Sport
Shepparton lawyer-turned-boxer Luke Slater brings Masters championship glory to GV Boxing Academy
When Shepparton-based criminal lawyer Luke Slater first decided to give boxing a try his goals were simple — keep fit and pick up a new hobby.
Not in his wildest dreams did he think some five years later he would be the last man standing in the Ferntree Gully Amphitheatre ring having just claimed the Masters 40-45 age group lightweight title.
But, under the guidance of GV Boxing Academy head coach Zedda Harrington, Slater quickly took to the intricacies of the sport and was approached to take his fighting from a fitness venture into the competitive arena of the Masters ring.
Dedicating his life outside of work to boxing, he became the hardest worker at the GV Boxing Academy, constantly working on his technique to become the fighter you see today.
“It feels good (to be Masters champion), I think it definitely reflects all the hard work I have put in for three or four years. Reflecting with Zedda after the fight we saw some serious growth and improvement over the years,” Slater said.
“A couple of years ago I think I probably wouldn’t have won, so it was good to feel there has been some development and I am very proud of the level I have got to.
“When I first walked into Zedda’s gym I was just there to get a bit of fitness, so to be crowned four years later as the lightweight Masters champion at 42 it is incredibly rewarding and has just been a lot of fun.”
After winning his way through to this title fight by dismantling Mick Bau at the Masters Mayhem event in December, the more experienced Nam Quach awaited the lawyer-turned-boxer a fortnight ago.
A gripping fight from start to finish, Slater recalled how he got the better of Quach in what ended up being a fourth-round TKO victory for the GV Boxing Academy exponent.
“The first round he came out pretty strong, but we did expect that, so it was just a case of keeping calm and weathering the storm,” he said.
“Second round we then stamped our authority on the fight and connected with some clean shots, and it seemed like after round one he tired a lot.
“As the fight progressed, we got into it, and heading into round four Zedda thought I could put him down and I managed to connect with a few more clean shots before the referee put an end to the fight.”
While this was a monumental result for Slater, the victory also marked an exciting milestone in the coaching career of Harrington, who after years of training local fighters out of gyms in Tatura and Mooroopna finally has a championship belt to display at his GV Boxing Academy facility.
Harrington struggled to put into words the joy of watching Slater’s triumph.
“It is a brilliant feeling, obviously we train to win, and it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person,” Harrington said.
“He is the hardest trainer in the gym every session and to see him get rewarded, we couldn’t be happier. We move forward now with plenty of positive momentum.”
As he continues to build his GV Boxing Academy and bring more titles to the area, Harrington said he hoped Slater’s story would inspire the next generation of fighters.
“(Luke) is a huge inspiration, he inspires me in how much work he puts in and I can only hope that it does rub off on the rest of the fighters,” he said.
“Whatever you pursue in life, Luke Slater would be someone to look up to, because even though he balances a hectic work schedule he still attends every session, never takes any short cuts and does things the right way.”