Latest news with #JeffFenech
News.com.au
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Boxing legend Jeff Fenech slams Aussie backyard ‘fight club'
WARNING: EXTREME CONTENT The rapper behind a brutal underground fight club in Sydney's west has blasted Jeff Fenech after the boxing great's criticism of his events. As first reported by The Daily Telegraph, an amateur boxing series called The Hood Contender has sprung up on social media in recent months, drawing the attention of NSW Police. The brain child of rapper Hoodrich Hefner, whose real name is Caleb Valeri, the events claim to be staged 'for men's health' and to 'earn honour and respect'. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Valeri's Instagram account has over 78,000 followers and features a series of videos from the fights, which are open to amateurs only, weighing between 80 and 100 kgs. The entrants wear MMA gloves and are only required to bring a mouthguard to compete, with some shocking fights taking place at undisclosed locations. Fenech strongly criticised the series, calling it 'sad' in an interview with the Telegraph and declaring 'your friends will call you tough … but see if they're there in 30 years when you need someone to wipe your arse'. Valeri clearly didn't take kindly to the publicity from Fenech's comments, teeing off on an Instagram video on Thursday. 'G'day Jeff mate, look all you had to do was ask me to come to the Hood Contender event and I would've allowed it,' he said. 'But now you've gone and spoken to your little media buddies and f**ked it for everyone. Now you're not welcome at our events. 'But you could've come down and seen it for yourself. 'We don't sell tickets, any money the fighters make are donations from people in the crowd, OK? 'There's no alcohol, there's no crowd fights, we have security, we have first aid, we have medics, we have all the good stuff on standby for our fighters. 'No one's getting stabbed, no one's getting their head kicked in, no one's drinking and knocking some bloke out from behind, he hits his head on the ground and he's f**king in hospital for the rest of his life. 'There's none of that mate, it's a well controlled sparring event. You should come down and really check it out. 'I reckon you would love it, you and your little mates. Come down and check it out and tell me what you think.' Valeri hosted the first Hood Contender event in June and then another on July 13. Despite claiming fighters only earn 'donations' from onlookers, Valeri stated in his initial launch video on May 30 the winner would earn $5,000 and have the chance to earn another $1000 for knockout or performance of the night, calling it a 'founder's gift'. He appealed to interested men in Sydney, the Central Coast or the Newcastle region 'who love a scrap', adding the series would soon be expanding to other states. It also has almost 20,000 subscribers on YouTube, with the most recent video earlier this month receiving over 148,000 views. In the introduction of that latest video, Valeri explains some of the genesis for the idea. 'We've set up a Hood colosseum with hay bales, it's quite exciting. We hope to bring a great production to the viewers at home watching,' he said. 'Our main objective is for men's mental health. What we're doing right now is for men's mental health. 'We want boys to come here, earn honour and respect and be mates at the end. 'We want to provide a platform for boys that have got talent and sitting in the street right now with a lot of talent. 'You might have a few kids, you might be married, just working a job, no spark in your life. This is for them boys.' Valeri has been snapped with MMA great Mark Hunt, while current UFC fighter Navajo Stirling appears in an Instagram video checking out some of the action. In one video, a fighter dislocates his shoulder and has it popped back in before continuing. In others, a 'referee' steps in to stop the contests, with a fighter clearly on top. The Hood Contender has drawn a huge number of likes and comments on its social media posts, including some responses to Valeri's message to Fenech. One wrote on Instagram: 'Exactly right, the fighters wanna fight, everyone has respect and manners and the crowd is a better vibe then any event I've seen before. Lots of motivation and love there.' Another said: '(Fenech) hates to see that your doing more with less … no promotion no sponsors nothing just men being standing on their word and 2 successful events NO ISSUES. tell him Bring his best fighter.' A third wrote: 'Nothing better than having a scrap with gentleman and shaking hands regardless of the decision all love at the end of the day.' Another wrote simply: 'Can't wait for the next one.'
