Weipa’s Jack Barton (left) has been working through some tough sparring sessions as he prepares to step into the ring against Ethan Reynolds at The Big Fights 38 in Toowoomba on 15 March. Photo: Supplied.
Weipa fighter Jack Barton will be hunting for his eighth career win when he steps into the ring in front of his biggest crowd ever in Toowoomba on Saturday.
The 17-year-old western Cape York product is heading south to compete in The Big Fights 38, which will pit boxers from across the country against each other as fighters and the crowd pause to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of Braydon “Brayd” Smith.
Smith died in 2015, two days after his final bout, and was the son of Toowoomba boxing identity Brendon Smith, who is putting on the event through TGW & Smithy’s Promotions.
Barton will shape up to 19-year-old Ethan Reynolds in three two-minute rounds on 15 March and said he was looking forward to donning the gloves once again after his gutsy performance at the 2024 Australian Amateur Boxing League National Titles in Gosford in November.
“Going into the Toowoomba tournament, I believe it will be the biggest crowd I’ve fought in front of – it has an amateur and pro card on the same event,” he told Cape York Weekly.
Barton said he took a lot of lessons from his Gosford campaign, as well as discussing high-level athletic performance with seven-time CrossFit Games champion Tia-Clair Toomey when she visited Weipa last month.
“The fight in the Australian titles was an eye opener into top-level competitive boxing, and something I really enjoyed,” he said.
“The three-day tournament is taxing physical and mentally, which having the discussion with Tia, has given me an understanding of what it takes to be the best.
“I’m looking forward to taking my record to eight wins and seven losses, and having a total of 20-plus fights on my record by the end of 2025.”
Barton will step into the ring in the 81 kilogram weight division and Cape York Boxing Weipa founder and coach Scott Wallace said he was confident his charge would perform well on such a significant night for boxing.
“He went to Cairns a few weeks ago and did some really good sparring down there … and he’s going back this week for a few days’ training in preparation with some big boys,” Wallace said.
“It’s a big pro-am, so the amateurs fight during the day and the pros fight at night – I’m pretty excited to be watching that; it’s going to be a pretty massive event – the 10-year celebration of his (Smith’s) life.
“I think Jack’ll have enough to knock [Reynolds] off his perch.
