A long-awaited rematch between two of the region’s best kickboxers will take place on Saturday night at the Melbourne Pavillion as New Zealand’s Brad Riddell (48-6-0) travels across the Tasman to take on Victorian kickboxing star ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Moxon (46-15-1) in the five round main event of Powerplay 34.
The two last met back in 2014 on Kings of Kombat 12 where Moxon was able to get a unanimous points victory over three rounds following a strong performance where he outworked Riddell for most of the fight. Whether we saw the best version of Riddell that night could be the key question and come Saturday night a more definitive answer will be known. Both fighters are known for their heavy hands and aggressive combination work, so a stoppage victory on either side could very well be on the cards.
Going into the fight as the favourite amongst the fight community is Riddell who is coming off an impressive points victory back at Powerplay 33 in April of this year. On that night he was able to get the best of his Thai opponent Janrob Strong Heart landing countless boxing combinations including stinging body rips that Janrob had little answer for under the K1 rule set. His status as favourite is largely due to his recent wins and level of activity since the last time he met Moxon in centre ring.
Very rarely has Moxon been labelled the underdog in his fights and the former Glory Kickboxing fighter will be out to make a statement on Saturday night and solidify his position as the best middleweight kickboxer in Australia. Moxon last fought in May on the Capital Fight show when he beat Iranian-Australian Ehsan Shakeri via knockout just 32 seconds into their main event. Walking away with the Martial Arts Sports Association (MASA) World Middleweight Title, Moxon was able to prove to any doubters that he had lost his touch and such a decisive victory should balance the scales on Saturday night when it comes to choosing the favourite.
The supporting card features an interesting matchup where age looks to be the defining stat on paper, but skills and heart will be the deciding factor on the night. 46-year-old Roberto Minniti (20-3-1) returns to the Powerplay ring on Saturday night where he will meet the talented (and much younger) Indigo Boyd (11-5-2) over five rounds for the World Kickboxing Federation (WKBF) Commonwealth Title. Far too often Minniti is written off in his fights against younger opponents and answers the critics with impressive performances.
Boyd returns to the ring after a solid win back in April at Warriors Way 18 where he beat Will Smallwood over three rounds with his sharp and accurate technique really setting the two fighters apart. Minniti is also jumping back in the squared circle after fighting in April at Powerplay 34 where he was able to overcome a tough Ramen Habib via unanimous points decision. While Boyd’s preference seems to be in the muay thai space, his technical skill set lends itself quite well to kickboxing and we should see an exciting fight between two warriors who rarely take a backwards step.
Also on the card and making his long-awaited return to the ring after a break is former world champion Aaron Goodson (16-2-0) who steps in to take on the undefeated Alex Redhead (12-0-4) from New Zealand in a five round fight at 82kg.
Fight Card:
- Brad Riddell (NZ) vs. Steve Moxon
- Aaron Goodson vs Alex Redhead (NZ)
- Roberto Minniti vs. Indigo Boyd WKBF Commonwealth Title
- Moulay Bekkali vs. Dimitri Iliev (NSW)
- Tristan Papadopoulos vs Salvatore Signorino (Italy)
- Mini Nachar vs Rob Morgillo (SA)
- Jayden Wright vs Glen Brown
https://www.fightnewsaustralia.com/powerplay-34-live-stream/
