Hybrid gets kick out of first victory

WINNING COMBINATION: Masterton pro boxer and kickboxer Zane Hopman, right, and his corner man and boxing coach John Kamo.PHOTO/NATHAN CROMBIE

MASTERTON fighter Zane "Hybrid" Hopman has claimed his first scalp as a professional boxer.

Hopman, 25, who is also a world champion and professional kickboxer, took a win by TKO in a cruiserweight bout against ex-pat Hungarian boxer Balazs Varga on the undercard of a multiple title-fight night held at the Mansfield Tavern near Brisbane, Australia, last Saturday.

Varga, 36, came into the bout with a professional fight record of 11 wins - nine by way of KO - and four losses, against a handful of class fighters including multiple championship title-holder Anthony McCracken and Kiwi title contender David Aloua.

Hopman trained for a fortnight ahead of the bout in kickboxing at the Boonchu Gym with John Wayne Parr, and in boxing at Matrix Boxing with Stephen Ng.

He was thrilled to score his initial pro boxing victory and take his fight record to 1 and 1 after a loss last year to fellow Kiwi James Porter, the reigning Queensland cruiserweight champion.

Hopman won his latest bout about 35 seconds into the second round, having landed a clean right-hand shot to the jaw of Varga in the opening round from which Varga had failed to fully recover.

Hopman, who had a height and reach advantage over his opponent, stuck to his fight plan. He kept moving and "staying on my toes" while peppering Varga with "rangy jabs".

"He came out in the second and I landed another couple of right hands. Then he just backed off and the ref called it and gave me the win," Hopman said.

"He pulled away and looked to be injured but apparently I'd stunned him with my right hand in the first round and he was hurt. He'd backed off a bit wobbly and that was after he'd thrown everything but the kitchen sink at me in the opening round without any real effect."

Hopman said he was very pleased to be able to reward his sponsors with a victory "for having faith in me just like my friends, family and other supporters", whom he thanked, while singling out his "vital and valuable" coach and corner man John Kamo, boxing coach at Fortitude Thai Boxing Gym in Masterton.

Hopman's next pro boxing bout is in Melbourne next month, after he had to forgo a transtasman fight this weekend. He is also set to face off against Pati Afoa on the undercard of the King in the Ring Lightweight 8-Man Eliminator on June 19.