Remember Justis Huni?
The only boxer to win the Australian heavyweight title on debut, Huni punched his way straight through Paul Gallen and seemingly into the mainstream as part of a bold assault on Olympic gold.
The hype appeared justified for a once-in-a-generation talent, one seemingly capable of one day challenging for one of the greatest prizes in world sport, the heavyweight championship of the world.
That is, until things went wrong.
That victory over Gallen came at a huge cost. The hands that pummelled the former footballer copped such a battering in the process that he was forced to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics – where he would have been the favourite for gold – dashing a lifelong dream.
The subsequent journey has been a bumpy one. A bout against fellow Australian Joe Goodall was postponed after Huni contracted COVID, twice. It eventually went ahead, but not before the family home was splattered with bullets in a drive-by shooting. Then there were more injuries: concussions, a case of stomach cramps severe enough to result in hospitalisation and ankle issues.
Australian boxer Justis Huni (left) ahead of his international debut against American Andrew Tabiti in Cancun.
Throw in the parting with his long-time promoter, and it’s little wonder that his last foray in the ring was in November.
“It’s been a roller coaster,” Huni said. “It’s made me mentally stronger. To be able to bounce back after consecutive setbacks, it takes something out of you every time.
“The recent setbacks, I’ve learnt how to deal with it a lot better. At some point, I’ll get past it and back in the winning circle again.
“I’ve learnt to get over it and keep pushing forward; that’s what all of these setbacks have taught me.”
After several false starts, Huni is back in action on Sunday morning (AEDT) against American Andrew Tabiti in Cancun. It will be Huni’s international debut and the first fight under new promoter Eddie Hearn, whose Matchroom stable has the power to elevate the 24-year-old into a global star if his potential is realised.
“I’m very excited to get back out there under the bright lights, especially having my international debut over here in Cancun,” Huni said.
“I’m about to fight in front of a bunch of whole new eyes and hopefully get a new following after this fight. It’s very exciting to get my name out there a bit more.”
Huni (seven wins, four knockouts, no losses) has already earned a World Boxing Organisation ranking of 15, a lofty standing unheard of for one so inexperienced. His opponent, rising from cruiserweight to take the challenge, is formidable. Tabiti has won all but one of his 21 fights, 16 via knockout.
Justis Huni lands a left hand on Paul Gallen during his win over the former league star.Credit: Getty
While frustrated by his lay-off, the sabbatical is just what Huni needed after an injury-ravaged run, the result of cramming in five fights in eight months.
“I was qualified for the Olympics at the time and I feel we just overfilled my plate,” he said.
“Injuries started coming up more and more. Moving forward, we had to take care of those things and make sure we are all right physically and mentally before we start overcrowding my plate like we did at the start.
“To have the Olympic Games [scheduled], plus five pro fights, all 10 rounders, it was pretty full-on for one athlete.
“That morning I obviously woke up shocked, I heard the glass broken and the gunshots.”
Justis Huni
“We had to slow it down. I would like to get that active again now that everything’s all right, but you just have to be careful.”
The Gallen fight simultaneously launched and stalled Huni’s career. The victory over an opponent of Gallen’s standing added to his own, but the injuries sustained ruled him out of the Olympics.
“If I didn’t get injured, went over and still represented at the Olympics and still won gold, there would have been nothing to regret,” he said.
“It was just the way it went. I probably could have had one or two fights less, just to keep my progress going and stay active in the ring.
“There’s a couple of things we could have changed and done better, but we learnt from it and we’re back on track. That’s all that matters.”
The Tabiti fight was initially scheduled to go ahead in June, only for it to be postponed after Huni rolled his ankle. However, the Queenslander has overcome bigger setbacks than that to get here. In the days leading up to his fight against Goodall, at least five gunshots were fired into the family’s home at Sunnybank Hills on the outskirts of Brisbane.
“I’ve got no idea who was behind it or why it happened,” Huni said. “At that time, because it was so close to the fight, it didn’t really hit me. That morning I obviously woke up shocked. I heard the glass break and the gunshots, but I knew I had to go to my last sparring session.
“I didn’t even think twice about what happened that morning, I was that focused on the fight. I didn’t pay attention to how big a deal it was.
“Even to this day, random people come up and ask me about it and I completely forgot about it.
“When you have a big fight like that, I was totally focused. It was tunnel vision, nothing was going to distract or stop me. I’m just grateful no one was hurt.”
A win against Tabiti is an important step towards Huni’s ultimate goal of becoming the heavyweight champion of the world.
“I didn’t come into this game to become the Australian champion, I want to go all the way in this sport,” he said.
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