Undefeated Anthony Pati Targets First National Title
Anthony Pati aims to follow in his father's footsteps in the NZ heavyweight scene.
Anthony Pati may only be 15, but he is already making waves in the New Zealand amateur scene.
The undefeated Pati (12-0) will be stepping into the ring this Friday as he goes in search of his first national title when he competes in the New Zealand National Heavyweight Junior Championship in Christchurch.
Pati is headed straight to the finals after his opening round opponent pulled out of their fight.
Anthony is the son of Junior Pati, one of New Zealand's most experienced heavyweights, who has trained his son since he was five. The senior Pati has been fighting professionally since 2004 and has 38 contests. He has locked horns with the likes of Junior Fa, Daniel Tai and Lucas Browne and is now passing on his wisdom to the next generation of New Zealand boxing talent.
"I try not to call him my son when training him., I make sure that I train them all the same," Pati explains.
Junior aims to ensure his son and the other fighters he trains learn the fundamentals of the sport and not just how to "bang." The aim is to help them have as long and safe a career as possible in the ring.
“I'm in 2024, and I am still fighting; if I look at all the fighters that started with me, they are retired," he says.
"I'm laughing as I am still fighting, and my son is at nationals and will be turning professional soon," he adds.
The focus now for Anthony is to continue developing his skillset; Junior has already had Anthony honing his left hook by training with David Tua. At 15, he still has plenty of time left to improve before he turns pro and the focus is on working his way into contention for a spot on the New Zealand amateur team.
A national title would be an important step in Anthony's boxing journey, and anyone who has seen or heard his punches up close knows that it would not be a surprise if Anthony, like his father before him, shortly becomes a popular name on the local boxing scene.