"Iron Mose" Back With Renewed Energy and a New "Mindset" Ahead of Conor Wallace Clash
"Iron Mose" Back With Renewed Energy and a New "Mindset" Ahead of Conor Wallace Clash
Mose Auimatagi Jnr. goes head to head with Ireland's Conor Wallace on Dec 20 in an epic light heavyweight clash.
After an extended period out of boxing, Mose Auimatagi Jnr.'s (16-3-2) return to the ring this year has been a welcome sight for his fans.
The 28-year-old has racked up two wins and a loss since lacing up his gloves again and is now looking to end the year on a high when he takes on Ireland's Conor Wallace (11-1) on December 20 inside Queensland's Fortitude Music Hall.
The pair will meet in a 10-round light heavyweight clash that will headline the Tasman Fighter promoted card, also featuring South Auckland-born super bantamweight Mariah Turner (3-0).
Wallace, sitting 12th in the WBO and WBC rankings and 11th in the IBF, represents an opportunity for Auimatagi to insert himself into the upper echelon of the light heavyweight division.
Auimatagi knows what is at stake in this fight, his most significant since his April matchup with Jerome Pampellone, and while that bout did not go his way, Auimatagi has been working hard in the gym and is ready to lay it all on the line next week.
"I was excited for this opportunity, another big shot in my career," he explains.
" I know this is going to be different because the mindset is different. I feel like I'm back in the groove again as well. I'm loving training and enjoy being there, can't wait for fight night. "
Wallace turned pro in 2018 and has steadily earned a reputation as one of the top light heavyweights competing in the Australian scene. The 27-year-old southpaw's last outing was a first-round stoppage win over Australia's Mat Sheehan.
"'I've been following him for years now; I've been watching him for a long time, and I know he is going to be a tough challenge", Auimatagi says.
"It's not going to be a walk in the park, but I know we're going to be prepared, and we'll be ready for fight night."
To that end, Auimatagi has been sharpening his skills with fellow Samoan Leti Leti, a man who knows what it is like to trade leather with Wallace. The pair have met twice, earning a win apiece, with Leti taking the spoils in the first fight and Wallace the second.
"I've been working with him [Leti] and seeing what I can pick up from him, see what I can improve on that he missed on the second fight with him. I have been learning off him and his boys that he has been working with and that he has got in his stable."
Auimatagi is under no illusion of the importance of this fight to his career; he has previously been on the cusp of a breakthrough after defeating Morgan Jones on the Anthony Joshua - Joseph Parker undercard in 2018. Next week's card will be beamed live around the globe on DAZN, and a win in front of a worldwide audience would be career-changing. This matchup will be "Iron”Mose's” fourth outing of 2023, making it his most active year since 2016.
"The nerves and the excitement is coming because I know my career is sort of like a crossroads at the moment where it can go really big, or it can plummet again, " he says.
"A win here puts my name back up again in the main conversation. If we can pull it off, and I know we can, we've got the goods too, but if we can pull it off on the night, we will be right back in the midst again."
Auimatagi respects Wallace's skills. He knows that after over a decade of experience in the pro ranks, having competed on a major card in the United Kingdom and going ten rounds with David Light ( who went on to challenge for the WBO cruiserweight crown), he has what it takes to get his hand raised come December 20.
"I feel like I bring something different, something he hasn't faced yet, " Aumatagi says.
" I know it's going to be a good start for next year as well, heading into 2024 when we pull it off. So it will be a good way to end the year."