At Gunnedah Town Hall on April 10, the profound ripple effects of that act will result in Tessi Walters making her boxing debut, in an amateur contest against Katie Defrain of Moree Boxing Academy.

In the crowd will be the recipient of that text, Walters' boyfriend Josh McCulloch - a reigning national Muay Thai champion.

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The couple became an item after 18-year-old Walters sent 20-year-old McCulloch the birthday text.

Walters moved from Quirindi to Tamworth to be with McCulloch. They then bought a home together.

It was McCulloch who provided Walters with entry into the world of combat sports after introducing her to his trainer, Scott Chaffey.

"I think she was doing it because it was something Josh was into," Chaffey said of Walters' initiation into combat sports (she initially trained in Muay Thai, before switching to boxing).

He added: "Straight away I could tell that she had some potential with her hands ... she's just gone in leaps and bounds since. So, to have her competing was a natural progression."

Walters said she was "terrible" in her first Muay Thai class, but stuck at it because "I wanted to see what he [McCulloch] does".

"And I just grew to love it more and more," she added. "And now, I'm just obsessed with getting in the ring for the first time ... I really want to give it a go."

She continued: "I know only good things can come out of it - experience and all that."

Having McCulloch by her side meant she "got to be part of the family really quick" at Chaffey's Black Belt Academy. "It was just very exciting," she added.

"We get all our negative energy out by punching other people," she said in reference to the strength of her and McCulloch's relationship.

McCulloch - who this month defended his Martial Arts Sports Association 58kg national amateur title - is "super excited" for Walters ahead of her ring debut.

"It's a bit different being in the crowd instead of being in the ring," he said. "But I'm super proud of how hard she's been training - she's been putting on a big show at training."

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