Kiwi heavyweight Junior Fa will take to the ring in the United States today for what could be the toughest bout of his career with the good wishes of WBC world champion Deontay Wilder still ringing in his ears.
Fa, undefeated as a professional and looking to start what he considers a big year on the right note, will be disadvantaged in terms of height and weight in the main event against Frenchman Newfel Ouatah in Columbus, Ohio.
Ouatah, a 33-year-old with a 16-2 record as a professional, is likely to provide a stern test for Fa, but the New Zealander revealed he and his camp received a call from Wilder ahead of the fight and that he would be joining Wilder's camp before the American's next bout.
Fa's stable mate Hemi Ahio, a fellow heavyweight and Tongan-Kiwi, will feature on the undercard and also spoke to Wilder.
"He called the camp and we got to see him on FaceTime," Fa told the Herald. "He wished us good luck… it created a good buzz for us. He's a nice fella."