Billy Hussein discusses fighter/trainer bond with Luke Jackson

 
BILLY Hussein has compiled an innumerable list of accomplishments in his time as a trainer.

 
At some point, almost all of Australia’s best modern-day pugilists have worked with the self-effacing strategist.

 
It is almost irrefutable that any given fighter who walks through the doors of Hussein’s Bodypunch Boxing Gym in Sydney’s west will leave as a more complete and well-rounded athlete than they were before entering.

 
One of Hussein’s emerging projects is Luke Jackson, a credentialed amateur and now former national champion.

 
Ahead of Jackson’s eleventh professional fight – the second in his home state – against rugged former world title challenger John Mark Apolinario, Hussein discusses their unique fighter/trainer relationship.

 
“I have very good athletes in the gym,” explains Hussein. “All are at different levels in their careers,”

 
“Luke, he gives you 150 percent every session. Throughout all the years I’ve trained many great fighters, he is definitely up there with fighters like Danny Green and Garth Wood,”

 
“I also used to put Jeff Fenech through the pads a lot; I can tell you he has the same work ethic as those guys. I can tell you right now, his determination, dedication and his attitude is unbelievable.”

 
Over the course three action-packed years, Hussein has developed fervent long-distance relationship with the assiduously hard-working Jackson. A relationship he reflects on with great pride.

 
“I have built a really close bond with Luke,” he continued. “The faith and trust he has for me is incredible. He never questions anything I say or do,”

 
“I pick and choose how long I want him in Sydney, but I’m in touch with him nearly everyday when his back home. We don’t just talk boxing – we talk about his gym – and we advise each other about personal training,”

 
“He is always sending videos of himself and I send him videos of how the other boys are going,”

 
“We are always going back-and-forth socially, we have a very close bond. For me it’s very similar to what Jeff Fenech had with Johnny Lewis. Honestly, it’s like that. I have a very, very close bond with my other fighters too,”

 
“But that’s like a father-son relationship with them and they are around me a lot more than Luke. But for Luke who has only been with us for three years, the bond that we have all built and shared as a boxing family in the gym is unbelievable,”

 
“When Luke is with the team – they all lift – they all go to another level,”

 
“He fits in perfectly. We have twelve to thirteen fighters and he is definitely one of the leaders there.”

 
Despite his limited experience in the paid ranks, Hussein admits that it will take time for the former Olympic captain to reach his potential as a professional. With that said, Hussein is happy with what he sees so far.

 
“I’m happy with him, I’m slowly seeing improvement,” he added. “He has had a long amateur career,”

 
“We had to really adjust him to the pros. We had to try to find the right weight for him and get the right balance. Whether it was featherweight or super featherweight. The super featherweight division is stacked and so is featherweight,”

 
“I also have Paul Fleming, Billel Dib and Billy Dib all ranked in the top ten in the world in the super featherweight division. So you put Luke in there and you have a sort of who’s who happening in the gym,”

 
“In saying that, they are all going on their own route.”

 
In John Mark Apolinario, Hussein sees a lively opponent that should provide the Tasmanian with a difficult fight at this point of his career. In many ways, Apolinario will serve as a measuring stick to gauge Jackson’s improvement.

 
“This is obviously a big test for him, fighting a guy that’s challenged for two world titles in the past. He isn’t 21 years old, he is 31 now, so he will get moved quicker than some of the other young guys I’ve got in my team,”

 
“Training camp has gone steady as always, I honestly believe he will put on a master-class show. He’ll be even better this time out because he has a real live-wire in front of him.”

 
Hussein is hoping a win over Apolinario will not only launch Jackson’s assault on the WBA featherweight title, presently held by Leo Santa Cruz, but also continue the renaissance of professional boxing in Tasmania.

 
“When Danny Green started his own promotional company and went to Perth, it was electrifying,” Hussein recalled. “He was filling stadiums over there. When we went to Hobart for Luke’s homecoming he had 1,400 odd people in there,”

 
“I can tell you, it felt the same. When Danny Green walked out back then – I compared it as I watched Luke walk out – and it felt the same. Luke has the same presence about him; he is a lot like a mini-Danny Green,”

 
“Danny Green was boxing in Western Australia and he made a lot of people happy over there. The fight nights he put on over there were amazing. Luke and his team are heading that way, with his status in Tasmania,”

 
“I think this kid can be huge.”

 
“Luke has carried boxing in Tasmania for a long time and he is now doing amazing things as a professional boxer. This is a huge step for him, but if he claims the title it positions him for a world rating with the WBA,”

 
Although Hussein is not looking past Apolinario, a win will lead to bigger opportunities for Jackson.

 
“We would love to bring a meaningful fight to Hobart,” concluded Hussein.

 
“Whether it’s against a top ten rated fighter, an eliminator or even an interim title. Our goal by the end of the year is for him to have a meaningful fight,”

 
“We definitely want to bring a big fight to Hobart by the end of the year.”

 
 
Photo: Milos Lekovic/Southside Studios