When Hemi Ahio was starting out as a boxer 10 years ago – a young man with no amateur pedigree who was inspired by David Tua’s exploits on the world stage and a street fight during which he was stabbed – he trained at Tua’s gym for a week.
The only problem was Tua, based in Auckland’s Onehunga, wasn’t there. Back and forth the then 22-year-old Ahio went from South Auckland to Tua’s gym, but he didn’t catch a glimpse of his idol.
That’s when one of Ahio’s uncles took him aside, said he had a contact with renowned boxing coach Lolo Heimuli, and the young Tongan/Kiwi began a very steep learning curve to where he is today: an undefeated professional heavyweight with a 19-0 record and a fearsome reputation.
There is a certain symmetry to what is otherwise a reasonably traditional boxing story.
Tua inspired a young Ahio by fighting on free to air television and now Ahio, known as The Heat due to his punching power and relentless go-forward style, gets his own chance to inspire the next generation – his fight on the undercard of the world title bout between George Kambosos Jr and Devin Haney in Melbourne on October 16 will be broadcast live free to air by TVNZ.
“I’ve always loved fighting, I just never knew where to go,” Ahio told 1News after TVNZ’s broadcast announcement on Monday.
“I didn’t know what fight gyms were, but I was always interested just through David Tua. Growing up he was always on TV fighting and I enjoyed watching that."
Ahio, brought up in Mangere, now trains at City Kickboxing under Eugene Bareman but his story may have been very different.
The 5cm purple-grey scar on his chest is a reminder of what could have been.
Read more: Kiwi boxers to hit limelight after TVNZ agree to show world title fight
In 2015 the NZ Herald published a story in which Ahio explained how he became determined to learn self defence after he was attacked while waiting for a bus in Otahuhu three years earlier.
"They came over and one guy threw a punch,” Ahio said. “Another guy came, I thought he came to throw a punch, but he stuck [a knife] in me. I looked down and was like 'oh'.
“There were about six of them. I got two of them. The rest ran. I think they saw the blood running down. That scared them off more than anything."
Once he joined up with Heimuli, Ahio’s boxing education began in earnest.
“That’s when I started getting into it and learned how to throw a jab, a right hand… all that,” he told 1News.
“I was tough enough - because of where I was brought up I was always fighting in the street. But then I got into the gym and I got my butt handed to me in sparring sessions.
“I thought I was something until I got into the ring and they played with me. I hung in there, and now 10 or 11 years later, I’m still doing it. I love it, I enjoy everything about it.”
Asked about his best attributes in the ring, Ahio replied: “The ability to give and take. I enjoy both. The ability to be cool under pressure. I think I can handle that. The punching is the easy part.
“Am I a tough guy? I’m all right. I think it’s more the ability to relax when under pressure.”
Ahio’s opponent is yet to be announced but the fight is expected to be one of the more entertaining on the card at the Rod Laver Arena.
That’s his style. Ahio, along with fellow Kiwi David Nyika, a cruiserweight, fought on the undercard of the first Kambosos v Haney fight in Melbourne in June and won with the first-round stoppage, his Australian opponent Christian Ndzie Tsoye retiring after the first round and complaining of an elbow injury.
“I wouldn’t say I destroyed him,” Ahio said. “I did play with him a little. I was surprised he didn’t come out for the second round. I definitely would have hurt him if he had come out.
“I caught him with a few but not enough. And none of those punches hit him on the elbow… he played that one up.”
Now Ahio, who has struggled to attract high-profile opponents due to the risk factor of getting in the ring with him, wants to go to the next level. “I’ve been keen to go up a level for the last few years,” he said.
After his stablemate Junior Fa was knocked out in a stunning defeat by Australian Lucas Browne on the same Marvel Arena card in June, Ahio has claims to be New Zealand’s second-best heavyweight behind Joseph Parker, who is preparing to fight Englishman Joe Joyce in Manchester on September 25.
And the man occasionally described as the “Tongan Tyson” due to his aggression, shot selection and relatively diminutive stature (he stands 1.83m, or six foot tall), wants it all.
“I want to fight Deontay Wilder or whoever. I want to fight any big guy that has the titles. All these guys, they’re bigger but fighting has nothing to do with size, really.
“The end goal is to fight anyone who has the titles. It would be cool to fight Tyson Fury before he decides to go – or anyone in the top 10, really. They’re all big, tough guys so you want to rub shoulders with them to see where you’re at.”
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