TWO south-west boxers feel well prepared for amateur fights in Melbourne.
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Tom Carstein and Rohan Eccles compete on the state stage in Brunswick next month.
Carstein, 21, has bypassed a semi-final fight and will jump in the ring for a novice heavyweight title on December 16.
Eccles, 24, has to win a fight on December 1 to earn a spot in the intermediate light heavyweight state title bout.
Koroit-based boxer Lyndon Edney is the duo’s trainer.
Edney, who fought on the Danny Green world title fight undercard on Wednesday last week at Hisense Arena without success, said his charges were talented boxers with the right attitude to training.
“Tommy is an elusive heavyweight with great movement and composure,” he said.
“Rohan is a workhorse with an iron will.”
Carstein said his first fight was a novice state title bout in 2009.
“I was in the final but lost by two points,” he said.
“It’s good I can have another crack at it.”
Warrnambool-based Carstein said his training regime would increase this week.
“Lyndon has been training me pretty hard, doing lots of sparring and running drills,” he said.
“It has been really intense training just to get the intensity and pace of what the fight will be like.”
Carstein said his thorough preparation would hold him in good stead.
“There has been a fair bit of work put into it and I have been feeling a lot more confident with training,” he said.
“I think I will do OK.”
Knee and back troubles forced Eccles to cancel a fight about a month-and-a-half ago.
Eccles said he had learnt to manage the injuries.
“Training for the last one I pushed it too far,” he said. “I am having a bit of trouble on and off but nothing to put me off training.
“I am still fit and but not doing ridiculous training. I am concentrating more on sparring.”
Eccles said he would take a winning attitude into his fight.
“The mindset you build up for yourself is to win every fight,” he said.
“It doesn’t work out every time.”