By JARROD POTTER
THIRD time was the charm for Berwick boxer Kaleb Miller who knocked over a rival to claim a Victorian boxing title.
Miller, 16, from St Francis Xavier College, had to battle Toby Walters for the third time in the ring last September.
But his third bout against Walters went in a different direction as Miller managed to claim the points victory over and clinch the 2015 Victorian Intermediate 60kg championship.
“It was pretty favourable my way when I fought him,” Miller said. “I fought against Toby Walters – who I’ve fought twice before and he beat me both times in my first and fifth fight – so I went against him and it went all three rounds – and won pretty convincingly.
“I out-boxed him, moved around and didn’t let him hit me and made him look like a bit of a joke.
“It was very nice – third time’s the charm so it was good.”
It’s been a recent rise in the boxing world for Miller, who joined the sport after finding a dearth of fighting options in Muay Thai and mixed martial-arts (MMA).
“Started boxing two years ago but I had a professional Muay Thai fight in Thailand three years ago,” Miller said. “Was training at XFC just doing fitness, MMA and stuff like that, but moved to boxing when I couldn’t find any new fights.
“Wouldn’t go back – there’s not enough competition in MMA at my age to go back now – but it’s possible that I might go back when I’m older.”
He comes from great boxing stocks as his grandfather Derek Miller was an Indian heavyweight champion in the 1950s.
The counter-punch boxer is awaiting his next big bout and looks towards the Australian Championships later in the year to try and add a national title to his state one.
Miller wanted to thank his family for their support and his teachers and friends at St Francis Xavier for getting behind his boxing ambitions.
