Sport
29 September, 2025
Local fighter state champ, best boxer
MAREEBA boxer Matt Carroll has returned home from the recent State Titles as a Queensland Champion and Senior Boxer of the Tournament after fighting above his weight class.
After a three-and-a-half-year hiatus, Matt Carroll from Team Mareeba Boxing has returned to the boxing arena in spectacular form – winning two hard-fought bouts above his weight class at the Sunstate Queensland State Titles in Townsville and was also voted Senior Boxer of the Tournament.
“It felt good. It was good coming back, getting that feeling back and getting that fight back in me. Being a State Champion again, it feels good, just on to better things now,” the 20-year-old said.
Speaking to being voted the Senior Boxer of the Tournament, Carroll said it was the “cherry on top”.
“That was a bit of a surprise. I stepped over in weight, fought up a weight class and won both fights in the senior division – you don’t see that much, so yeah, that was just the cherry on top,” he said.
Carroll weighed in at lightweight, or under 60kgs, but with no one else keen for a fight in his weight division he had to step up into light welterweight.
In his first bout, Carroll was up against Jeremy Tapnua from Misfits Recreational Sport (Cairns). Carroll had to fight his way back after losing the first round but ended up taking a hard-fought decision over four rounds.
In the finals, he faced off against Barling Tokawa from Brothers In Arms Boxing Club (Mt Isa) and won another four-round decision.
Carroll’s wins at the State Titles came off the back of a good win at the Mareeba Amateur Boxing Club’s recent event, where he fought the well-credentialed Tristan Cater in the main bout.
It was heralded as a fierce and great fight and boosted Carroll’s confidence before heading down to Townsville.
The young boxer will now begin preparations for the National Titles that will be held at the Gold Coast in November, and if he continues his stellar form, Carroll said he’ll be looking to go pro.
“That’s what I mean when I say onto better things now. We’ll go to nationals this year and see how that goes, if it goes good, we’ll look at going pro next year,” he said.
