Brisbane based Te Awamutu cruiser weight boxer Floyd Masson will launch his comeback next month against a fellow kiwi.
Masson lost his IBO cruiserweight title when he was stopped in six rounds by Belgian Yves Ngabu last September and returns on August 17 to face Auckland born Joshua Francis in Mansfield, Brisbane.
Floyd Masson
Boxing scribe Benjamin Watt indicated the brutality of the Ngabu fight when reporting southpaw Masson – handicapped by an awful cut over his right eye – had been “recovering after having such a tough fight, and surgically repairing injuries he sustained”.
“The New Zealand Cruiserweight division has become one of the hottest divisions in sport currently. We can see this with the rise of David Nyika, John Parker’s first attempt at a major regional title, Joshua Francis getting fights in Australia, and now the return of Floyd Masson,” Watt said.
Parker – brother of heavyweight Joseph Parker – has signed to fight unbeaten Fijian Alivereti Kauyaca in Hamilton in September.
Francis was in former heavyweight Shane Cameron’s stable before suffering his second loss to London born New Zealand based Jerome Pampellone, whose own perfect record ended in April.
He is now working with Terry Reid-Batchelor and in May won on all the judges’ cards in beating the highly rated Benjamin Kelleher.
Francis’ record is 15 wins and two defeats, Masson’s is 13 and one.
“This is a very tough fight for both boxers as they have similar boxing styles, heavy punchers and strong chins that are hard to knockdown let alone stop,” Watt said.
