Featherston kickboxer Kirk Davis is through to the semifinals in the junior 60kg grade at the World Muay Thai Championships in Thailand.
Davis drew a bye in the first round of the competition and in yesterday's second round came up against an opponent from Ukraine which, with Russia and Kazakhstan, is
considered the most formidable of the 75 nations competing at the worlds.
In an email to the Wairarapa Times-Age, Davis' coach, Sue Latta, who is also New Zealand team manager, said while the fighters' weights were similar, her charge gave the impression of being bigger, the legacy of a tough training regime which had him "ripped" and well-muscled.
Reflecting on the fight, Latta said Davis had started a little more slowly than they had wanted, as much because of the respect he had for the Ukrainian as anything else. And he also suffered a bleeding nose which nearly stopped the bout virtually before it had really got going.
Once over his early troubles, however, Davis grew in confidence, with his right hand often finding its target. The question was whether he could pick up enough points to obtain a winning advantage, and a strong last round guaranteed that was the case.
"He [Davis] had to dig deep after his slow start but once the respect thing went and he got into top gear, he was clearly the better fighter on the day," Latta said.
"It was gutsy stuff, though, as he had to make up lost ground and that's never easy."
Davis' semifinal opponent today is a tall Jordanian, whose technique and tactical approach were closely scrutinised by Latta and Davis in his first bout.
"We believe we have come up with a plan that will get Kirk through to the final. he's capable of going all the way," Latta said.
If Davis wins gold, it will be the first time a fighter has done so while living in the Wairarapa and Latta urged locals to get on his Facebook site and send their best wishes.
"It's amazing what can happen when you know you have support from back home. It can very inspiring," she said.
