Ryno knocked back into his passion

Local boxing star, Ryno Liebenberg won back his passion for boxing after losing a fight against one of the top ten boxers in the light-heavy weight division.

Ryno along with his conditioning coach, Paul Immelman, traveled to Sweden in April to participate in his fifth international fight against Erik Skoglund.

Erik is currently rated third in world in the light-heavy weight division in the Independent Boxing Syndicate (IBS). The fight has been described as one of Ryno’s toughest fights. He lost against the Swedish boxer by merely a few points.

“I really went in for the knock out, but the odds were against me. I fought him in his homeland, with his own judges and referee,” he said.

Along with Paul Immelman, who has recently opened his training facility in Noordheuwel, Ryno embarked on a 12-week fitness camp to help him prepare for the fight.

“This was really a good experience and a good learning curve,” Paul said about the tour to Sweden.

Ryno told the News that although he didn’t take the title, he not only gained more international experience but learned a very valuable lesson.

“I learned to enjoy boxing again, something which I have lost somewhere along the way. In the boxing profession you get so serious and obsessed about the points and the outcome of the fight that you loose sight of the passion for the sport. This is when I realised why I box, I box because I love the sport.”

In the changing room, Ryno’s main coach, Collin Nathan, from Hot Box Gym told him something profound which may have changed his outlook in the sport forever, “Ryno, enjoy this”.

Ryno is looking forward to his upcoming sixth international fight in July which will see the local boxer touring to Germany.

More news about Ryno:

• Boxing champs at large in town

• Local boxing boytjie makes it big

• Liebenberg prepares for war with Russian

• Krugersdorp boxing hero competes for millions