By David Nagel
A fearless but realistic approach to all aspects of his boxing has propelled Nar Nar Goon’s Mitch Leek to the bright lights of the sport.
The 25-year-old ‘country kid’ continued his rapid rise through the ranks with a 10th-round TKO of former teammate Theo Dounias to claim the IBF World Youth Middleweight Championship at Melbourne Pavilion in early May.
Leek claimed his first Australian title this time last year against Adrian Rodriguez and then defended his middleweight belt with a punishing points decision victory over Jack Brubaker.
But this is his biggest statement yet; with Leek now in possession of a 12-0 record and a world title belt to boot.
“It probably hasn’t sunk in yet, because you’re so focussed and driven on what’s next that it doesn’t have time to sink in,” Leek said.
“We won an Australasian belt, then an Australian, and before you know it, you’re off to your next task.
“There’s so much momentum involved in it all and you just keep moving forward and keep on winning.
“It’s unfortunate that you don’t get to ponder and enjoy it because there’s always something on the horizon.
“There’ll be plenty of time to enjoy it when it’s all said and done.
“The next challenge is always around the corner.”
Leek is taking every challenge full on as he looks to build on an already steep trajectory.
He is challenging himself to be the best; even testing himself against the best boxers in the country in preparation for the Dounias fight.
And to do it; it takes a mindset that can’t be broken.
“It’s a massive mental sport, and there’s more that goes on mentally than physically in some regards,’ he said.
“Your body certainly takes a toll, but mentally you have to be there more than anything.
“I’m pretty good with all that type of thing, I don’t build it up into something that it’s not, it doesn’t faze me and doesn’t worry me at the end of the day.
“We all bleed red and we all go the same way about it.
“Everyone can punch, everyone can fight, and the best man on the night will win.
“My confidence comes down to our (Team Ellis) camps; we have massive training camps and I’m very lucky where I am that we get massive amounts of good sparring.
“We started this camp by going to Sydney and sparring Tim Tszyu, and when your sparring blokes like that and you’re mixing it with them and highly competitive against blokes like that, it points you in a good direction.
“We’re sparring the best and when you’re doing that; you’re going into fights with no fear.
“And I never had any fear to start with; I always back myself in.
“You go in strong, you go in fit, and when you go in like that, you’re a hard man to beat.”
Leek is not only earning a reputation as a boxer who can sting his opponents, but also a boxer that is very hard to grind down.
A relentless approach to his training has him chiselled and fit for the challenge.
“I’m training hard so that if everything goes wrong and we get into a war…I’m there for 10 rounds and not going anywhere,” Leek said.
“I’m not worried about going the distance, I’m not worried about my gas tank; I just get in there and fight and do my job.
“You have to be prepared, because you never know what’s going to happen and you can never underestimate anyone.
“You never go in underdone; probably the most I’ve ever gone in underdone was two fights ago against (Jack) Brubaker when my hands were both shot.
“It was one the most entertaining fights I’ve been involved in and I learned more from that fight than any other.
“It was one of my worst camps to date; but you go in with no excuses and come out swinging.”
Leek also has a clear perspective of where he now stands in the sport, with only the very best in the nation now standing in his way.
“I started boxing because of my football, I went through Gippsland Power a bit and I started boxing to get fit,” he said.
“Boxing is such a funny sport…you never stop learning and never stop getting better.
“Even now, I’ve still got so much to learn, and I’m in a spot now where I’ve got to learn quick because I’m up there now in the sport.
“All the blokes above me now have all been to the top.
“I’m number four in Australia now and the blokes above me are Michael Zerafa, Mateo Tapia and Joel Camilleri; three fighters that are either currently world ranked or have been world ranked.
“That’s who’s gunning for me now.
“I’m 25, they’re all nearly 30 or in their thirties, and the difference is I’m coming into my prime and they’re coming out of it.
“That’s why are lot of them are gunning for me now…before I get to my best.
“That’s the reality of it, so I need to learn and grow and develop between each fight, because if I don’t, I’m there to get beat.
“That’s the reality of the sport; it’s a cut-throat sport where you need to be at your best every time you step into the ring.
“We’re stepping up in opponents, we’re stepping up in fights, there’s nowhere to hide anymore.
“Two years ago, I was fighting four rounders and here we are now fighting 10 rounds for titles.
“They’ve been there, they’re battle tested, they’re hardened…and I’ve sort of come from nowhere and shot through the ranks.
“We weren’t in the top-10, then next minute I’m Australian champion and then fighting Jack Brubaker on the first channel seven show in Victoria.
“Now we’ve won an IBF World Youth.
“We’re not far off these massive shows now and these massive fights.
“If we fight a Zerafa or Camilleri, it’s probably a big stadium fight and you’re selling out.”
Leek balances his boxing with his other passion, horseracing, which has been ingrained in him since birth with his dad John and mother Andrea both long-term participants in the sport.
The country life provides him with a balance that he certainly doesn’t take for granted.
“I’ve got 15 horses in work and I’m very privileged that I can work for myself, doing the racehorses, and it really works out well with my boxing,” he said.
“I get my horses done early in the morning, I head off to training during the day, and then go back and finish off the horses in the afternoon.
“I’m lucky to be in a situation where I can not only do the two…but also enjoy the two.
“And I’m also lucky I’ve got a very good team behind me.
“Mum and dad are very high-end trainers in their own right, so they can help me there, and I’m very lucky to also have the support of my boxing coaches at the gym.
“I don’t cope well in the city, I couldn’t live there, I’m a country kid all the way.
“It helps me with my boxing when I’m spending time with my horses, I’m doing my cows, I’ve got my working dogs, the farm environment around me is where I thrive.
“It provides the perfect break from one and other; if I get frustrated with the horses I go boxing and I get frustrated with boxing I do my horses.
“My partner (Lauren) also makes life a lot easier for me; she does all my meals and does all the bookwork for the horses.
“I’m pretty lucky that I’m in the situation that I’m in.”
Leek also has the support of local sponsors such as Booralite Park and Fremantle Feeds who help him with his travel commitments to Keilor for his training.
So, who is potentially the 13th scalp of his career?
“Where pencilling in for either July or August, we want another massive show in Melbourne again, and then we’ll run that into December,” Leek explained.
“So hopefully two more fights this year, and then two or three more next year and be world rated and fighting against the big boys.
“We’re going through potential opponents at the moment.
“My aim is to beat everyone in Australia and then hopefully move on to America.
“And the American’s are starting to travel, so maybe we can get them to come out here.
“We’re lucky we live in a country that loves their sport and they get behind their own.”
