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

While the rest of us have been kicking back enjoying the beautiful weather in recent weeks, two Western Bay professional boxers have being putting in the hard yards as they prepare for what could be career-defining fights.

Tauranga middleweight Gunnar Jackson and welterweight Anthony Taylor are preparing for Oriental regional title fights in March.

Both local boxers face the reality that a win will propel them up the world and regional rankings, while defeat will consign them to their current roles of big fish in a small pond.

Both have excelled in the paid-to-punch ranks under the training regime and guidance of Tauranga Boxing Club coach Chris Walker. Coach Walker has taken the pair from the amateur ranks to the confines of the often harsh world of professional boxing with great success.

Anthony Taylor will be the first to test his punching power on the March 14, when he crosses the Tasman to fight Queensland pugilist Kris George in Toowoomba, with the WBA Oriental Super Lightweight crown on the line.

Taylor has fashioned an outstanding record, with just one loss in his 11-fight career. However Anthony could have his hands full when he comes up against the local Toowoomba hero in his home city.

George will come into the ring with a seven-fight unbeaten record and a myriad of noisy hometown supporters to welcome him in to the ring.

While the Australian's supporters will fancy their boys chances, Taylor has an impressive arsenal of punches and combinations.

The 2010 New Zealand Commonwealth Games representative takes few backward steps and possesses a knockout punch in both hands.

Just a week later, Gunnar Jackson will put his WBO Oriental middleweight title on the line against Nathan Carroll, who will bring his record of 10 wins, two losses and one draw to the ring in Takapuna, Auckland on the March 21.

Carroll, who hails from Queensland, Australia, won the Australian middleweight title in 2013 and he will arrive in New Zealand having left no stone unturned in his bid to wear the Oriental title belt after the fight.

While Carroll will have a height and reach advantage, Jackson has fashioned an impressive record since making his professional debut at the QE Youth Centre in Tauranga in 2010.

At various times in his career he has held the NZ Super Middleweight, PABA Light Heavyweight and the NZ Middleweight titles.

Gunnar won the Oriental title last year, defeating highly-regarded Afakasi Faumui before defending the crown against Australian Kurt Bahram.

He knows all about the intensity of high pressure fights, after being a late call-up against former world champion Anthony Mundine in January last year.

The most impressive part of Gunnar's fighting prowess has been the way he has dealt with his two WBO Oriental opponents in the title fights.

He annexed the WBO crown with a fifth-round stoppage over Afakasi Faumui, then defended the title against Kurt Bahram with the referee stopping the contest in the opening round.