http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/local-sport/Mark-hopes-his-fists-will-do-the-talking-in-USA/7559644/

PERTH heavyweight boxer Mark “The Dominator” de Mori is ready to take it to the next level – and has his sights firmly set on US success over the next year.

The 27-year-old, ranked number 17 in the world by the World Boxing Council, is currently signed to world-renowned boxing promoter Don King in a three-year deal, thanks to his impressive track record of 14 knockouts over the past 10 years.

Don King Promotions cited de Mori’s “youth and exciting style” as integral factors in marketing him to a US audience.

Originally blitzing the amateur circuit, taking 11 fights, de Mori quickly made his professional debut as a 22-year-old. Winning 16 of 17 fights, and drawing two, a highlight was his eight-round win over American Ed Mahone Auckland in 2008. A former world title challenger, Mahone was a favourite to win – but de Mori won the day in a unanimous decision.

“My first amateur fight was at age 16 and I was so nervous I don’t really remember much, except seeing my opponent hit the ground and being glad it was over,” de Mori said.

“I fought at many weight divisions as an amateur, before having a break from age 19 to 21, and then decided to turn professional. I saw some heavyweight fighting on TV and thought they looked average – but I hate being a critic unless I can do better, so I felt it was time to either do better than those guys or shut up and cheer them on.”

Standing at 188 cm (6’2”) and weighing 105kg (233lbs), de Mori has a dominating right hook, matched with an ability to get very low while bobbing and weaving against his opponents.

Winning three fights in 2009 – against Richard Tautaki in Jakarta, Jason Barnett in Missouri and, most recently, Kevin Karusa in Perth – de Mori is on track for US success and is adamant about his dreams becoming reality.

“I now feel ready to really make my move,” de Mori said. “The style I was fighting early in my career did not make for a long career but now, through repetition in training and drastically-improved stamina, I know I can go somewhere.

“My fight with Ed Mahone gave me the inspiration to go international and that managed to attract the interest of Don King. No one gave me a chance against him but in the end I outboxed him, so it was a big win for me.

“I am looking forward to the hard fights ahead because I feel confident in my ability and preparation.

“It’s always been my dream to be a TV fighter in the US, like Tommy Morrison or Arturo Gatti, and I now have the perfect platform to achieve that dream.”

Growing up in City Beach and Floreat, the now Scarborough-based boxer always dreamt of being a heavyweight boxer, even as a student at John XXIII College.

“Ever since I can remember I was into anything involving fighting, whether it was cartoons, toys or movies,” de Mori said.

“When I was 13, I saw Mike Tyson fight Frank Bruno for the second time and, since that moment, I always wanted to be a heavyweight boxer. And not just a boxer – but a heavyweight boxer. If I couldn’t be a heavyweight, I wasn’t going to box.

“I’ve always loved sport but I wasn’t that good at boxing when I started. It’s the only sport I wasn’t good at quickly, so I’m really motivated to perfect my craft. When I stop learning, I think I will lose my drive and passion for all the training.”

With an impressive 14 knockouts under his belt, de Mori doesn’t feel he has a greatest achievement, although admits constantly proving people wrong has worked wonders for his confidence.

“I’ve had people saying I can’t do this, or that, or finding some way to try and make me believe I’m just dreaming,” he said. “I’ve ignored them and kept achieving – if I listened to those people I’d be where they are: scared and achieving nothing.

“My ultimate goal is to be involved big-time heavyweight boxing. I don’t care if it’s a title bout or not, I just want the big stage, bright lights and an opportunity to test my limits.

“The biggest challenge is gaining an opportunity because so much of boxing revolves around politics and finance. It doesn’t matter how good I am; I need to be able to showcase my skills on a platform such as the HBO or Showtime TV networks in the US.”

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