Justin Huni eyes January return after stopping Leandro Daniel Robutti

Justis Huni rounded out a successful 2024 with a straightforward second-round stoppage of Leandro Daniel Robutti at Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane, Queensland.

The 25-year-old Australian has worked his way up the WBO and IBF heavyweight rankings over the previous twelve months but took the opportunity to keep his tools sharp before what he hopes is a breakthrough year in 2025.

Huni, 11-0 (6 KOs), gave away around 30kgs and a couple of inches in height to Robutti, 11-7 (8 KOs), but was far too quick and too skilled and made predictably short work of the 38-year-old Argentinean.

Huni controlled the first two minutes of the fight with his feints, footwork and an accurate right hand.

Suddenly, a hurtful straight right to the body triggered something inside Robutti and he came to life. The big man swung and clubbed away until the bell. Huni calmly made Robutti miss but although precious little landed, it was a welcome and unexpected show of aggression.

Huni quickly turned the tables. He got off his stool for the second round and instantly regained the initiative. He hurt Robutti with a right hand and put together an accurate, well-picked onslaught. Robutti took a series of flush shots but sank to a knee after Huni followed up a clean right hand to the nose with a left hook to the body. He didn’t show any enthusiasm to continue, and the fight was waved off after one minute of the second.

A bronze medallist at the 2019 amateur world championships, Huni had a taste of the heavyweight high life in March when he scored a solid win over Kevin Larena in Saudi Arabia, and he will be looking to get back on to the big stage as soon as possible.

“Round one was just a feeling out process to see what he’d bring,” Huni told Tasman Fighters, post-fight. “He gave it his all at the end of round one and then in round two I pretty much had to finish the job and got it done.

“I think I’ve got a big chance of being on Jai Opetaia’s card [on January 8] which is massive for me – the homecoming for the cruiserweight king. To be a part of that is massive for my career and for me moving forward.

“For myself, I’ve gotta stay as busy as I can and build my record up. When those big fights come, I’ll be prepared and ready to jump in and bang with the best.”

In the main event, the IBF’s number-two ranked light heavyweight, Conor Wallace, stopped South Africa’s Asemahle Wellem in the eighth round.

The aggressive Wallace, 15-1 (11 KOs), set the tone from the opening bell, pressing forwards behind a high held guard, and looking to create openings for his southpaw left.

Wellem, 7-1-1 (3 KOs), had clearly come for a fight and answered back at every opportunity, but although he landed the occasional clean counter, he came off second best in most exchanges.

The action was messy at times, but the fourth was wild.

Wellem was hurt by a hard straight left hand that forced him to hold and the two tumbled to the canvas. Wellem gathered himself and stunned Wallace with a huge right hand. After taking his time to compose himself, Wallace dropped Wellem with a hard left to the body as the round ended.

Wellem got to his feet but the shot seemed to take much of his ambition. He lost a point in the fifth for punching Wallace in the back of the head an eternity after the referee called for a break, and he seemed more intent on survival.

Wallace kept the pressure up and dropped Wellem with a well-timed left in the eighth. He got to his feet, but another left quickly finished the job.

John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79