‘I was just a good fighter, but Angelo Hyder has really turned me into a great boxer’
By Lewis Moss
This Friday, November 28th Dragon Fire Boxing Promotions returns to the Metro City Night Club for their final event of the year.
In the main event, Bilal Seidu and Lewis Clarke clash in a highly anticipated rematch for the Interim WA State Cruiserweight Championship.
Earlier in the card, “Lethal” Joel Lewis looks to extend his impressive winning streak when he fights Sonny Manakane, who is stepping in on short notice in place of the injured Yong Shuai Liuan.
Two weeks ago, it was announced that Lewis had signed a new long-term managerial deal with Dragon Fire Boxing, stating that he was excited to continue his development under the promotion.
“I’m excited for what the future beholds” Lewis said. “We’ve got a great team at Dragon Fire and that’s what will take me to the top.
“The management and everything that I’ve got at Dragon Fire is going to be a real big factor towards my future and my boxing career.
“I know [DragonFire] will look after me in 2026 and I’m sure it’ll be a massive year for me now that I’m entering my prime.
“I’ll be getting a lot more wins under my belt and hopefully I’ll be getting a lot more titles as well.”
Ever since debuting in 2023, Joel Lewis has solidified himself as one of the best fighters in WA, accumulating a record of 7-1 and a resume of highlight-reel finishes.
In June 2024, Lewis suffered his first defeat when he travelled to Bangkok to fight Mardi Sarbaz. The former State champion credits this moment as a massive learning experience in terms of his approach to the sport.
“[The Sarbaz fight] was a massive learning curve for me” Lewis told, “it was a good experience because it really changed the way I looked at my career.
“I was on a winning streak at that point, it just made me realise that I was still human and I still had a lot to work on.
“I just went back to the drawing board, got my boxing skills up and came back a lot stronger. In my recent fights, I’ve got some good stoppage wins, that first loss really switched me on.”
Since his first defeat, Joel Lewis has been on a tear in the regional scene. Currently riding a three-fight knockout streak, the Aussie’s most impressive performance came in his most recent fight against Fano Kori, as he dominated the veteran in every round before knocking him out in the dying seconds of the fight.
“I knew it was going to be a hard fight. Fano [Kori] is not an easy opponent.” Lewis said.
“He’s got a lot of experience, a lot more than I had going into the fight. So I knew it was going to be a tough job, but I just stayed true to what I knew.”
The win over Kori was Lewis’ first fight since relocating to New South Wales to train under Angelo Hyder. Hyder is a highly respected figure in Australian boxing, having trained multiple world champions such as Danny Green and the Moloney Brothers.
Lewis credits Hyder with the improvements that he has made in the ring.
“[Training with Hyder] has been amazing, my boxing has come a long way,” Lewis revealed.
“My camp is what made the difference against Kori, I felt I was ready for that fight. I have a lot of power in my hands and my boxing has come a long way.
“I was just a good fighter, but [Hyder] has really turned me into a great boxer and that’s what I’m going to show again come Friday night.”
Standing in Lewis’ way this time is Sonny Manakane, an international opponent who is stepping in on short notice to replace Yong Shuai Liuan whose injury forced him out of his scheduled fight with the Aussie.
“I’ve watched a little bit of his fights” Lewis told. “I think he’ll come forward quite a bit and that will work well with my boxing style, because I like to draw my opponents into my big shots.”
With an exciting fight style and an aggressive demeanour, any fight that involves “Lethal” Joel Lewis is guaranteed to be a must see bout.
