A YANGEBUP boxer is heading over east for a different type of fire fight to raise money for those in need.
Hayden Wright is travelling to Byron Bay to take part in Boxing Mania, where he will fight former NRL player Anthony Watts on March 27.
The heavyweight fighter said he was pumped up to take on the ex-North Queensland Cowboys and Cronulla Sharks hooker, but also wary of his opponent.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOW“He’s a big boy, but if you look at the guys I have boxed, they are probably a little bit bigger, generally around 6’6, 6’5, 130Kg” he said.
“If anything, my boxing ability and experience should get me through, but he’s a big brute and anything can happen in heavyweights.”
Wright was scheduled to fight another bout in March, but when that fell through, he was contacted by promoter Nick Midgley to fight Watts.
A frequent flier, Wright said he loved travelling across the country to fight and preferred being on the road.
“I usually travel a lot as a boxer. A lot of Perth guys like to fight locally, but I like to travel, go as far as I can from Melbourne to Sydney to Townsville
Wright, who trains at The Agoge Boxing Gym in Myaree under Pep Andrikos, said he would be donating $300 towards bushfire relief charities, made up of his boxing winnings and a raffle he was running through his work.
“Just coming home and seeing the devastation on the news, all the families left with nothing, made me want to help them,” he said.
“Seeing all these people put their hands in, the Kerry Packers and the Dick Smiths reaching out, made me think ‘I don’t have $1 million, but what can I do to contribute?’”
When he is not on the road, Wright spend his time working for the Activ Foundation, a disability support services, and has put his boxing background to good use.
He has been instrumental in running a boxing and self-defence program for clients out of their Bentley branch, and said it was rewarding to help his clients improve their fitness and gain a bit of self confidence.
“I started it a few years ago in the group homes and had a lot of success, recently put it across to management and they’ve taken it on board,” he said.