'They'll be all knockouts': Carroll promises high-octane action

The local boxing coach, who owns One2Boxing, has had fights scheduled for a number of his boxers in recent months, only for them to fall through for various reasons.

But, thankfully, this weekend's Terrace Thunder card in Raymond Terrace will give four locals a chance to test their skills after a long wait.

Malachi Towns, Lemuel Silisia, Cody Vitalone, and Jesse Taylor will all take to the ring on Saturday.

"They're all better prepared than I ever was for a fight," Carroll said.

"They're all training hard, we've been sparring out at Moree, we've had Armidale here, just countless [hours in the gym].

"Way more sparring than I ever got."

The Tamworth-based club has spent recent months cross-training with various clubs around the region, including time in the ring with several of the highly-touted professionals from Gunnedah.

This experience, Carroll said, has been invaluable to his fighters, and he expects finishes from all of them this Saturday.

"It's that professional experience that they're getting, that they've been sparring with," he said.

"They're just ready to go. They'll be all knockouts."

But for one fighter in particular, Towns, the opportunity to take the ring this Saturday carries more than the chance to prove his fighting ability.

"It's NAIDOC Week this week, so it feels like a massive opportunity to show up for my community," he said.

"I want to inspire my community through boxing, and anything I aspire to, I want to lift up my mob."

Towns is not the only one with more than fighting pride on the line. Silisia will step into the ring on Saturday to fight for the Northern NSW 67kg belt against Blake Stone.

However, the Soloman Islands product is seemingly unfazed about the possibility of winning the title.

"I want to fight in the ring, I always want the opportunity to fight again," Silisia said.

"It's a golden opportunity for me to train and get a co-main event fight."

After a close loss in his last fight, in which Carroll said Silisia was "ripped off", he does not intend to repeat the mistake of letting it go to a decision.

"Now Lems knows what he's got to do, now he's going to knock him out," Carroll said.

"We're not leaving it to the judges."

Vitalone will be making his debut this weekend, and intends to do much the same as his training partners.

"Once you're in there, you get that adrenaline and you just go for it," he said.

"I'm just going to go in there and smash it, take their heads off."

Meanwhile, Taylor is the largest of the four Tamworth residents fighting this weekend, at heavyweight. But this will technically not count as his debut as it became an exhibition bout after his opponent wasn't registered in time.

Regardless, Taylor expects his opponent to come out swinging.

"I'm going to go in there and just try to box smart," he said.

"He's probably going to swing a couple of wild ones as heavyweights do, but I'm going to have my game plan and stick to it."

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