HAVING fought at Olympic and Commonwealth Games level, Bendigo’s Lynden Hosking has played a key role in Danny Taggert’s build-up to tomorrow’s start to the Victorian Amateur Boxing Association state championships.
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Winning championships is something Hosking knows a lot about.
As a welterweight (67kg), Hosking was a six-time Australian champion, three-time Oceania titleholder, fought at two world championship campaigns, and was a bronze medallist at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
Hosking was also on the sport’s biggest stage at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. For the past seven weeks he has spent plenty of time helping Taggert in workouts at SupaBox in Garsed Street, Bendigo prepare to compete for the senior elite 60kg title.
“Danny has great technique and strikes really well,” Hosking said.
“I haven’t tried to change too much,” he said of teaming with Taggert’s long-time trainer Frank Pianto.
Across seven years, Hosking had more than 40 bouts at international level, so he knows a lot about the intricacies of the scoring system.
“That’s where I’ve been able to help Danny the most.
“In amateur boxing it’s not about throwing the most punches, but landing punches that will earn points.”
First step toward another state title for Taggert is tomorrow’s bout at Brunswick’s Reggio Calabria Club where Hosking will be in the corner with Pianto.
“Danny likes to get inside and hit hard and often,” Hosking said.
“We’ve focused a lot on workrate, defence, and throwing some different combinations.
Highs in Taggert’s 16-bout career include winning the 60kg class at last year’s Victorian Amateur Boxing League titles and the final at this year’s Golden Gloves tournament near Brisbane.
Hosking and Taggert have trained each night, Monday to Friday.
Always looking to improve not just from fight to fight, but session to session, Taggert said he had learnt a lot from training with Hosking.
“It’s great to be getting some tips from someone who has as much experience as Lynden has,” Taggert said.
Trainer Frank Pianto said a big challenge for Taggert was the increased time for the bouts.
“Danny now steps up to three by three-minute rounds, so he’s put even more time into increasing his fitness,” said Pianto.
Taggert’s long-term goal is to emulate the feat of Hosking and compete at the Commonwealth Games and then Olympics.
Hosking knows how dedicated you have to be to do so, but Taggert is willing to do all he can, with tomorrow’s contest another step in the journey.
