Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Occasionally dreams do come true – just ask local boxer Gunnar Jackson, who tonight will step into the ring in Brisbane against Anthony ‘The Man' Mundine.

In a flash, the Western Bay pugilist has gone from dreaming about fighting a big name fighter to advance his career, to going toe to toe with ‘The Man' at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Controversy and Anthony Mundine go hand in hand, with the former Rugby League star polarising the Australian sporting public like few before him. However, he is a two-time world champion and his fight with Aussie idol Danny Green produced the biggest pay per view audience ever seen in Australia. He's also the first boxer in history to have every one of his professional fights broadcast on television.

A number of years ago, we were in Australia and Mundine was fighting fellow Aussie Sam Soliman, so we stopped off at a local watering hole to catch the action. The hotel was packed to the rafters with every single patron calling out for Mundine's opponent, in spite of Mundine dominating the contest.

Taking the fight on one weeks' notice sees Gunnar enter the bout as a massive underdog, with the experts across the ditch predicting a one-way traffic whitewash of the Kiwi boxer. Reality says that 'our boy” faces a monumental challenge, but a good performance could propel Gunnar into the big pond of professional boxing.

Just getting the fight against Mundine is testament to the tenacity of Gunnar and his long-time coach Chris Walker. In a game where boxers change trainer at the drop of a hat, Gunnar has been with Chris Walker since he walked into the Tauranga Boxing Club gym as a 15-year-old more than a decade ago.

However, the best part of the two men is their strong work ethics, motivation and a desire to work hard for what life offers. Gunnar is a family man paying off a mortgage, who juggles life in the real world as a registered drain layer, with the demands of professional boxing. Chris Walker owns Tauranga Box Health and Fitness at the bottom of Waihi Rd, but stills finds time to coach his string of amateur boxers (and Gunnar), after his long work day has finished.

Also fighting at the Brisbane Events Centre tomorrow night is former Chris Walker-trainer boxer Dave Aloa. Walker helped turn the life of the former wayward youth around, on the way to two New Zealand (amateur) Heavyweight titles, following in the footsteps of David Tua and Shane Cameron.

While boxing is a tough sport and not everyone's cup of tea, the sport has given Jackson, Walker and Aloa real direction and success in life. Go Gunnar.