Dan Hill becomes two-time Australian champion with points win over Lewis Chadwick

Dan ‘The Engine’ Hill was crowned Australian junior middleweight champion with a unanimous decision victory over Lewis ‘Kid Lightning’ Chadwick at Eaton Hills Hotel in Brisbane, Australia on Saturday night.

The 10-round fight for the vacant title wasn’t always pretty, but it was a willing affair. The former sparring partners eschewed a feeling-out round, opting instead to trade blows from the opening bell.

Chadwick (5-2, 2 KOs) entered the fight with a chip on his shoulder, keen to prove he was more than just a pure boxer. Former national champion Hill (7-1, 3 KOs) also had something to prove. He wanted to show that he could box a little bit as well as brawl.

With his superior height and reach, Chadwick went back to boxing long in the second round. Hill stalked, working behind a stiff jab and having success in close when he was able to close the distance.

Both boxers switched stances in the third round to varying degrees of effect as they sought to gain an advantage. The supremely conditioned Hill kept the pressure on in the third, but Chadwick was able to snap his head back with sharp counterpunches when he gave himself room to unload.

The pace of the fight was beginning to take a toll on Chadwick as early as the fourth. The proud Townsville native, who was dressed in trunks the color of local rugby league team the North Queensland Cowboys, was having increasing difficulty getting out of the way of Hill’s power shots.

Things got no better for Chadwick in the fifth. Hill was walking him down, outworking him and applying relentless pressure. Chadwick was forced to stand his ground and trade, but rarely got the better of the exchanges.

Hill had taken ownership of center ring by the sixth round. He muscled Chadwick to the ropes at will, unloading with his heavier artillery. To his credit, Chadwick landed some sharp counter shots in last minute of the round.

A series of right hands high on the head from Hill opened the seventh. Chadwick remained composed, sniping Hill with some sharp, long right hands. In the eighth, it was back to work on the inside, a style of fight that clearly favored Hill.

The pace of the fight was wearing on Chadwick, who was visibly fatigued. By the ninth round, the snap on his punches was gone and his ability to keep Hill on the outside was diminished. Hill, a Launceston native who resides in Buderim, Queensland, was all over Chadwick like a cheap suit. When the 10-second warning sounded, Chadwick mistakenly thought the round was over. Hill rewarded him with a three-punch combo to the head.

Chadwick came out fast to start the 10th, but Hill soaked up the pressure, responding with a two-fisted assault to the body and head. The fighting continued until the bell with neither boxer leaving anything in reserve.

Hill pumped his fist in the air at the final gong, and with good reason. Judge Rodney Marsh scored the bout 98-92, while judges Paul Tapley and Trent Van Gaalen turned in identical cards of 96-94, all in favor of Hill.

“This is my third fight this year. I’ve just been working so hard. You don’t know the work that goes on behind the scenes. Lewis knows how hard it is,” said Hill, who previously lost the national crown to Dylan Biggs.

“It’s not a one-man sport, it’s a team sport. Big thanks to Lewis, it takes a courageous man to step in between the ropes. Respectfully, about 90% of this room wouldn’t do it. We put everything on the line for your entertainment.

“My jab was landing at will and I think he was just looking for that one shot. But I’m not that silly. I don’t get caught with that stuff. I can see it from here to Texas.”

Chadwick was disappointed but not disgraced in defeat.

“He’s a good fighter,” said Chadwick. “I wanted to test myself and see where I belong in the sport. As you know, he’s ‘The Engine’, he pours the pressure on. I think I was just looking for that one big punch early on that cost me a few rounds looking for that one-punch knockout and then I had to pick up the pace and let my hands go a bit more.

“But it is what it is, a close fight. I’ll have to go back to the drawing board and see what’s next.”

The fight was broadcast on domestic streaming service 7plus as part of the Premier Boxing Series presented by Ace Boxing.