Date of Birth: 15/10/1977

Age Started Boxing: 24

Amateur Record: N/A (Kickboxing and Muay Thai Background)

Professional Record: 34-1 (24 KO's)

First Boxing Memory: It would have to be watching Mike Tyson destroy the heavyweight division. My first memory was at the age of 9 watching Rocky Movies.

Favourite Current Fighter: "Sugar" Shane Mosley.

All-Time Fighter: "Sugar" Ray Robinson (the greatest of all time)

Favourite All-Time Fight: It's hard to go past Gatti and Ward trilogy for entertainment.

Favourite Music: Hip Hop and Soul

Favourite Movie/s: Braveheart, Rocky series and The Power of One

Job Outside of Boxing: Personal Trainer, Event Promoter and Nutritional Advisor.

Pre-fight Meal: Night before: Complex carb meal like Quinoa and vegetables

Last meal before fight: Protein powder pancakes with bananas.

Funny Boxing Memory: Making weight with now retired boxer Ben Cruz and catching him stealing my food! Haha

Toughest Part about being a fighter: At the start it was restricted calorie intake before weigh in, now it would be staying disciplined and focused after fights to keep condition and well being at a high level.

Toughest Opponent Faced: Definitely the cagey Daniel Geale, he had great footwork and movement when I fought him and managed to box and move really well, (would love a rematch one day).

What's your training routine before a fight like:

Every morning is fight training for two and a half hours of shadow boxing, bag work, padwork and sparring. Every afternoon is an hour of conditioning every day of running, weights, yoga and core work.

As a young kid growing up, who were your idols in Australian boxing:

When I was young I was a fan of basketball and martial arts and my idols were from those backgrounds.

This year has been a relatively quiet year for you, having only one fight in which you picked up the IBF Pan Pacific Title and having your US debut fight postponed against Delre Raines. What was the reason behind this:

It has been a turn around year for me with a lot of organisation going into putting me in the right direction at this stage of my career and in the right hands to help me achieve my goal of being the best boxer in my division. It took a few months to organise the move to America and the settle into training here at the Fortune Gym and time to gel with new trainer Justin Fortune. My debut fight here was postponed due to me catching a virus the week of the fight and not being in condition to compete.

In preparations for your last fight, you were based in the US and also training with Aussie Justin Fortune. Did you feel a significant difference in your training camp compared to the usual training you would do in Australia:

Yes it's amazing here in America it really is a different level of competition as in there is 10 to 20 guys in the gym here that are all professionals and want to bet the best in the world at what they do where as in Australia most of my career I would be with 2 or 3 guys that would be on the same level as me. The competition and the different styles makes it very challenging day after day which is great and exactly what I wanted and the reason for my move.

Your only loss of your professional career was to former IBO world champ Daniel Geale, who has since lost a very close decision Anthony Mundine. Would you like to have a rematch with him later in the future:

Yes it was a great fight between Geale and I. I felt my preparation was average as I was training mostly kickboxing before that fight as I was considering going back to kickboxing at that stage but the loss to Geale actually fuelled the fire for me in boxing to improve a lot of aspects of my fight game and I feel I have improved tenfold since that fight. A rematch would be great though I will concentrate on the best in the world in my division at the moment and focus on beating the world's best before moving up divisions for a National clash with Geale.

After a shaky start in the professional ranks, Ryan Waters has really gathered momentum and has established in the top 15 in the world by the WBO. Does a fight with Ryan Waters interest you, if so why and if not, why:

Yes, Ryan has been doing well and if a fight him it would improve my quest at a reputable World Title and being the best in the division then I would jump at the chance.

Another fellow Australian boxer that comes to mind when looking at your weight class is Rob Medley. Do you foresee a fight with him in the near future or are you going in another direction:

Same as the question above it all comes down to what do I have to do and who do I have to beat to be World Champion and the pound for pound best in my division.

You currently hold the IBF Pan Pacific, PABA and WBA Pan African Titles. Some say that the WBO is an easier route to take to get a World Title shot, what are your thoughts on this:

I think from Australia we are very lucky to have a few different sanctioning bodies with good routes to take to get in the top ten and a chance at a title shot, I think it is more a matter of who you know and who you are aligned with to get an easier route.