Daily Mail
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Inside the brutal outlaw Aussie fight club that's been slammed by a boxing legend
An underground fight club operating in NSW has drawn heavy criticism from authorities, but the event itself claims to be promoting men's mental health. The event series, known as 'Hood Contender', was established by western Sydney rapper Caleb Valeri and has recently racked upmillions of views across Instagram and YouTube. The unsanctioned fights, held in undisclosed locations, see fighters compete in a makeshift ring wearing MMA gloves and a mouthguard. Participants fight two one-minute rounds per fight in a 16-man elimination bracket, competing for $5000 in prize money, with the minimal padding in their gloves increasing the danger. At the most recent event, fighters were picked up in a minibus and told to hand over their mobile phones, before being taken to the secret location. Organisers point out on the event's website that the Hood Contender is a 'controlled sparring organisation' and is 'not an event for thugs'. Furthermore, their aim is to help men with mental health issues 'seeking a positive outlet to release their demons with honour and respect'. 'Our main objective is for men's mental health,' says Valeri. 'We're not providing a platform for thugs or anyone like that with a certain way of life. We want boys to come here and earn respect and honour the right way and be mates at the end.' Australia's greatest boxer, Jeff Fenech, has a very different view of the bouts. 'Sure, your friends will call you tough because you do this underground streetfighting, but see if they're there in 30 years when you need someone to wipe your a**e,' he told News Corp. 'It's sad. These guys have one thing, they [have] got ego and they want to show how tough you are. 'Show people how tough you are by taking care of your family.' The Combat Sports Authority of NSW said that they haven't received any application for a permit to stage the Hood Contender series. 'On information received regarding the proposed conduct of the contest, the authority and NSW Police took the proactive step of giving a direction to the organisers prior to the event under the Combat Sports Act 2013 (NSW) to not proceed with the contest,' a spokesperson said. 'The authority will be taking compliance action against the organisers and all registered combatants that participated in the contest. 'The authority will continue to remain vigilant in its efforts to regulate the NSW combat sports industry to minimise harm to combatants and ensure the integrity of combat sport contests.' A recent video of the fights, which has been viewed five million times, shows a fighter appear to dislocate his shoulder before the referee helps him pop it back in the socket. 'What a soldier,' posted one fan. 'Hard as nails,' replied another. Another video shows a fighter who had been knocked down twice in a bout fight again in a later match-up, in which he was knocked out. The Instagram page seems to be popular with Aussie athletes too, with footy players including Willie Mason and Latrell Mitchell and liking their content on Instagram, as well as surfer Koby Abberton. There's been a recent rise in underground fighting events, with Kiwi UFC star Dan Hooker recently putting up $50,000 prizemoney for a 'one-minute scrap event in his Auckland backyard. One of the fighters, Jon Paul 'Fightdog' Te Rito, was filmed winning fights at the unregulated event, and was referred to police because he was allegedly supposed to be attending a rehabilitation program at the time. Te Rito - who was seen wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet while fighting and is a member of the Mongrel Mob gang - could have broken his bail conditions, a Department of Corrections representative said. The fighter was referred to police over the matter, leading to Hooker stepping in. The 35-year-old wrote a letter supporting Te Rito, claiming the event was a 'platform for self expression, and a healthy outlet to cope with life's pressures'. 'Physical activity is a proven tool to help men overcome mental health issues, such as depression or addiction,' he wrote. 'It can be more productive than an unrelatable counselling session.' Hooker's event came in for harsh criticism after he released a video of all 30 of the tournament fights on YouTube. New Zealand Boxing Coaches Association president Billy Meehan told Checkpoint the event was 'straight-out thuggery'. 'What you've got there is just thugs getting in there and going out and they're just like absolutely smashing each other, and we're going to see somebody get seriously hurt, if not killed,' Meehan said. 'It's just barbaric, the biggest issue is the people getting in the ring half the time aren't conditioned enough to be there, they aren't matched correctly.' Hooker got his fellow Kiwi UFC star Israel Adesanya to help him promote the event by telling fighters and fans, 'Bring the family, bring the whanau [Māori for extended family], come watch, you'll get knocked out or knock someone the f*** out.' Hooker reacted to the criticism by saying only one fighter got hurt and what happened in his backyard didn't break any laws. 'There's a few lefties having a sulk, but once everyone watches the full 45 minutes and sees the respect for the fighters, since when did putting gloves on in the backyard and having a punch-up become illegal?' he told popular MMA program the Ariel Helwani Show. 'It's being run by some of the most experienced combat sports people in the country. 'I knew everyone would think it was crazy, I knew there would be people who would have issues with it. I wanted it at my house so I could control it.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Aussie boxing legend Jeff Fenech blasts Tim Tszyu for surrounding himself with 'clowns' who made sure he'll be known for something all fighters would be ashamed of
