwood and the team behind him, notably respected trainer Angelo Hyder & manager Tony Tolj, are setting their sights on fights that give those making the decisions in boxing no choice but to offer chances at more belts.
In his previous two bouts the 25-year-old has claimed the WBC International titles at both light flyweight and strawweight.
It now a matter of extracting approach out of the vision available of potential future matchups and training at his base on the far north coast of NSW.
From what he has seen already, Winwood feels he has every chance of showing he belongs at the top of the tree.
“I’ve sure beaten some of the best already so I know that it’s hard to go off three fights and every fight is a learning curve for me and kind of shows us where we are in the mix,” he said.
“I think from everything we’ve seen that we do believe that I have a pretty big chance at taking on these guys sooner rather than later.
Winwood says he doesn’t care who he joins in the ring next “as long as they’ve got something to offer me, in terms of rating positions.”
Credit: Jarred Cross
Photo: Mike Ohara / Dragon Fire Boxing
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