Australia’s next superstar Alex Winwood could break 40-year boxing record in just his fifth professional fight
Rising Aussie star Alex Winwood challenges for a world title in just his fifth bout and could break an Australian boxing record that’s stood for almost 40 years
The man from down under could soon become Australian boxing’s next biggest superstar, but many fans of the sport can be forgiven for not hearing the name Alex Winwood before.
The Aussie ace has fought just four professional fights, but not the conventional contests that the majority of young prospects normally begin their paid journeys with.
EARLY DAYS FOR AUSSIE’S NEXT STAR
After building up an extensive amateur background, competing in Commonwealth and Olympic Games, the Perth puncher kicked off his paid career less than two years ago, in 2022, diving straight into a championship contest against Stinky Mario Bunda, knocking out the comically named Indonesian in round two to win the vacant West Australian State light-flyweight title.
He then jumped up in levels just four months later, in March 2023, to face an experienced IBO world titlist, Tibo Monabesa, another Indonesian, who had also won WBC and WBO International titles during his 25-fight career.
Winwood proved his prospect status by stopping the southpaw in four to win the vacant WBC International light-flyweight strap. Two titles in two.
Just three months on and the ‘bonza’ boxer relieved undefeated WBC International minimumweight champion Reyneris Gutierrez of his green and gold belt, taken the full 10-round distance in just his third bout, whilst winning his third professional title. Three-belts in two weights.
He finished 2023 with a shutout unanimous decision win over highly rated Filipino Cris Ganoza to retain his WBC International minimumweight bauble, which saw him elevated to No.8 in the world rankings. Four fights, four wins, three titles, top 10 in the world – Ripper!
After a couple of world title eliminators fell through, it all worked out for the best when the promising Perthling landed a WBA World title shot at the ‘Super’ champion Knockout CP Freshmart on September 7 in his home city of Perth.
Winning a world title in just his fifth fight could see him break boxing records in Australia.
FROM A TIN SHED TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD
He attempted to summarise his 19 years journey in boxing so far, which started in a tin shed, “So I started my boxing career at the Eureka Boxing Club in Western Australia, in Mandurah, under Brian Sartori and he coached me through all my amateur bouts.”
“I think I had around 60 fights, then in that time, I managed to represent Australia in two world championships, and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and the Tokyo Olympics,” he told SportsBoom.com.
“After the Birmingham [2022 Commonwealth] Games is when I turned professional. I was a bit disappointed in how my amateur career finished, but I turned a new leaf and jumped straight into the pros, and, after one warm-up fight, we started challenging top 10 contenders straightaway.
“My second fight was against a former IBO world champion and I stopped him in the fourth round, Tibo Monabesa, and from there we challenged the Nicaraguan who was rated either #3 or #5 in the WBC, and we beat him for his WBC [International] minimumweight title, and our last fight was against a tough European, Cris Ganoza, whose been in the ring with the best of the Filipinos, so it’s been a steep incline from the get-go and I’ve just loved every minute of it and passed with flying colours.”
I’M NO NO-MAS-CHENKO
Incredible Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko caused a bit of a stir back in 2013 when he was able to fight for a title in his pro debut, which Winwood has also replicated, but he’s not deliberately looking to copy anyone else’s career, he made quite clear.
“I wasn’t trying to take any blueprint off of anyone in terms of what I wanted to do with my career. I just thought my skillset was above most the journeymen, so I wanted to get in there and test myself straightaway. I was willing to die on my sword and that’s pretty much still the mentality that I have.”
Entering into the 10-round title contests after his pro debut hasn’t felt like taking risks to the Aussie talent, “Maybe to a degree,” he considered, “but I think this right now is the biggest risk of all. Like, we’re already up there and we’re challenging for a world title.
“My manager [Tony Tolj] and the promotions that we’re all on, it’s been a big joint effort, so we’re really putting our balls up against the wall and going for it all. We’re all in on this and it’s gonna pay off in two weeks.”
THE RISE AND RISE OF ALEX WINWOOD
Growing up in a small town in Bunbury, Alex moved to Perth aged eight, then soon found himself in Mandurah, a city south of Perth with a population of just 100,000.
Despite only being established in 1949, the town-turned-city was rich with history and culture, of which Alex felt blessed to be able to grow up surrounded by his heritage.
Later he became honoured by his culture when he was the recipient of the prestigious NAIDOC Sportsperson of the Year for 2024, which stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.
Needless to say, he was elated at the news when it arrived, “Tremendous honour. I was shocked to receive the call that I was a nominee, and once I got there, I was just pretty happy to be there and I knew I was in great company with two other athletes who had done tremendous things in the sport and community, so I was very proud to actually be a recipient of the award.”
“Anthony Mundine messaged me afterwards and said that he won in 2003, so yeah it was a very special moment, and it was awesome that we had that connection.”
