PERTH heavyweight Mark de Mori aims to raise his profile in the Americas.
The Scarborough resident has 14 knockouts from 16 wins and is ranked 25th in the world by the World Boxing Council (WBC).
He is on a three-year deal with boxing promoter Don King who said de Mori’s “youth and exciting style” made him very marketable.
De Mori said that even though his success was a result of thousands of hours of blood, sweat and tears, he felt privileged.
“It’s huge for me,” he said. “As a kid, it seemed as though people like (Mike) Tyson, (Evander) Holyfield and Don King were on a different planet.
“I copped some horrible beatings early on, but to be where I am now is just a great feeling.”.
De Mori trains morning, afternoon and night, six days a week, and plans to leave for Mexico next month to pursue a top 10 ranking.
He is also learning Spanish so he can throw his own verbal jabs when in South America.
De Mori said he would love to see boxing become more popular in Australia, but had to raise his profile in the sport’s homeland before generating interest in Perth.
“There’s not a lot of money for a heavyweight fight in Australia,” he said. “Before Danny Green, pro boxing in Perth didn’t really exist.
“It frustrates me that in Australia people still view boxers as thugs. There’s a nobility about the sport in America and Europe.
“I think some people don’t understand how hard it is mentally, and how technical it is when done properly.”