Boxing: Malachi Towns claims amateur Australian title in Tamworth

That famous bible verse, from Philippians 4:13, dominated Malachi Towns' thoughts on Saturday night.

Particularly as he entered the fourth round of his amateur Australian title bout against Jacob Kennedy at TRECC, when his legs began to fatigue and his opponent came roaring back into the fight.

"That's where I get my strength from, is the man upstairs," Towns said.

"[Kennedy is] a good fighter, he's got the heart of a lion and he just doesn't stop.

"That's what I was expecting."

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After putting on a masterclass in the first two rounds, in which he was "just in my element", Towns began to slow down in the third round and, by the fourth, it had become a slugfest as the pair traded blows.

But when the final bell rang, and Towns stood next to the referee in the centre of the ring, he never doubted what the outcome would be.

"I thought I'd done enough," he said.

The crowd, which was nearly 1,000 strong for the City vs Country fight night card, erupted when Towns' name was read out.

"It was just a surreal feeling," he said.

"It was electrifying, it was like walking on a cloud of air. And hats off to Jacob, too. It takes two to tango, and without a good dance partner, you can't give the fans what they want."

During his in-ring interview, Towns once again thanked God and told the crowd a snippet of his story - how he had overcome addiction to work his way to an Australian title.

He was not boasting. It was a sincere attempt to inspire anybody who might be struggling with similar demons, which is what inspires Towns to get up and go to training every single day.

"I want to inspire the younger generation, that's my motto," he said.

"That's my sole goal in life, I aspire to inspire. Kobe Bryant said greatness isn't accomplished by accomplishments and trophies, it's the impact you have on the next generation. That's what I want to do."

Whether or not Towns will continue boxing remains to be seen. He is also a stand-up comedian and has recently landed his first film role, both of which he wants to pursue further.

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