No rough Justis in UK this time as Huni storms back
Ian Chadband |
Justis Huni has roared back into the global heavyweight picture, the classy Australian star earning an absorbing and hard-fought majority points victory over former British champion Frazer Clarke in an emotional return to the ring in the UK.
Back in action in England 10 months since he suffered an agonising last-round knockout while dominating another Brit Fabio Wardley in his big WBO world title chance, the Brisbane fighter wasn’t to be denied this time on Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London with his deserved comeback win.
Two judges scored 96-94 while the third had it a 94-94 draw at the home of Premier League soccer side Spurs, but that didn’t really do justice to the quality of the Queenslander’s display as he landed far more quality punches and looked far the stronger and better conditioned of the pair at the end of a draining battle.
As the first big fight on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s return against Arslanbek Makhmudov, Huni, watched at ringside by former world champ Anthony Joshua and major promoter Eddie Hearn, certainly done enough to put himself back in the big time after his defeat to Wardley, the first of his career.
A week after his 27th birthday, Huni took his record to 13 wins with just the one loss, and it was clearly an emotional triumph for the man left shattered last year after a turbulent 2025 by the death of his new trainer and long-time ally Keri Fui, who suffered a a heart attack while they were training.
Huni had vowed to win for his “father figure” Fui, and started off with no sign of any ring rust as he dominated the first three rounds, too quick and sharp for the 34-year-old Briton, who weighed in 13lb heavier than the 246lb Aussie.
But Clarke, who had a stellar amateur career as the 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, needed a win to get his career back on the road — just like Huni — and the Briton showed considerable resilience as he soaked up the punishment and rebounded to land a big combination that rocked the Aussie in the fourth.
Broadcast globally on Netflix, the to-and-fro battle made it a tough enough call for former world champ David Haye to suggest that, by his scorecard, they went into the last round level on points, even though Huni’s left-hook body shots, in particular, had caught the eye.
But even Haye reckoned he couldn’t argue with the verdict when Huni, with more energy and doing well to keep moving sprightly instead of getting caught up in close-quarter slugging, dominated the final three minutes.
He had got caught against Wardley after also largely outboxing the Englishman last time out, and wasn’t about to make the same mistake.
AAP