Boxing
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GRIFFITH City Boxing coach Mario Rizzeri hopes to finish the year on a high when four of his fighters compete in Dubbo tonight.
Hiki Loseli, Jadee Ngatikao, Mitch Rossetto and Greg Halden will all feature on the card.
Loseli is battling James Woods for the NSW cruiserweight title, while Halden will square off against the experienced Owen Duffy for the state middleweight belt.
Halden suffered a broken nose on his way to winning bronze at the national amateur championships in Hobart last month, but Rizzeri said the 19-year-old was ready to enter the ring again.
"His determination and courage is unquestionable," Rizzeri said of Halden.
"You have to remember he is still recovering from a broken nose, but it hasn't deterred him.
"He trains relentlessly.
"There is a certain magic about him that's going to see him go all the way."
Rizzeri said a win against Duffy would put him in reach of the Olympic qualification trials next year.
"He (Halden) is relatively new to the sport," he said.
"He was at 84kg 10 months ago and now 12 fights later he is down to 71kg and fighting the bigger names in the main events.
"He's got the reach, speed, power and commitment."
Rizzeri also has plenty of confidence in Ngatikao, who will fight Shaun Bateson.
He said fitness would likely determine the result.
"Both are known not to take a backward step and will keep punching until someone drops from exhaustion," Rizzeri said.
"Jadee is a walk-up fighter and his style always makes it difficult for his opponents."
Newcomer Rossetto will touch gloves with Dave Sellars, who has seven fights to his name.
"Mitch is mature, strong and can drop you with a single punch, as he showed in his last fight in Sydney," Rizzeri said.
"He will be the underdog, but he is more than capable of causing an upset."