Junior Fa eyes comeback fight against Lucas Browne on world title card

Boxer Junior Fa looks on during a press conference to announce the postponement of the fight between Joseph Parker and Junior Fa. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

Junior Fa is eager to make up for lost time. Thirteen months on from his last fight, the New Zealand heavyweight boxer is in the process of finalising the enticing prospect of taking on Australian veteran Lucas Browne when lightweight world champion George Kambosos Jr defends his belts in Melbourne on June 5.

Fa last fought to a unanimous decision loss – the first of his 20-fight pro career – against Kiwi rival Joseph Parker in February, 2021. New Zealand's events sector shutdown and restrictive border has since confined Fa to an elongated period of inactivity.

As that situation gradually improves, however, Fa is determined to capitalise. The 32-year-old, like thousands of Aucklanders, is recovering from Covid-19. Once back on his feet, he will begin preparations for a fight with Browne.

"It's been frustrating times, not just for me but for everyone trying to get ahead with business or make progress in their careers," Fa says.

"It is what it is. You deal with it as best you can. Covid has definitely slowed everything down – it recently slowed me down. I'm still recovering from the symptoms but I'll be coming right soon and back in the gym preparing for my next fight."

Kambosos Jr is expected to defend his WBA, IBF and WBO titles on June 5 against either Ukrainian Lomachenko or American Devin Haney, who holds the WBC belt. All going to plan, Fa will be among the headline acts on a card expected to host over 52,000 fans at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium.

"With the whole war going on in his country I'm not sure what's going on," Fa said of Lomachenko returning to Ukraine and joining forces with the army amid Russia's invasion. "Hopefully the date stays the same which is around June as far as I know and hopefully someone steps up and fights George Kambosos so I can get things going and I can fight the man I need to fight just to get me in the ring.

"Lucas is good to go. He's said that he's been offered to fight me and he's keen. We're just waiting for contracts to be formed and for us to sign them. Both of us are keen. I'm probably hungrier than him. He's fought and won recently, and I haven't, so there's plenty more reason for me to be hungry."

The 42-year-old Browne shapes as an ideal stepping stone as Fa looks to reignite his career.

In his last outing Browne (30-3) recorded a knockout victory over fellow Australian heavyweight Faiga Opelu in December. Prior to that, Browne was floored in the first round by former NRL star Paul Gallen.

"He's tough, durable," Fa says. "Technically he's not great. He's got a big right hand but I'll beat him up. I don't think he hangs with me for the whole fight. I'll stop him."

Before being struck down by Covid-19, Fa was churning through rounds at City Kickboxing gym in an effort to avoid ring rust accumulating.

"I've been getting some great competitive sparring lately. We've been bringing in other guys from different gyms and rotating them doing a round each on me. I get to whack a few bodies around and feel good.

"Rather than sparring your mates in the gym it's been good to get that competitive sparring back. That's been keeping me sharp because I can tend to take it easy on the guys at the gym but if it's someone else then I'll pick up the work-rate more.

"I'm a lot bigger than most of the guys at City Kickboxing so I do tend to pull my punches a bit. Getting some bigger bodies and being able to throw a bit harder has been good for me."

Lock in the fight with Browne; deliver a dominant, eye-catching performance and Fa is intent on challenging bigger names this year.

"I've had such a huge layoff and I want to keep myself busy. It wasn't my choice – I didn't want to have this period without fighting. I'm eager to fight as many times as I can, and with some worthy fighters that get me out of bed and scare me a bit.

"I can't envision any fights happening in New Zealand. I know restrictions will improve but it will probably be Australia, the States, Europe.

"There's no point calling out the champions – even though I want them. There's no reason for them to fight me, so any of the other prospects I'm keen."