Titus Proctor stood in the center of the ring, wearing his King in the Ring championship belt and golden confetti, savoring the moment.
The 19-year-old from Hamilton entered last month’s eight-a-side tournament as a relatively unknown competitor, but he left a mark. He won three matches in one night to claim the super middleweight title at New Zealand’s premier kickboxing event.
The title signifies the hard work and commitment Proctor has put into honing his skills since joining Tihipuk Muay Thai at Nan’s urging. He says that moment changed his life for the better.
“[I was] You get into trouble outside the ring,” Proctor said. herald. “I wasn’t really able to spend my time and I was using it in the wrong way. When I found the gym, it was a great way to spend a lot of time and give myself something to wake up to and look forward to every day. It gave me purpose.
“I started doing pranks. Getting in trouble with the police or school, getting into fights in the street, just little things.
“As soon as I started training, I thought, ‘Oh, I love this.'”
The King in the Ring field was packed with young talent and former event champions, with eight stables from across the country participating. Proctor defeated Jake McCowat (Rotorua, Manawa Toa Muay Thai), stopped former champion Sam Parkes (Gisborne, Rangataua Oaotearoa) and ultimately defeated Dion Wilson (Core MMA, Hamilton) in the final. It broke.
Proctor joins the growing list of King in the Ring champions, joining current UFC stars Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker and Carlos Wolberg.
“I feel like we’re taking that next step further right now. We’re all setting the bar a little bit higher. We’re all talented, and we’re all just like the all-time King in the Ring. The champions and the boys at City Kickboxing are also grateful to them for paving the way,” says Proctor.
However, Proctor’s goal is not the UFC. Instead, he aims to compete at One Championship, which features many of the world’s top kickboxing and Muay Thai practitioners.
“I’m not really interested in MMA. I don’t train in MMA and I’ve never had an MMA fight. I’m more interested in stand-up (kickboxing and Muay Thai), so I I feel that One Championship would be a better goal for him than the UFC.
“I feel like everyone is riding the Israel Adesanya wave. Everyone wants to be UFC champion and make a lot of money, but I just want to leave a legacy and when I die, I just want to create something so people can remember me in. Winning the Championship Kickboxing World Championship is my ultimate goal…I feel like I can get there within four or five years. I am.”
As for his immediate future, Procter already has firm plans to remain active, including appearing on the Arsenal X card in Auckland in March. Arsenal Proctor is then scheduled to fight in Australia later that month.
christopher reeve He joined the Herald’s sports team in 2017, bringing the same diversity to his reporting as he does to his sports viewing habits.
