Rip Curl Pro: Xavier Huxtable stunned world No.1 Italo Ferreira
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Xavier Huxtable had to win his way into the Rip Curl Pro via trials before the event and the rookie from Jan Juc used all his local knowledge to send world No.1 Italo Ferreira packing in a monumental upset at Bells Beach on Anzac Day.
A day after veteran star Sally Fitzgibbons sent the women's world No.1 packing, Huxtable took out the round of 32 clash with the Brazilian star who has finished top three in three of four events this season.
Huxtable, 22, went to local Anzac Day Dawn Service before heading to the beach for his clash with the 'best surfer in the world' and had the local crowd 'stomping' after the biggest win of his fledgling career.
'I can't believe it. I literally can't comprehend it. I was paddling in, trying to take it all in, but I still don't think I have it's unbelievable,' he said.
Xavier Huxtable stook down the World No.1 at the Rip Curl Pro (Photo by Ed Sloane/World Surf League)
'I mean, I kind of was nearly on yesterday, and then had to reset. And then this morning, got up early, went down to the Anzac parade, and watched all that. Took that all in. It was really sick.
'Then came straight here and went out. And yeah, luckily got a few out there, and I was able to kind of turn it back on. And yeah, found a few good ones.'
Huxtable knew he had to bring nothing but his best against the world No.1 and said 'it came off' after a brilliant opening wave scored 7.33, a score Ferreira couldn't match.
'I was like, I'm gonna have to attack every section that comes at me. And it came off,' he said.
'I got to the end of it, and I looked up and the whole stand, like all my family friends, everyone was up there just screaming. Just they got me so excited, like that feeling it's pretty much impossible to replicate. And I got to the end, looked up and seen everyone stomping and yeah, just like, say thanks everyone for supporting me.'
Huxtable will take on American Griffin Colapinto in the round of 16.
Originally published as Local lad Xavier Huxtable stunned the surfing world by taking down world No.1 Italo Ferreira at the Rip Curl Pro
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Sky News AU
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- Sky News AU
‘An incredible privilege': Tottenham players deliver emotional tributes to spurs 'legend' Ange Postecoglou after shock sacking
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Writing on Instagram, Captain Son Heung-min said it had been an 'incredible honour' to play for Postecoglou, who he said would forever be considered a 'legend' of the club. 'Gaffer. You've changed the trajectory of this club. You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did,' Son said. 'You knew what we were capable of all along. You did it your way. And your way brought this club the best night it's had in decades. We will have those memories for life.' 'You trusted me with the captaincy. One of the highest honours of my career. It's been an incredible privilege to learn from your leadership up close, I am a better player and a better person because of you.' England International James Maddison also heaped praise on Postecoglou, crediting his 'winning mentality' as the reason for the club's Europa Cup triumph. "Your unwavering self-belief and strong mindset is infectious and a massive reason in why you were the man to end this club's 17-year drought for a trophy," Maddison wrote on Instagram. "A family man with great morals and I have honestly learnt so much from you. More than you will probably ever know.' Other players to write messages of support to the Australian manager included fullback Pedro Porro, who thanked him for 'mentoring' him and for the support he showed to the playing group. 'Thank you for everything, boss. I'll always be grateful for the way you led us, defended us, and kept us going through all the highs and lows,' Porro said. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario described Postecoglou as a 'real leader' who he knew would go on to achieve more and more success. "You are not only a top manager, you are an incredible person to work for, a real leader, a mentor, and someone I'll always look up to,' Vicario said. 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Gkolomeev, while on performance-enhancing drugs, clocked 20.89 at a trial in the US last February. World Aquatics last week passed a by-law giving the global governing body powers to ban anyone who supports Enhanced Games. But Chalmers hoped Enhanced Games, to also feature athletics and weightlifting when staged in Las Vegas in May, would prompt World Aquatics to increase prize money. "I really, really hope so," Chalmers said. "Swimmers have been underpaid for a very long time at the big competitions. "I have never thought about it a huge amount because you do it for the love of swimming, and I have been well aware my whole career that there's not a lot of money to be made in it. "But when something like that comes in where there's so much money, I think it would be pretty enticing for quite a lot of athletes. "I'm very lucky to have a lot of personal sponsors so I do OK for myself, which is nice. "But I know that there's a lot of swimmers out there that really struggle." Gkolomeev's million-dollar pay-day came after the Greek said he made only $5000 a year during his clean swim career. "To make $1 million in one race is incredible," Chalmers said. "So I really hope that there is a shift, that we are able to get a little bit more prize money for what we do, but I guess we'll see. "I think