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

The two professional stars of the Tauranga Boxing Gym will take centre stage in Hamilton this Saturday night.

While there is likely to be little of the glitz and glamour which was on show on Sky Arena last week on the Super 8 fight night, the two Western Bay pugilists are likely to provide good value for money for the fans in attendance.

Most professional boxers in New Zealand are little more than cannon fodder for the up and coming boxers across the ditch.

With records where wins are few and losses to Australian opponents in the majority, most kiwi pros take the fights in Oz at short notice and put in little regular training.

Not so Gunnar Jackson and Anthony Taylor, who put in the hard yards week after week under the eagle-eyes of Tauranga Boxing Gym master trainer Chris Walker.

The two Western Bay pros are nearly always ready to go, as proved by Gunnar Jackson who had less than a week's call-up, to fight former World Champion Anthony Mundine in January. While beaten on a point's decision, Jackson earned the respect of the crowd with a spirited performance.

On Saturday night, Gunnar 'The Stunna” Jackson will put his WBO Oriental Middleweight belt on the line against tough-as-nails Aussie Kurt Bahram.

The fight was originally scheduled for last month in Brisbane, however the Bahram camp are keen to chase the Oriental belt, and are happy to cross the ditch for a chance to take home a significant WBO regional title.

Gunnar has come a long way since his professional debut in May 2010 on a fight night in Tauranga, put on by two big talking Aussie promoters, who well and truly got their fingers burnt.

A record of 19 wins, five defeats and three draws tells the tale of a career in which he has won two New Zealand titles and Pan Asia and Oriental Championship belts.

Jackson proved he is up to fights on the big stage when he defeated Afakasi Faumui at the Logan Campbell Centre in Auckland for the vacant WBO Oriental title.

Faumui came to the ring with nine wins, three losses and two draws on his record card, with Gunnar putting on an impressive performance in stopping his opponent in the fifth round.

Make no mistake, Kurt Bahram will be a tough nut for Jackson to crack, with a WBO top 15 ranking also on the line. The Aussie will enter the ring at the Hamilton event with just four losses in his 18-fight career and could push Gunnar to the limit of his skills and endurance.

Also fighting on the Hamilton card is Anthony Taylor, who has scythed through the New Zealand welterweights ranks to take his record to eight wins, one loss and one draw.

Taylor is a hard-punching machine who has won the majority of his fights by way of knockdowns. While little is known about Anthony's opponent on the Hamilton undercard, Taylor is sure to want to end the fight the short way.