Heavyweight contender Justis Huni promised to show a up-to-date, aggressive side of his personality.
It paid immediate dividends as he stopped the hard-hitting Troy Pilcher in the second round on Thursday night at the Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane, Australia.
Critics of the 25-year-old former amateur star have often pointed to his lack of strength relative to his enormous frame. But with the speed and footwork of a middleweight, the 6-foot-3 Huni rarely had to sit on his punches or trade blow for blow.
In March, something changed. Boxing as part of the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Huni was in complete control of his opponent, Kevin Lerena, until the 10th and final round. The experienced South African left-hander was urged by his corner to find something extra for his recently deceased mother, and he did exactly that, seriously unsettling the Australian with a left jab.
Huni took a rabbit step. He staggered around the ring. He came close and ultimately survived, winning a unanimous decision 96-94, 96-94, 98-92.
Something changed in him that night. And maybe for the better.
During the media tour ahead of the Pilcher fight, Huni (10-0, 5 knockouts) tried to explain that he had been working on his strength and technique to make the most of his precise punches.
This bore fruit in his fight against the 29-year-old Recent Zealander, who was submitted at 2:26 of the second round.
Pilcher’s plan was to ambush Huni from the opening bell. He loaded up with a right hook and threw Huni off balance in the clinch, driving him back to the ropes. But as is often the case in such scenes, the cream of the crop came out on top.
Huni absorbed the pressure and pushed away from the clinch, creating space for punches. When there was space, faster, sharper, more precise punches came from Huni.
Pilcher (9-1-1, 7 KOs) landed a good punch overdue in the round, but it was Huni who showed off a more classic performance, landing two powerful body shots just before the bell.
Huni settled into his rhythm early in the second round. A stiff left to the body followed by a right over the top set the tone for the whole affair. A left hook from the front reminded Pilcher that he would be punished for being too bold.
Pilcher tried his best, striking with force, but it had little effect on Huni, who looked placid in the eye of the storm.
Left hook, right hook Huni landed Pilcher in the middle of the round, but the underdog bit the mouthpiece and fought on, landing a quality right hook. Huni responded with a two-handed body attack that made Pilcher wince and catch his breath.
With less than 50 seconds left on the clock, Huni unleashed a long left hook that caught Pilcher in a nap. His head snapped back and he stumbled against the ropes. Huni, with his newfound confidence in his strength, wasn’t going to let him get away. A rigid right hook caught Pilcher in the chin, and as he swung his right hand to the top rope for support, Huni moved in to finish him off with a flurry of punches, finishing it off with a right hook that dropped to the mat in the blue corner just before the towel came in, ending the fight.
The fight was scheduled for 10 sessions, but it never looked like it would get to that point. Huni made sure of that.
“I knew he was going to come out sturdy and give it his all in the first round. I just had to find my distance and dial in my punches,” said Huni, who weighed 247½ pounds for the fight, his career-high.
“It’s just another drop. I’m one step closer to my dream. We’ll just keep going from here.
“It wasn’t filthy. He had to do what he had to do. He tried to frustrate me, but I had to pick my shots and get the job done.”
Huni wants to have two more fights this year, but has no specific preferences as to who they will fight.
“I’ll let the team decide,” he said. “I’m ready. I’ll try to be as busy as I can this year. Hopefully we’ll have two more fights this year and next year we’ll have another busy year.”
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