it's threatening World Aquatics a little bit." World Aquatics has urged national federations, including Swimming Australia (SA), to enact their own bans. "At the moment, Swimming Australia's board is meeting to look at what is the policy that World Aquatics put down, I'll leave that kind of stuff to them," SA's head coach Rohan Taylor said on Sunday. "For me, I'm just focused on this team and working with these guys and providing the right environment for them for safe sport, clean sport - that's what we're about." Kyle Chalmers hopes the drug-friendly Enhanced Games will push World Aquatics to boost prize money for clean swimmers. Chalmers doesn't begrudge athletes, including compatriot James Magnussen, from competing at the multi-sports event with no drug testing. "James is one of my really great mates so I'm definitely not going to knock him for going across there," Chalmers said on Sunday. "That is something that is hard in our sport, there's not a huge amount of money or prize money on offer and we kind of do it for the love of it. "So I am not going to be a person that slams swimmers for wanting to go across and make some money and give themselves a better opportunity in life or set their families up. "If they want to make that choice, then good on them ... I don't have any negativity towards that and especially towards James." Enhanced Games, founded by Melbourne-born entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, is offering $US1 million in prize money for anyone breaking the 50m freestyle world record and other events. Enhanced Games has already paid that bonus to Greece's four-time Olympian Kristian Gkolomeev for bettering the legal world record of 20.91 seconds set by Brazilian Cesar Cielo in 2009. Gkolomeev, while on performance-enhancing drugs, clocked 20.89 at a trial in the US last February. World Aquatics last week passed a by-law giving the global governing body powers to ban anyone who supports Enhanced Games. But Chalmers hoped Enhanced Games, to also feature athletics and weightlifting when staged in Las Vegas in May, would prompt World Aquatics to increase prize money. "I really, really hope so," Chalmers said. "Swimmers have been underpaid for a very long time at the big competitions. "I have never thought about it a huge amount because you do it for the love of swimming, and I have been well aware my whole career that there's not a lot of money to be made in it. "But when something like that comes in where there's so much money, I think it would be pretty enticing for quite a lot of athletes. "I'm very lucky to have a lot of personal sponsors so I do OK for myself, which is nice. "But I know that there's a lot of swimmers out there that really struggle." Gkolomeev's million-dollar pay-day came after the Greek said he made only $5000 a year during his clean swim career. "To make $1 million in one race is incredible," Chalmers said. "So I really hope that there is a shift, that we are able to get a little bit more prize money for what we do, but I guess we'll see. "I think it's threatening World Aquatics a little bit." World Aquatics has urged national federations, including Swimming Australia (SA), to enact their own bans. "At the moment, Swimming Australia's board is meeting to look at what is the policy that World Aquatics put down, I'll leave that kind of stuff to them," SA's head coach Rohan Taylor said on Sunday. 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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
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Injured Huni counts cost of world title near-miss
Justis Huni faces more surgery and a long road back to the heavyweight summit after a cruel 10th-round knockout robbed him of one of Australian boxing's great triumphs. The Brisbane heavyweight's valiant bid for the WBA interim world title was ended in devastating fashion by English star and favourite Fabio Wardley on Sunday morning (AEST). The 26-year-old had stepped in on five weeks' notice to replace injured American fighter Jarrell Miller, and for nine rounds looked in complete control in front of a raucous crowd at Portman Road, the home of Wardley's beloved English soccer team Ipswich Town. Indeed, two judges had Huni ahead 89-82 and a third had scored the fight 88-83 through nine rounds before Wardley's "one-in-1000 punch" sent Huni to the canvas. Huni was soon back on his feet and looked steady, but English referee John Latham was quick to wave the Australian away and leave his camp furious. Huni, who fell to 12-1, still collected a rumoured sum of about $1 million. But it's now Wardley (18-0) in the box seat as the primary challenger to the winner of Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois's undisputed title fight in July. Manager Mick Francis believed his man wasn't given the full 10-count, and also revealed Huni had battled nerve pain in his surgically repaired elbow in the week of the fight. But Francis told AAP an official protest would amount to little and that Huni would likely need surgery to correct the issue before considering his return to the summit. "Pretty disappointed in how quickly the referee waved it off," Francis told AAP. "Justis won a lot of fans and was putting on a clinic, but he walked into a one-in-1000 punch and what's done is done now. "He was always up against it; they were looking for any excuse to give (Wardley) the fight. "Considering he's been stopped (by a knockout) it doesn't help things. "Justis probably needs six months to himself, then it's maybe three, four more fights (to be back in a similar position).'' Boasting a glittering amateur