Some boxing fights are technical, strategic affairs. Others are straight out the gate brutal brawls. In their headline heavyweight showdown, Hemi Ahio plans to drag Teremoana Teremoana into the latter. Either way, a knockout finish looms.
Unbeaten Olympian Teremoana has been groomed as Australia’s next heavyweight hope.
Signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom boxing, Teremoana is 12-0 as a professional with all those wins finishing before the end of the second-round bell.
An imposing, towering figure at 1.98 metres and 120kg, Teremoana boasts the size to scale the heavyweight ranks. And he packs a serious punch.
Next month, though, on November 18 in Melbourne, Teremoana meets his first true test in Ahio.
Mangere raised, having survived a street stabbing in his early 20s, and now missing a couple of front teeth, Ahio was born to fight.
“It’s not motivation, this is just what I do,” Ahio says. “The back and forth of combat is something I enjoyed even before I got into the sport – and it’s something that I’ll probably die doing. I’ll fight until the doctors tell me I can’t anymore or something breaks. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
After turning to boxing comparatively late, with no amateur background, Ahio has fashioned a respectable 25-1 record in his 13 years in the pro ranks.
A surprise loss to Joseph Parker’s former opponent Faiga Opelu in 2022 stunted Ahio’s progress but he avenged that defeat two years later and he now returns to Melbourne where he’ll attempt to chop Teremoana down to size after pivoting from plans to challenge Australian heavyweight Justis Huni.
“I’ve followed Teremoana’s last five or six fights. I enjoy watching him, he’s got a good style. He’s good at being big. He’s got a good jab behind him – and he knows how to use it. He’s in and out of range.
“I see him trying to gun me down in the first two rounds. I see myself avoiding it; carrying it into the third and fourth. Our second winds will kick in around then. The fifth round starts, he starts swinging, I catch him, everything starts slowing down. I’ll end him in round six or seven but I’ve got to be wary because he’s dangerous.
“He’s a big step up for me. I think he’ll just see me as No 13.”
The 1.83m Ahio is accustomed to fighting as the smaller man. Working his way inside Teremoana’s significant reach advantage won’t be easy but he knows that is his only path to victory.
If Ahio can land flush, he could rattle Teremoana for the first time in his career. Hit or be hit will be the approach.
“They say a good big guy will always beat a small guy but I’ve come around a few of those and found ways to get in and out. I can walk a big guy down if I have to. I’m expecting him to throw everything at me. I’ll have to eat it up, go forward and do what I have to.
“I’ll have to see how he moves in the ring. He’s patient enough to land it so clean. He’s got good reach and he knows how to get the end of his punch going.
“Teremoana is that dangerous, so I haven’t looked past him. I can’t think of anything else. My mind stops at the 10th round if it does go the distance, which I don’t think will happen. One of us is getting knocked out.
“Teremoana is smart. He’ll want to make it look good. He’ll try to use his range. Once I get past it the Islander in him is going to want to lock in there with me, so I’ll try to drag him into that fight.
“At some stage we’re going to have to bite down and trade. Hopefully it’s not the one that puts me out.”
In preparation for this fight Ahio continued his eight years at City Kickboxing while spending time training in America. Fellow former Tongan-New Zealand heavyweight Junior Fa has been called up to join coach Doug Viney to offer advice on challenging Teremoana.
“He knows my weaknesses and my strengths. It will be good to have Junior and Doug in my corner.”
Liam Napier is a Senior Sports Journalist and Rugby Correspondent for the New Zealand Herald. He is a co-host of the Rugby Direct podcast.
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