Aussie boxing icon Jeff Fenech has taken aim at Tim Tszyu's fight team following his world title loss to American Sebastian Fundora over the weekend, describing them as 'clowns'. Tszyu had been hunting redemption after losing a split-decision bloodbath to Fundora 16 months ago. Instead Australia's former WBO super-welterweight world champ is returning to Sydney with his international career at another crossroad following a despairing seventh-round TKO defeat. Fenech was left furious that Tszyu made the decision to not come out for the eighth round, instead of the corner calling it off. 'They never threw in the towel - he stopped it,' Fenech told Wide World of Sports. 'They should have thrown in the towel and they should have taken responsibility for that. 'These clowns made Tim make that decision. Tim after the seventh round, when he sat down and you looked in his eyes, you stop the fight for him. They let him say that he didn't want to fight anymore and a lot of people are laughing about it. 'I feel for Tim and the main reason why is because from round one, he went out and did exactly the same thing and nobody told him to change. They just think that this one style he's got, which has been successful, is the only thing that he's good at. 'It was sad to see such a great fighter only have a Plan A with no Plan B or C. All he did was the same thing every round and when he wasn't successful, you've got to change. 'There's levels in our sport. I feel very sorry for Tim, to see such a great talent wasted.' Saturday night's loss at the MGM Grand's Garden Arena was the 30-year-old's third from his past four bouts, after going unbeaten for his first 24 professional fights. Tszyu (25-3, 18KOs) may consider a move up to the light-middleweight ranks, or hope Keith Thurman lives up to his word after the US star called him out after slaying Brock Jarvis earlier this year in Sydney. 'He needs to sit down with his family and work out what they want to do - and then he needs to get the right team around him,' Fenech said. 'If they don't change, the same thing is gonna happen.' Former champ Shawn Porter believes Tszyu is finished by any means. 'He's not finished at the top level,' Porter said on Main Event. 'He can still get it done against elite guys; it's gonna happen back in Australia for a little while. 'I don't believe Tim Tszyu is done on the world stage, primarily because he still fought very hard, very courageously, and we're now at the stage in the sport where it's about what you can bring to the stands, not what your status is.'
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
NRL star Bradman Best shares heartwarming gender reveal with partner Kayla Fenech
NRL star Bradman Best and his partner Kayla Fenech have shared their heartwarming gender reveal video, as the couple prepare to welcome their first child. Best, 23, and the daughter of Aussie boxing legend Jeff Fenech staged the reveal on Sunday afternoon. The Knights star kicked a football, which exploded with pink smoke, symbolising that he and Fenech are expecting a baby girl. 'Little princess,' Bradman captioned the clip alongside a heart emoji. The reveal will come as great news to Jeff Fenech, who has said that he can't wait to be a grandfather. The boxing icon previously stated that he didn't want his daughter to date a football player - but changed his tune after meeting Best. The couple recently announced they are expecting a baby in 2026 on Instagram. 'Baby Best due in January 2026. We can't wait,' Kayla wrote on the social media platform. But despite his earlier comments, Fenech has now spoken of his delight at the news. 'They are so happy,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'And I'm so proud of both of them. Whether it's a boy or a girl, the baby is going to have some great genes. 'And they'll be great parents. I love Kayla and Bradman is a great fella who will make a great dad.' Fenech said he initially went 'apes***' when he found out his daughter was dating a footy player. 'I'd always warned my girls about going out with league players,' he had previously said. He added: 'So when she rang and told me, I went off the deep end. I gave her a roasting. She kept trying to say, 'Dad, he's a lovely guy'. Kayla was telling me every day how nice he was. 'Bradman knew I was angry, but he told Kayla, 'I'll prove your dad wrong' - and he (certainly) has.' Kayla has over 200,000 followers on Instagram and works as a business development manager for Ray White. After announcing the big news on Instagram, the pair received a heartfelt reception from many of their close friends and family. Her mother Suzee wrote in the comments: 'Omg I'm so proud of you both, can't wait to meet my gorgeous little bubba. 'Super excited to be on this next chapter/journey with you both. Luv u both.'
