Jeff Fenech Declares Alex Leapai Jr Future Heavyweight Champion After Explosive KO
Last night’s boxing event at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena was more than just the long-awaited clash between Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen—it was the rise of a new force in Australian boxing. And none other than Jeff Fenech, one of Australia’s most respected boxing legends, was the first to call it: Alex Leapai Jr is destined to become a heavyweight champion.
If you missed the undercard, you missed the moment. Just 19 years old, Alex Leapai Jr—the son of former heavyweight world title contender Alex Leapai Sr—stepped into the ring against Herve Silu Mata and delivered a statement. In just one blistering round, he overwhelmed Mata with a flurry of brutal, precise punches, sending him crashing to the canvas halfway through. With 73 seconds left in the first round, the referee had seen enough. It was over. A clean knockout. A fifth professional win for Leapai Jr, who now boasts a record of 5-0-1, with four of those victories coming by knockout.
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Jeff Fenech was ringside calling the action for Stan Sport and was visibly impressed. “This kid’s got the skill, but he’s also got the power. That combination doesn’t come around often. This kid is going to be a heavyweight champion one day,” Fenech said. That’s a huge endorsement from a man who knows exactly what greatness looks like.
What’s remarkable is how grounded Leapai Jr remains. His father, Alex Sr—himself no stranger to the sport’s highest stage after facing Wladimir Klitschko in 2014—was proudly in his son’s corner, wearing a shirt that read “Alexanda the Great Leapai” . And while some might expect the pressure of legacy to weigh heavy, Fenech noted that Alex Sr’s light touch as a parent and mentor may be the secret to Junior’s success. “He’s let him do his own thing. No pressure. And it’s working.”
Physically, Leapai Jr is a force to be reckoned with. Standing at 193cm and weighing over 120 kilograms, his size and strength are already drawing comparisons to boxing’s greats. But what’s even more impressive is the maturity he brings. Just over a year ago, he walked away from a promising NRL career with the Gold Coast Titans to pursue boxing full-time—something Sonny Bill Williams, who also juggled rugby and boxing, deeply respects.
In fact, Williams shared his own admiration, saying Leapai Jr has the “raw power, discipline, and pedigree” to go far. “He’s young, he’s got the frame, and he’s been boxing since he was a kid. Those things matter,” Williams added.
On a night meant to settle a decade-long rivalry between Williams and Gallen, it was Leapai Jr who stole the spotlight. And if Jeff Fenech’s words carry the weight they usually do, Australia might just be looking at its next world heavyweight champion in the making.
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