It took Jordan Laruccia less than a minute to dispatch an outgunned Jack Dolu at Thunderdome 42 on June 16. The Australian super welterweight barely had time to break a sweat before getting his hand raised in front of a packed Metro City.
The Perth-based fighter’s short and sweet performance has earned him both a step up in competition and status, with Laruccia set for his first main event bout when he takes on Fano Kori at Thunderdome 43 on September 1 at Perth’s Metro City. The eight-round contest will have an extra sweetener on top with the vacant Australian National Boxing Federations Australasian Super Welterweight Championship on the line.
Kori, an experienced veteran, will offer a far sterner test of Laruccia’s skillset than Dolu did, which is what the 24-year-old is after at this point in his career, as he seeks to establish himself as a force in the competitive Australian super welterweight scene.
Trained by former Cuban Olympic Coach Ruben Sanchez, Kori is no stranger to the main stage, having headlined previous Thunderdome shows. He has shared the ring with Wes Capper and Nathan Watson, and a win over Kori would set up Laruccia for even bigger fights further down the line.
“I was over the moon. It was a name that was floating around for a little while. It was just about picking the right moment and picking the right time when I would be ready,” Laruccia explains.
“I’ve got the utmost respect for him, to be honest with you. But come September 1, it’s going to be a fantastic fight. He’s going to come for war. I’m going to come hard and come for war as well. So I’m excited to see what this fight has in store.”
Laruccia’s outing against Dolu was his first following a knee injury. He may not have got in as many rounds as he would have liked, but the 13-week fight camp leading up to Thunderdome 42 helped get Laruccia back into the shape needed to compete professionally.
He and his team at Big Rig’s Gym will now look to build on the solid foundations they laid in the lead-up to the Dolu fight as they prepare for Kori.
“I feel fantastic. My body feels good,” Laruccia explains.
“Although, you know, the [Dolu] fight was quick. It set me on a trajectory to keep building off that camp, getting fitter, and getting the rounds in and working on some small things and like a game plan as well for this next fight. So yeah, I feel fantastic physically at the moment.”
While his focus is squarely on winning on September 1, Laruccia and his team are also preparing for the next chapter of his career. There are several potential matchups waiting for him should he get past Kori, and in Tony Tolj, Laruccia has one of the sharpest managers in the game by his side.
“We are at a point now that really probably Fano’s one of the last guys in Perth that we can fight,” Laruccia says
“We’ll probably be branching out over East and start working our way through the super welterweight division in Australia. There’s a lot of top fighters in that weight division,” he added.
Laruccia’s boxing journey only began five years ago, and he is now in a position many up-and-coming fighters only dream of. However, from here on out, while the rewards will get bigger, the stakes will be higher and the fights tougher.
It is an exciting time for Laruccia, who relishes the daily grind required of any boxer looking to make their name in the sport.
“I’m enjoying every moment of it, you know, fantastic memories to be made for myself later in life. So, I’m loving it at the moment.”
You can follow all the action from Thunderdome 43 on FITE.
Credit: Michael Clifton
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