ABC News
05-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Surfer Craig Ison suffered nightmares after shark attack at Evans Head, until he made a promise to himself
A punch and a promise shark attack survivor Craig Ison made nearly 10 years ago has kept him alive. Warning: This story contains a photo and graphic descriptions of shark attack injuries. The ex-boxer, who went a few rounds with former world champion Jeff Fenech, reckons a punch on the snout of the great white that bit him at Evans Head on July 31, 2015 stunned it and caused it to let go of his left leg. While in hospital recovering from his injuries, Mr Ison made a pact with himself: to get over the attack mentally, he would never go surfing again. "When I was in hospital I was having some really heavy nightmares," he said. "I would wake up in a sweat because I was in a dream where I had just lost both my legs. "I decided there in hospital, that's it, I'm not going back in the water, and since then I've had no trouble." Apart from the occasional swim in the ocean, Mr Ison has kept his promise, and it has had a positive effect on his life. "If I was a young bloke, I'd push through it a bit," he said. "But I was 51, so I'd had my fair share of waves and I thought 'That'll do me', and since then I haven't had any nightmares." Another factor helping Mr Ison's recovery was Bite Club founder Dave Pearson's intervention. The first rule of Bite Club, a support group for people who have been bitten or witnessed an attack by an apex predator, is you talk about your experiences. Whether it was Mr Ison's attack 10 years ago, or the most recent incident involving a 16-year-old boy at Norries Cove near Cabarita Beach last Sunday, Mr Pearson's support group has been a much-needed lifeline. Mr Pearson said attacks like this would have a ripple effect on the community, particularly rescuers, fellow surfers, first responders, and even people who use the beach regularly. Like many, Mr Pearson watched graphic footage of last Sunday's attack on social media that showed the shark swimming right into the shallows as surfers helped drag the teenager to safety. It reminded him of his own attack by a 3-metre bull shark on the Mid North Coast of NSW in 2011. "The shark followed me all the way to the beach, and that also happens a lot more than people realise," he said. Mr Pearson said, initially, the teenager might feel fortunate to have survived the attack, but his longer-term recovery could be plagued by other problems. "Usually, the mental side of things doesn't kick in until some time afterwards. Usually, it is a period of weeks, or months before you really start to feel the full effects of the post-traumatic stress," he said. Bodhi McDonald was one of the surfers in the water that day. He is also the same age as the teenager who was attacked. "It took us all by surprise because it is such a horrific event to take place at our beach that we surf at nearly every day," he said. Queensland volunteer lifesaver Thiago Collela was also there on the day of the attack and helped an off-duty paramedic apply a tourniquet to stem the bleeding. "The laceration on his bicep was really, really bad. You could see all of the muscle and bone," he said. Mr Collela is a fellow surfer and said the shark attack had made him a bit nervous about getting back in the water. Mr Pearson said the Bite Club covered attacks not only by sharks but lions, bears, and crocodiles. It was also open to anyone who had witnessed an attack. "Those people who are responsible for saving your life can go through quite a lot of trauma afterwards because they second-guess what they did and didn't do," he said. The attack at Cabarita happened in an area covered by the NSW Shark Management Program and the deployment of SMART drum lines. There are four drum lines in the Norries Cove area. These drum lines used baited hooks and GPS communications to intercept and tag sharks near beaches.
