Piper pumped for intense battle on hometown stage

BOXING is more than a sport for Bendigo’s Shane Piper – it’s an emotional release and a tool for staying grounded and personal growth.

The 34-year-old small business owner will main event the coming Showdown at the Allies amateur boxing showcase at the popular Myers Flat pub.

Piper is one of about a dozen fighters on the card representing the DL Boxing Gym in Golden Square, under the guidance of well-known Bendigo sports identity Damien Lock, who is promoting the event.

His opponent is expected to be locked in this week following the withdrawal of his original adversary, Melbourne’s Kane Brunn.

For Piper, it’s the next step in a boxing journey that started more than a decade ago in his early 20s.

His last three years spent training and competing under the guidance of Lock, an accomplished boxer in his own right but now retired – which followed a few years’ hiatus from the sport – represents phase two of his in-ring career, a period defined by a more focused and more mature Piper.He insists there is little comparison between the 22-year-old him and the 34-year-old who will climb through the ropes at The Allies Hotel on Saturday 7 March.

“I had a way different mindset back then,” Piper said.

“I was training in the gym, lifting weights and all those sorts of things, and then I just took an interest in boxing and fighting in general.

“I was a different fighter back then; I wanted to let out some anger and aggression.

“These days, it’s moreso about mental health and a state of mind.”

 

He credits his decision to again link up with his long-time mate Lock as pivotal to the change in attitude and approach to his boxing.

“When I first got in to boxing, Locky and I started out sparring,” said Piper, who runs the Bendigo East-based steel fabrication business Weldone Solutions.

“He was from another gym, but we used to catch up on weekends and punch each other in the face,” he added with a laugh.

“These days, I’m general manager of a small business and I’ve got a small family, so with the stress of life, I just needed an outlet.

“Coming back and seeing Locky, it’s worked out really well.

“He’s a really important person in my life, and he’s the same to everyone in the gym. “He’s such a good, kind, gentle person with a good heart. He’ll never put you in a position you don’t want to be in.

“And I feel like I need to have boxing in my life to help me with my general day-to-day life and having a balance.”

On 7 March, Piper will be aiming to better his current 6-4 amateur win-loss record.

The bout will be his fourth on home soil.

He previously headlined an amateur show for his former trainer Frank Pianto (now based in Brisbane) in 2014 and has more recently fought twice on cards promoted by the Bendigo Fight Centre.

His preparation for this bout has been aided by not having to drop down multiple weight divisions as he has often done in the past.

 

“The last couple of fights I’ve had, I’ve had to shed up to 20 kilos in weight. That didn’t help too much,” Piper said. “This fight, I am fighting at my natural weight of 90 kilos.

“Fighting at my weight, it’s been a whole different fight camp. It’s just been focusing on the boxing itself and not stripping weight and watching what you eat as much.”

With the 7 March card to consist of at least 10 fights, Piper nominated fellow locals Tristan Haughton, Hugh Trigg and Steven Schenck as fighters to keep an eye out for.

And while he is in the main event, Piper is equally glad to see so many of his gym mates and fellow Bendigo boxers getting their chance to shine in front of a home crowd. “I’ve been to a lot of gyms over the years; the group we have here, everybody gels and blends really well,” he said.

“It’s like a little family here … it’s a pleasure to be a part of it and watch its growth.

“It’s always a pleasure to get to fight in your own town in front of your friends and family.

“Being on the card of an event your gym is hosting is a special thing.”

Tickets for Showdown at the Allies have sold out, but the event will be streamed live on Facebook.

The event is sanctioned by the Victorian Amateur Boxing League.