career, including World Championships bronze, Huni looked keen to display his credentials on the big stage. Huni insisted he hadn't flown more than "10,000 miles" not to try to cause an upset, and his stinging right hand, lively footwork and impressive hand speed left the Briton looking completely lost. But it was then that Wardley somehow pulled out a stunning right hand from absolutely nowhere, forcing an astonishing KO and sending his relieved fans into wild celebrations. "That's my curse. I even said before this fight it only takes one second to switch off, it happened tonight," a gracious Huni told DAZN. "I'm grateful to Fabio and his team and to Ipswich to be able to perform in front of you. Get behind him, he's going to do great things. "He's just an awesome fighter. He never gave up and he got the win, he deserves it." Wardley, whose win will boost his WBA ranking with the sanctioning body, was keen to praise the previously unbeaten Aussie. "I don't profess to being any Usyk or Justis Huni who has all the skills, but I know how to win fights and that's one thing I knew I had to do tonight," Wardley said in the ring. "Justis Huni is a great operator. We'd drilled everything over and over again. "He's a great boxer, some great skills, and he showed me everything he had tonight." Justis Huni faces more surgery and a long road back to the heavyweight summit after a cruel 10th-round knockout robbed him of one of Australian boxing's great triumphs. The Brisbane heavyweight's valiant bid for the WBA interim world title was ended in devastating fashion by English star and favourite Fabio Wardley on Sunday morning (AEST). The 26-year-old had stepped in on five weeks' notice to replace injured American fighter Jarrell Miller, and for nine rounds looked in complete control in front of a raucous crowd at Portman Road, the home of Wardley's beloved English soccer team Ipswich Town. Indeed, two judges had Huni ahead 89-82 and a third had scored the fight 88-83 through nine rounds before Wardley's "one-in-1000 punch" sent Huni to the canvas. Huni was soon back on his feet and looked steady, but English referee John Latham was quick to wave the Australian away and leave his camp furious. Huni, who fell to 12-1, still collected a rumoured sum of about $1 million. But it's now Wardley (18-0) in the box seat as the primary challenger to the winner of Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois's undisputed title fight in July. Manager Mick Francis believed his man wasn't given the full 10-count, and also revealed Huni had battled nerve pain in his surgically repaired elbow in the week of the fight. But Francis told AAP an official protest would amount to little and that Huni would likely need surgery to correct the issue before considering his return to the summit. "Pretty disappointed in how quickly the referee waved it off," Francis told AAP. "Justis won a lot of fans and was putting on a clinic, but he walked into a one-in-1000 punch and what's done is done now. "He was always up against it; they were looking for any excuse to give (Wardley) the fight. "Considering he's been stopped (by a knockout) it doesn't help things. "Justis probably needs six months to himself, then it's maybe three, four more fights (to be back in a similar position).'' Boasting a glittering amateur career, including World Championships bronze, Huni looked keen to display his credentials on the big stage. Huni insisted he hadn't flown more than "10,000 miles" not to try to cause an upset, and his stinging right hand, lively footwork and impressive hand speed left the Briton looking completely lost. But it was then that Wardley somehow pulled out a stunning right hand from absolutely nowhere, forcing an astonishing KO and sending his relieved fans into wild celebrations. "That's my curse. I even said before this fight it only takes one second to switch off, it happened tonight," a gracious Huni told DAZN. "I'm grateful to Fabio and his team and to Ipswich to be able to perform in front of you. Get behind him, he's going to do great things. "He's just an awesome fighter. He never gave up and he got the win, he deserves it." Wardley, whose win will boost his WBA ranking with the sanctioning body, was keen to praise the previously unbeaten Aussie. "I don't profess to being any Usyk or Justis Huni who has all the skills, but I know how to win fights and that's one thing I knew I had to do tonight," Wardley said in the ring. "Justis Huni is a great operator. We'd drilled everything over and over again. "He's a great boxer, some great skills, and he showed me everything he had tonight." Justis Huni faces more surgery and a long road back to the heavyweight summit after a cruel 10th-round knockout robbed him of one of Australian boxing's great triumphs. The Brisbane heavyweight's valiant bid for the WBA interim world title was ended in devastating fashion by English star and favourite Fabio Wardley on Sunday morning (AEST). The 26-year-old had stepped in on five weeks' notice to replace injured American fighter Jarrell Miller, and for nine rounds looked in complete control in front of a raucous crowd at Portman Road, the home of Wardley's beloved English soccer team Ipswich Town. Indeed, two judges had Huni ahead 89-82 and a third had scored the fight 88-83 through nine rounds before Wardley's "one-in-1000 punch" sent Huni to the canvas. Huni was soon back on his feet and looked steady, but English referee John Latham was quick to wave the Australian away and leave his camp furious. Huni, who fell to 12-1, still collected a rumoured sum of about $1 million. But it's now Wardley (18-0) in