On Friday, August 14, at The Melbourne Pavilion in Flemington, Victoria, Australia, WBA Intercontinental heavyweight champion Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne (22-0, 19 KOs), from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, makes the second defense of his title against MMA star turned boxer, Icho “The Bulldog” Larenas (15-3, 14 KOs), from Benavídez, Buenos Aires, Argentina, by way of Quebec City, Canada.
Big Daddy’s former opponent, Gonzalo Basile, withdrew from the fight, not because of an injury but because he had, according to Browne’s manager Matt Clark, “cold feet.”
“Basile quite clearly thought twice about coming over here to face Browne,” explained Clark. “Everything was agreed by all parties but what can I say? He got cold feet, simple as that.”
The temperature of Basile’s feet, or Larenas’ feet for that matter, mean nothing to Lucas Browne.
“Nothing has changed from my perspective,” he said. “I’m ready to do a job, get back in the ring and get this guy out of there…the same as every fight.”
Getting guys out of there is something of a Lucas Browne specialty.
“I’ve seen Larenas fight once or twice before in the UFC and on YouTube,” Brown continued. “He’s an aggressive guy who comes out fast and aggressive. It might be a short night if he keeps that game plan. I don’t like to leave it up to the judges. I’m the hardest hitting heavyweight in the world and I look forward to putting on a good show.”
Lucas Browne is big. He’s bad. He’s got dynamite in his fists.
He is also trained by the former bantamweight, super bantamweight, and featherweight champion Jeff Fenech, known affectionately as the Marrickville Mauler.
I’ve been working with him for quite a while now,” Fenech told The Courier Mail, “helping him harness that power and teaching him to throw punches in bunches rather than just one big shot at a time. His balance and his technique have really improved and he is one of the most dangerous heavyweights in boxing.”
Fenech has seconded other heavyweights in the past, and maybe none was as heavy, at least temperamentally, as Iron Mike Tyson.
“Tyson was a devastating puncher,” added Fenech, “and his punches were fast and snappy. Lucas has a different sort of power. It’s heavy and thudding. His punches are like big rocks landing on your head.”
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