Despite not yet being a household name, the talented Winwood is well recognised and revered around his local area and is fast becoming a rising star in the ‘Land Down Under’.
“Perth has been unreal,” he enthused. “Like, I’m living on the East Coast at the moment, so coming back home I’m really feeling welcomed and recognised, which is a bit surreal, and I’m kinda’ becoming a larger role model in the community when I’m in Perth, and obviously the boxing community across Australia are very well aware of who I am and what we’re doing, so yeah, it’s interesting times.”
I WANT TO BE A RECORD BREAKER
In just a few days’ time, Winwood’s name could be sent skyrocketing from ‘Down Under’ all the way across the globe as he challenges for the WBA ‘Super’ World minimumweight title in just his fifth fight on September 7 at the HBF Stadium in Joondalup, Perth.
The legendary Australian boxing hero, Jeff Fenech, won a world title in only his seventh outing in 1985 in his home city of Sydney, which is exactly what Winwood now gets the same chance to do – to be crowned world champion at home, and in fewer fights.
Winwood also has an opportunity to emblazon his name into the history books forever – by becoming the fastest world champion in Australian boxing history, smashing Fenech’s record which has stood for over 39 years.
Standing in the way of his belt and legacy is long-reigning champ Thammanoon Niyomtrong, better known as Knockout CP Freshmart.
The Thai fighter is unbeaten in 24 bouts and has reigned as WBA minimumweight ruler for over eight years, since July 2016.
His dominance – winning all 11 world championship contests – saw him elevated to WBA ‘Super’ champion in 2020.
However, he is travelling from Thailand to enemy territory where the reception is bound to be hostile, as the natives fill the 4,500-capacity stadium to see their national hero crowned world champion, “It’s just a fairytale come true, you couldn’t really script it any better than that,” he summed up in a single sentence.
“I’ve got every opportunity in my hands to seal this deal and show my city and my country what it’s about. I’m just very, very honoured, and it gives me that little bit of an edge in my own city and in my own country.”
World honours are at the forefront and back of Winwood’s mind, with no room for anything else, namely Jeff Fenech’s longstanding boxing record, “I’m, right now, just looking at it as just something that comes alongside it. I don’t want to get too caught up in thinking of all the by-products and what this can do, I just know that I’ve got a tough fighter in front of me in two weeks’ time and I need to capitalise.”
Alex is well prepped and assured that his training camp has been perfect, but local sparring is scarce, so dance partners have to be sourced from overseas, he explained, “No, we’ve had to fly sparring partners in, so got three in at the moment, so yeah they’ve just been the key difference that’s going to make or break this fight.”
READY FOR THE FIGHT OF HIS LIFE
CP Freshmart has defeated the ‘who’s who’ of his 105lbs division, even dominating Wanheng Menayothin in his last fight by unanimous decision.
“Yeah, we’ve been studying him,” Winwood revealed. “It’s pretty hard to get some footage of him, but when you have such a long career as he has, there’s tell-tale signs of what’s not gonna change in this fight, so, yeah, we’ve started to structure a game plan and work out what we need to do, what’s gonna work best for us.”
Now aged 33, the titleholder has only fought once in 33 months, whereas the challenger squashed all his four title fights into the space of one year and one week.
Winwood naturally believes that activity and momentum provides him with an advantage, “Yeah, I believe so, I think long layoffs can hurt boxers especially at his age so, you know, he’s 33 I think, so he’s getting up there and us small boxers we don’t have that same longevity as the heavyweights.
“So, he hasn’t had to make weight in two years, he hasn’t probably put them reps in, got his eye in as much as he has been previously, so yeah, I think it’s really going to show what he has.”
STRAP SEASON
There are currently four different world champions at minimumweight, proving just how competitive the 105lbs weight class currently is.
Without looking past the WBA, Winwood declared his intentions to collect them all, “Yeah, obviously everyone wants to target another belt, but I think the minimumweight is kinda buzzing at the moment, so there should be a lot of eyes on the division, and rightly so.”
Not only is his weight class buzzing right now, but boxing in Australia is thriving too, with the likes of Liam Paro; Tim Tszyu; George Kambosos Jr.; Jai Opetaia; plus, the Moloney brothers, Jason and Andre, all putting their country on the map.
This golden age of boxing in Australia Winwood believes could be down to the emergence of new promoters in the country making strides, “I’m unsure what’s changed in the past few years. I think maybe promotional competition has got a lot stronger since No Limit has had a pretty big hold on boxing to make these other promotions really step up and look for avenues and build up their fighters, so that could have a lot to do with it.”
Australian boxing could further be bolstered by a victory from Winwood on September 7, if he is able to overcome the commanding champion, which is going to be a tall task for the 5’ 2” challenger. But the battler has momentum, confidence, belief, the entire city of Perth behind him, and not forgetting his God-given talent.
So, all that’s left to say to the rising Aussie star is: “Chookas for the big night!”