the box seat as the primary challenger to the winner of Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois's undisputed title fight in July. Manager Mick Francis believed his man wasn't given the full 10-count, and also revealed Huni had battled nerve pain in his surgically repaired elbow in the week of the fight. But Francis told AAP an official protest would amount to little and that Huni would likely need surgery to correct the issue before considering his return to the summit. "Pretty disappointed in how quickly the referee waved it off," Francis told AAP. "Justis won a lot of fans and was putting on a clinic, but he walked into a one-in-1000 punch and what's done is done now. "He was always up against it; they were looking for any excuse to give (Wardley) the fight. "Considering he's been stopped (by a knockout) it doesn't help things. "Justis probably needs six months to himself, then it's maybe three, four more fights (to be back in a similar position).'' Boasting a glittering amateur career, including World Championships bronze, Huni looked keen to display his credentials on the big stage. Huni insisted he hadn't flown more than "10,000 miles" not to try to cause an upset, and his stinging right hand, lively footwork and impressive hand speed left the Briton looking completely lost. But it was then that Wardley somehow pulled out a stunning right hand from absolutely nowhere, forcing an astonishing KO and sending his relieved fans into wild celebrations. "That's my curse. I even said before this fight it only takes one second to switch off, it happened tonight," a gracious Huni told DAZN. "I'm grateful to Fabio and his team and to Ipswich to be able to perform in front of you. Get behind him, he's going to do great things. "He's just an awesome fighter. He never gave up and he got the win, he deserves it." Wardley, whose win will boost his WBA ranking with the sanctioning body, was keen to praise the previously unbeaten Aussie. "I don't profess to being any Usyk or Justis Huni who has all the skills, but I know how to win fights and that's one thing I knew I had to do tonight," Wardley said in the ring. "Justis Huni is a great operator. We'd drilled everything over and over again. "He's a great boxer, some great skills, and he showed me everything he had tonight." Justis Huni faces more surgery and a long road back to the heavyweight summit after a cruel 10th-round knockout robbed him of one of Australian boxing's great triumphs. The Brisbane heavyweight's valiant bid for the WBA interim world title was ended in devastating fashion by English star and favourite Fabio Wardley on Sunday morning (AEST). The 26-year-old had stepped in on five weeks' notice to replace injured American fighter Jarrell Miller, and for nine rounds looked in complete control in front of a raucous crowd at Portman Road, the home of Wardley's beloved English soccer team Ipswich Town. Indeed, two judges had Huni ahead 89-82 and a third had scored the fight 88-83 through nine rounds before Wardley's "one-in-1000 punch" sent Huni to the canvas. Huni was soon back on his feet and looked steady, but English referee John Latham was quick to wave the Australian away and leave his camp furious. Huni, who fell to 12-1, still collected a rumoured sum of about $1 million. But it's now Wardley (18-0) in the box seat as the primary challenger to the winner of Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois's undisputed title fight in July. Manager Mick Francis believed his man wasn't given the full 10-count, and also revealed Huni had battled nerve pain in his surgically repaired elbow in the week of the fight. But Francis told AAP an official protest would amount to little and that Huni would likely need surgery to correct the issue before considering his return to the summit. "Pretty disappointed in how quickly the referee waved it off," Francis told AAP. "Justis won a lot of fans and was putting on a clinic, but he walked into a one-in-1000 punch and what's done is done now. "He was always up against it; they were looking for any excuse to give (Wardley) the fight. "Considering he's been stopped (by a knockout) it doesn't help things. "Justis probably needs six months to himself, then it's maybe three, four more fights (to be back in a similar position).'' Boasting a glittering amateur career, including World Championships bronze, Huni looked keen to display his credentials on the big stage. Huni insisted he hadn't flown more than "10,000 miles" not to try to cause an upset, and his stinging right hand, lively footwork and impressive hand speed left the Briton looking completely lost. But it was then that Wardley somehow pulled out a stunning right hand from absolutely nowhere, forcing an astonishing KO and sending his relieved fans into wild celebrations. "That's my curse. I even said before this fight it only takes one second to switch off, it happened tonight," a gracious Huni told DAZN. "I'm grateful to Fabio and his team and to Ipswich to be able to perform in front of you. Get behind him, he's going to do great things. "He's just an awesome fighter. He never gave up and he got the win, he deserves it." Wardley, whose win will boost his WBA ranking with the sanctioning body, was keen to praise the previously unbeaten Aussie. "I don't profess to being any Usyk or Justis Huni who has all the skills, but I know how to win fights and that's one thing I knew I had to do tonight," Wardley said in the ring. "Justis Huni is a great operator. We'd drilled everything over and over again. "He's a great boxer, some great skills, and he showed me everything he had tonight."
