With a 13-0 record at just 29 years of age, Sam Ah See is primed to take Aussie boxing by storm.
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The Canobolas Rural Technology High School product hung up the gloves in 2016 after the constant mental struggles that come with professional boxing took a toll but now, after spending some time on the sidelines and rejuvenating his mind and body, Ah See will step into the ring once again.
Fighting out of Rockdale PCYC, Ah See is set to put his undefeated record on the line against Koen Mazoudier on the undercard of the Jeff Horn and Tim Tszyu contest.
Even thought Ah See's opponent has made waves on the amatuer scene, he describes him as a fighter that's talented talented but not up to scratch.
"He's got the credentials as an amatuer but he's not the strongest as a pro," Ah See said.
"He's very skillful and talented, though."
Ah See's date with Mazoudie has basically been three years in the planning, and throughout that extended comeback process he's had to overcome a barrage of mental hurdles associated with the sport, as well as the passing of his father 2017.
He had a hard time explaining the complexity of the issues he faced over the last 36 months but to put it simply, the sport of boxing overwhelmed him.
"I've done it my whole life," he said.
"Ever since I was 14, it was full steam ahead and it was all I could picture myself doing. I moved to Sydney at 20 years old by myself and went to the pros.
"The sport's all about money and I always struggled getting fights ... that started to wear me down. I wasn't fighting as much as I wanted to. I was talented but just couldn't get the fights."
For the next three years, Ah See spent all day every day thinking about boxing ... sometimes positive thoughts, sometimes negative.
"I was just daydreaming about boxing all the time," he said.
"I can't explain the emotion ... I was still passionate, I still wanted to do it, but sometimes I'd just get angry and disgusted. It was torture.
"I knew I had so much left to give the sport and wasn't happy with where I left it."
It was a roller coaster of a process for Ah See. He'd continually go back and forth on whether or not he wanted to re-enter the sport or hang up the gloves for good.
He wasn't overly happy with the state of boxing when he left the sport but he's enjoyed seeing a host of fighters come through the ranks recently and thinks now's a better time than ever to re-enter the ring.
"Aussie boxing has evolved and it's getting me excited," he said.
"It feels like it's in the best place it's been since Mundine."
Back when he first started, boxing consumed him but now he's developed a balance and outside of the ring Ah See's fallen in love with fishing, as well as his new job working with troubled youth.
"It's been a long process but I'm so excited go to back," he said.
"It wasn't a decision I made overnight ... it's taken me two-to-three years to come back."
He's not a spring chicken but at 29 he's right around the prime age for a combat sports athlete and Ah See thinks his peak years will stretch longer than most, based on the economic nature of his fighting style.
"I'm not a guns-blazing type of fighter and I don't get hit a lot," he said.
"I really love the defensive aspect of boxing. I'm smart and I've got a few more years than the average boxer."
Sam Ah See will return to the sweet science on August 26 for a tilt at Townsville with Koen Mazoudier.
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