HE was just 23 when he last stepped into a boxing ring, but 72-year-old “Uncle” Bob Humphreys settled some unfinished business at the Alice Springs Masters Games.
Almost 50 years after winning his only previous fight, the Sawyers Valley boxer stepped into the squared circle against 77-year-old Northern Territory boxer Tony Patel.
Bob won a unanimous points decision in the 69-75kg 70-plus division at the event held in Alice Springs in October.
The evergreen boxer – who has trained at Pondys Gym in Koongamia for 18 years and is currently assistant coach – was a promising boxer in his youth, but stepped away from the ring to focus on racing motorbikes.
After calling time on a long and successful racing career two years ago, Bob decided he needed a new challenge and the competition proved a perfect opportunity to step back into the ring.
“I’ve always been sparring, holding pads and helping out, even when I was racing, so I’ve kept fairly fit,” he said.
His training regimen initially included training twice a day five days a week and once on Saturdays, although he found the schedule a bit too much and ended up reverting to one session each day.
We were just a couple of flat-footed old guys; you couldn’t say we were flash boxers. It was just two old farts having a bit of fun.
- Bob Humphreys
He also made major changes to his diet – switching from three meals a day to five smaller ones.
Humble
Despite his impressive return to the ring, Bob maintained his humility, preferring to praise his teammates from the gym who also competed.
His return to the ring attracted a lot of interest from local radio stations and newspapers.
“I was sitting with three other WA fighters and this bloke (reporter) was all over me. I made him shake their hands; they all put in as much as I did,” Bob said.
“We were just a couple of flat-footed old guys; you couldn’t say we were flash boxers. It was just two old farts having a bit of fun.”
His opponent Tony, a boxing coach at the Alice Springs Youth and Community Centre, competed at the Alice Springs Masters despite going through chemotherapy.
Bob said he was open to returning to the ring if he could be matched with a suitable opponent at a future tournament.
Fancy pulling on the gloves? For more information on Pondys Gym, call 9294-1769 or click here.
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