Sean Cunningham, Narrandera Argus

Narrandera boxer Jesse Riddell has made his debut in the ring following his selec­tion in an indigenous All Stars team taking on The Rest Of The World boxers in Sydney.

Under the guidance of his trainer Troy Prior-Greedy, the 25-year-old unleashed his fists of fury, losing in a split decision, but has gained an invaluable insight into the sport.

Prior-Greedy said Riddell was scheduled to make his first appearance in the ring earlier this year but had to wait until recently to get his chance in the tournament which is the “first of its kind”.

“The main aspect of this tournament was that An­thony Mundine and a couple of other people in Sydney wanted to get mainly country fighters in as they don’t get as much exposure,” Prior-Greedy said.

“Jesse was on this program when it fell through in Febru­ary due to boxing politics and he had another fight sched­uled for August in Cobram, but that fell through too.

“It’s taken a while for him to get in the ring as he’s been struggling to get fights so this was a good opportunity.

“For its first time, it was a hugely successful event.”

Competing in the feather­weight division, Riddell was one of 20 boxers from throughout Australia, who fought for the All Stars team.

Prior-Greedy believes Rid­dell, who fought against his Asian opponent in three, two-minute rounds, will be better for the experience.

“I was pleased with his fight and he’s done myself, himself and his family proud,” he said.

“It was his first fight so it was good experience for him.

“Now he knows what it’s all about and what to expect a bit more.

“He done very well losing a close fight; the referee de­ducted a point from him for holding and I think that might have cost him the fight.”

Weighing in at just under 60 kilograms, Riddell has been under the wing of Prior-Greedy for five months.

Prior-Greedy believes the young boxer has the potential to succeed and has been im­pressed with his attitude.

“He came to me and told me what he wanted to do so we set up a few rules about discipline and commitment,” Prior-Greedy said.

“We’ve had a few ups and downs but we’ve been kicking along since, adding skills in every session and a little bit more as we go along.

“He’s a good kid with com­mitment and dedication and is out training every day.

“He wants to stay active and has come along heaps in just a few months.”

The pair train at a range of venues including local sport­ing ovals and parks, as well as participating in sparring ses­sions at Wagga each week.

Prior-Greedy extended an invitation to Narrandera youngsters who would like to learn more about the sport.

“We train anywhere,” he said.

“Any young bloke is more than welcome to come along and train with us.”

Plans are in place for Rid­dell’s next venture into the boxing ring.

His next fight is being planned for February or March next year.

“We don’t know who the opponent will be at this stage,” Prior-Greedy said.

“Now that he’s got his first fight out of the way, hopefully we can string four or five fights together over six months.”

This article appeared in the Narrandera Argus, 8 December 2022.