Who Is Justis Huni, The Exciting Australian Heavyweight Destined For The Top?
Heavyweight prospect Justis Huni competes in his 10th professional bout on Thursday as the Australian continues his progress in the professional ranks.
Huni (9-0-0 4 KO) is regarded as one of the most exciting up-and-coming fighters in the heavyweight division, considered alongside the likes of Americans Jared Anderson and Richard Torrez Jr, and British prospects Fabio Wardley and Moses Itauma as the future of the weight class.
He is also among a fine crop of boxers – including IBF cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia, IBF super-lightweight champion Liam Paro, and unbeaten super-bantamweight contender Sam Goodman – leading an exciting new generation for Australian boxing.
The 25-year-old from Meadowbrook, Queensland will aim to continue his upward trajectory when he faces Troy Pilcher (9-0-1 7 KO) at the Fortitude Music Hall in Fortitude Valley, Australia.
So, as Huni gets set for his next bout, here is everything you need to know about ‘JPH’.
Boxing Career Of Huni
Huni was a fine amateur who won bronze at the 2019 World Championships having taken gold at the 2016 Youth World Championships. His run at the Worlds in Yekaterinburg was only ended by handing semi-final opponent Kamshybek Kunkabayev a walkover.
Huni was frustratingly denied a shot at Olympic glory when he injured his hand in the lead-up to the Tokyo Games in 2021. He had already turned professional at that stage but a change in the rules would have allowed him to compete as a pro.
Around nine months earlier, he made his professional debut and wasted no time in securing titles, becoming the Australian heavyweight champion in his first fight in October 2020 by stopping Faiga Opelu in the seventh round.
Huni defended the belt three times before adding several regional heavyweight titles to his collection. He won the vacant IBF Pan Pacific, Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation, and WBO Oriental titles in his sixth fight by beating Joseph Goodall on points.
After one defense of the belts, Huni fought for the first time outside of Australia and beat Andrew Tabiti on points in Cancun, Mexico to win the vacant WBA International title.
He fought again internationally in his next fight and secured his sixth straight points victory against Kevin Lerena in March on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s crossover bout with Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The win over Lerena earned Huni the vacant WBO Global heavyweight title, which he defends for the first time against Pilcher on Thursday.
It means that, despite only being nine fights into his career, Huni has fought for titles and in 10-rounders for every bout except one.
What Is Huni’s Fighting Style?
In a division where young prospects often rely on power and develop their skills on the job, the Australian already has a full complement of boxing tools, whereas it’s his power that needs improvement.
Huni is an athletic, nimble and fast heavyweight. He’s light on his feet and uses his mobility to stretch the size of the ring and keep his opponents moving. This allows him to constantly find angles with which to let his fast hands go in combinations while keeping his rivals guessing.
His amateur background has helped him develop strong defensive instincts and reflexes, and while he does tend to get caught more often than he would like, he has proved to have a very strong chin.
Huni has also shown to have excellent endurance having comfortably gone the distance in six 10-round bouts, and he has demonstrated an impressive ability to control fights while staying calm and focused under pressure.
What Does The Future Hold For Huni?
Huni is expected to comfortably beat Pilcher on Thursday and continue his climb up the heavyweight rankings. At present, JPH is ranked eighth by the WBO and just outside the top 15 by the IBF – a 10th win will surely push him up close to the top 10.
While world title shots are too soon for the Australian in the next couple of years, he has outlined his plans to avenge a couple of amateur defeats to two other heavyweight prospects: British fighter Frazer Clarke and Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov.
“Definitely, I’m keen to take those losses back and face [Jalolov and Clarke] in the professional ranks. It’s a completely different game to the amateurs,” he said in an interview with Boxing News. “I just want to get as much experience as I can, so that when I come up against those other heavyweights on the rise, I’ll be prepared for them.”
With the heavyweight division thriving, keep a close eye on the rise of Huni in the months and years to come.
Related Fighters & Stats
Get Ringside Updates
Fight announcements, results, and analysis delivered to your inbox. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.