GOLD COAST, Australia – The 37-year-old Paul Fleming was tempted out of retirement by the offer of a fight with Jake Wyllie, and almost three years after his most recent contest, he is hoping to use Saturday’s Wyllie to secure his biggest fight of all.
It was in March 2023 when Fleming lost for the only time in his 29-fight career when he was stopped in the 12th round of his junior-lightweight fight with Charly Suarez.
On Saturday, at the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre on the undercard of Jai Opetaia-Huseyin Cinkara he hopes that a more convincing victory at junior welterweight over Wyllie will tempt their fellow Australian George Kambosos Jnr into one final fight.
Fleming, who competed at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, had been focused on running his scaffolding company, the gym in Sydney he is a part owner of and the programmes for indigenous youths he oversees.
Yet for all that he allows himself to wonder about a “dream” fight with Kambosos Jnr, he has brought his seven children – two girls and five boys between the ages of nine months and 13 – with him to watch him confront Wyllie, aware, as he is, that he could be about to fight for the final time.
“[Wyllie’s] fit,” Fleming told BoxingScene. “He’s game. He’s got a good chin, and he throws punches in bunches, man. He lets his hands go.
“[But] he’s only got that one way. He can’t adjust. I don’t think he’s got the fight IQ – not yet – and I think he’s only good when you’re in front of him. I’m a crafty southpaw; a mover; fast hands. I think I’m gonna give him angles and make it really difficult for him. He’s good when he plants his feet – I’m not gonna let him plant his feet.
“He was impressive in the fact Kambosos made the fight harder for himself [when they fought in March]. Kambosos stood when he should have boxed; that’s what made the fight look great. I don’t think he was too impressive against [Dib] – it was really close.
“‘I just did a better job against Wyllie than Kambosos, so where does that leave me, in a new division?’. I haven’t even built into the division yet. Give me a full camp where I build into the weight; build into the size, who knows? Who wouldn’t want to fight Kambosos at that weight? Ex-unified champ and one of the biggest names in [Australian] boxing.
“But I don’t know – Kambosos at that point in his career wants big-money fights – he’s earned that – and I’m not here to call him out, but a dream match up? Yeah, I’d love to move around with Kambosos.
“I am towards the end of my career. Let’s make no ifs, buts, ands – I was done. I finished. I hung up the gloves. [But] opportunities like this don’t come up often, and I jumped at it, and make no mistake, I’ve taken this 100 per cent serious.
“Wyllie says it’s a big point in his career – it’s a big point in my career. The outcome of this determines whether I go back, put on the 15kgs and become a dad bod again, or whether I keep riding the pony; keep riding the horse.”
Fleming was then asked whether, on account of Wyllie’s youth and natural size advantage, he represents his best opponent, and he responded: “Charly Suarez. Charly Suarez earlier this year fought for a world title – he should be world champion right now. That’s the only loss on my record – that was two years ago. I was winning the fight and got stopped in the 12th round, but it was a close fight. If I’d have known I was winning the fight I’d have jumped on my bike and ran a little bit more, but these things you don’t know, and I fought to the end and went out on my shield.
“I brought the seven kids up with me – the wife and seven kids. It’s awesome, man – I get to share all these memories with my kids, you know, and that’s all that’s left when you’re gone. The memories you have. So I’m trying to create some awesome memories with the kids.
“We drove up on the weekend, stopped in Byron Bay on the way – my boys compete in ju-jitsu – drove up to Brisbane, stayed up at mum’s house one night, and been here since Monday.”
