Unfinished business for Miles

Published 7:00am 19 March 2021

North Lakes boxer Miles Zalewski has more “unfinished business” to take care of this weekend.

Zalewski, 31, ‘retired’ from boxing in 2015 with seven wins from eight fights. “I was over it,” he says. “I never thought I’d come back.”

But he did four years later and on Saturday night will face former world kickboxing champion Joey Baylon in Fortitude Valley.

It will be Baylon’s second professional fight and the third of Zalewski’s comeback. Last time out he won the vacant Queensland Lightweight title.

Miles Zalewski training at the All Star Boxing Academy before tomorrow's fight.

All Star corner

In Zalewski’s corner at Fortitude Stadium will be the team from All Star Boxing Academy, at PCYC Pine Rivers, who urged him to pull on the gloves again.

“It never sat right with me leaving as I did,” says Zalewski, who lived in Thailand for two years and worked for the United Nations doing videos of its projects.

“I kept in touch with Benny (trainer Ben Harrington) and the boys. They encouraged me to comeback and I knew I had unfinished business.”

Miles Zalewski with manager Phil Murphy and All Star Boxing Academy colleague Vegas Larfield

Natural weight

Zalewski was in the 61kg lightweight division but has now dropped to super featherweight (57kgs) and feels this is his “natural weight”.

“In my time off I shrank,” he says, “I lost muscle because I wasn’t training as much as I used to. The look in the gym made me cringe.

“Now I’m back in the sport, with a different team, this is my natural weight. I was too small for the lightweight division.”

Miles Zalewski hoping to making the most of his second opportunity.

Career break

Phil Murphy, from Oxmar Properties, who is Zalewski's manager, admitted: “Miles has to make the most of years he has (left), maybe five." But added: "Because of that break, he could be able to extend his career.”

Zalewski stopped Australian super featherweight champion TC Priestly in the first fight of his return, but as Priestly stepped up to lightweight it was a non-title bout. Zalewski then knocked out Kyle Freiberg, at Fortitude Music Hall.

“I want to maximise the opportunity I have and do best I can,” says the New Zealand-born boxer, “I hadn’t reached full potential.

“I’m looking forward to it (Baylon fight). I feel good. The body’s full of emotion. This is why I came back. I came back for this stuff.”

Contact Fortitude Boxing for ticket information: fortuitudeboxing.com.au

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