What are the main differences between Kickboxing and Boxing. Most say that kickboxing is the more brutal of the two sports, are you of the same opinion:

The main difference is the use of eight weapons compared to two. The movement and the ringcraft and the mentality is still the same as you have to break your opponent down and defeat them as quickly as possible. Kickboxing can be harder on your entire body as you take hits everywhere on your body. I think you have to be stronger mentally for Boxing to hold your focus and energy levels for 12 rounds of fighting compared to 5 in Muay Thai or 3 in K-1, in saying that the whole body must be very, very conditioned for Kickboxing and Muay Thai and some of the training can be very brutal on the body.

Kickboxing World titles are fought over five rounds which is nowhere near the gruelling twelve rounds world title fight in boxing. Having won a Kickboxing world title and fought for the IBO world title in boxing. For you, which was the most gruelling and why, or are they both too different to compare:

As I mentioned above they are both gruelling and both very challenging just in different ways, I don't think either one is easier or harder just very different preparation and experience in both.

Would you consider going up a division to middleweight and fighting a glamour name such as Anthony Mundine. This would be a huge leap forward in boxing terms if you were successful and throw you into the limelight not only in Australia but in big time boxing around the world. This fight would surely be your biggest payday to date and make you a household name. Is this something that interests you and your team:

It is definitely a possibility; I think Australian boxing fans have been unlucky as to have not seen my improvement over the last 2 years as I have really worked on my Boxing skills, footwork, movement, jab and combination punching. I am a very different fighter from 2 years ago and consider myself to be one of the best in my division; in saying that I need to prove it by winning big fights and title in my division which is all around the corner for here in America. I think a fight in Australia against Anthony would be a huge fight and would draw the crowds as my style is very hard hitting and exciting and it's a fight that could very well happen in the future.

Another name that comes to mind in the middleweight division and which give you great credibility in the US and in Australia would be a fight against Sam Soliman. A win over Soliman would put you in line with a shot at a version of the world title. Is this another possibility that interests you:

Again that would be another crowd pleasing fight in Australia, having fought and beat Sam in kickboxing and seen his last few fights I think it would be a much better fight for me than him and if the opportunity arose and it was in my interests a fight with could very well be possible.

Do you think the light-middleweight division is a bit of a no-man's land in terms of money and glamour when compared to the more traditional and talent filled divisions such as the welterweight and middleweight divisions:

Yes at the moment the welterweight and middleweight divisions are very strong and have a lot of great fighters. I think being at super welterweight does give me the option later to go up or down a division to face these big names which really puts me in a great position!

Going to America can be a make or break move for a fighters career. Do you think William Kickett went to the US too soon or are you of the opinion that you have to be in it to win it:

I think you have to know where you are at, my experience of watching a lot of fighters from Australia making the jump from the Oceania to the world stage is quite a big one and they often get overwhelmed by the challenge. I think being over here and seeing how the game is and the level of the competition is a must. It's what a fighter does after he faces these challenges (win or loss) that will define wether it was the right move in his career.

Do you think that basing yourself in the US right now is the perfect move for yourself and this stage of your career:

Without a doubt I think it was the only move and after being here 4 months now I am so happy and glad I was given the opportunity to do so. the level of sparring I face every week is helping me to improve so much and then being around so many knowledgeable trainers and coaches and other fighters I feel like a sponge just soaking up all the information and can feel myself improving every day. I am very excited about showing Australian boxing fans how much I have improved and will raise the flag proudly here for all of us.

Several Australian boxers are competing in the inaugural season of The Contender Australia. If this concept was to happen at light-middleweight, is this something that would interest you and your team:

I think it's a great concept and it really highlights boxing and gets fans behind the sport and attracts a lot of attention but I think at the moment the quest to be the best in the world and challenge the big name fighters in the world in super fights for World Titles is more appealing to me. Maybe when my career winds down it is something I might like to do.

In closing, who would you like to thank:

First and foremost the people that have given me the chance to live my dream here in America my family friends and my Sponsors Rigcool and Bushcool Australia who provide safety systems and equipment that save lives in work and home environments for people all around the world their websites are rigcoolltd.com and bushcool.com.au
I would also like to thank all of the coaches, boxers and students of the fight game in Australia that have had so much influence and given me so much information and experience in my career so far.
Lastly to all the fight fans in Australia thank you so much for your support of you countries fighters, I look forward to the day we wave the Australian flag in the ring as World Champion and can enjoy the moment and the experience together.