Newport’s Jake Carr has successfully defended his Australian super-middleweight title at the Melbourne Pavilion.
Carr didn’t enter the ring for the main event until after 11 o’clock last Wednesday night but remained focused over 10 rounds to retain his belt in a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Queensland challenger Dane Mulivai.
“It didn’t really bother me what time I was fighting,” Carr told Star Weekly.
“I train twice a day, six days a week, so it’s a lot of time that goes into preparing for the night. I stuck to the game plan and all of my hard training paid off.”
Carr controlled the fight over the duration of the 10 three-minute rounds.
He landed the more plentiful and significant blows, while staying strong defensively to stave off the real threat of the hard-punching Mulivai.
The 100-90, 100-91, 100-90 score reflected the difference between the two fighters.
But Carr was still aware of the danger of Mulivai, who won his first four professional fights by knockout.
“Dane’s got big punches, so we did our best to avoid those,” Carr said post-fight.
“It’s harder to hit a moving target than it is a stationary one.
“Once I shut down his big punches, I was pretty comfortable with my ability and the way I was controlling the fight.”
Carr first claimed the title last July with a unanimous decision over Serge Yannick.
He said it was a “different feeling” taking care of the business of keeping his crown.
At 23, Carr is still on a learning curve in the ring and it helps having his dad Rod in his corner.
Rod was a pro boxer from 1987-95 and former holder of the super-middleweight belt.
“It was my eighth professional fight, so I’ve still got bucketloads to learn and improve on to get to the stage that I want to be at,” Carr said.
“I’m confident I’m on the right path to go where I want to go.
“Having him [Rod] so involved in my career is a massive influence.
“He’s had ups and downs in his career and I do my best to learn from his mistakes. He’s 100 per cent behind me and does his best to help me succeed. It’s also good to have a successful and determined team behind you.”
Carr’s next task will be helping Daniel Geale prepare for a world title fight against Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin in New York.
Carr will be one of Geale’s main sparring partners in the lead-up to the fight at Madison Square Garden.
“The Geale camp are flying me over there,” Carr said.
“That’s a great gig and it’s a great experience for me.
“I will not only be able to go over there and help Daniel prepare for his world title but also have different sparring partners over there that I’ll learn a lot from.”
