AS BOXING fever sweeps Bendigo ahead of Saturday night's WBO Oceania middleweight title bout between Jeff Horn and Michael Zerafa, a few lucky fans were given the chance to mingle with the stars this week.
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Wednesday's media workout at the Hit Factory Boxing Gym in Golden Square was open to a small group of people, among them a number of Bendigo Advertiser subscribers, who won the opportunity through a newspaper promotion, and students from Crusoe College in Kangaroo Flat.
They got to watch former world welterweight champion Horn, his challenger Zerafa and rising Australian boxing star Brock Jarvis go through a light workout on the ropes and with the gloves, and to meet and greet the stars of Saturday night's show.
An unexpected surprise for Advertiser subscribers Jason Dean and Craig Boland was the chance to meet three-time former World champion Jeff Fenech, who will be in the corner of Jarvis for his vacant WBA Oceania super bantamweight title match against Filipino Ernesto Saulong.
"Craig and I both went to the last boxing event at Bendigo Stadium (last September), with Kostya Tszyu's son (Tim) and when we saw it was back we got tickets to go again," Dean said.
"To get the chance to come and see them up close live is great.
"The bonus was seeing Jeff Fenech here, we didn't know he was going to be here - he's been an idol since I've been a little kid.
"He's probably a bit shorter than I thought he was up close."
As a sports fan, Dean said it was great having events of the calibre of Horn versus Zerafa on our doorstep in Bendigo.
"The new stadium is world class ... and the chance to watch Jeff Horn, who already has a world title win, is not something that happens every day," he said.
The Eaglehawk resident was equally thrilled to see former Hawks footballer Damien Lock on the eight-fight card.
"My daughter and her boyfriend train out his gym just for fitness and they love Locky," he said.
"He did well his last fight here (in Bendigo)."
While it was Dean, who was successful in the subscription competition, Boland was only to happy to join him at the Hit Factory.
"My son (Oscar) is a huge boxing fan and is starting to learn boxing - he sent me along with a couple of gloves to get signed," he said.
"I got one signed by Jeff Fenech, which he'll be stoked, hopefully I get the other one signed by Jeff Horn.
"I'm looking forward to Saturday night."
Perhaps the biggest smiles on the day were reserved for students Tom Ensor, Izack Brown and Jesse Gray.
The Crusoe College students got the rare opportunity to shadow spar with a potential future world champion in Zerafa, something beyond the eager trio's wildest dreams.
"It was pretty cool .... but I don't think we had any chance against him," Ensor said.
"He's fast."
Their cameo out of the way, the boys were quick to throw down the challenge to Horn as their next sparring partner.
The Battle of Bendigo takes place this Saturday night at Bendigo Stadium.
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