Francis Chua is Fighting for Family in Comeback fight as he eyes Future fight with Harry Garside
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 13 May 2025
On the 30th of May, Dragon Fire Boxing hits the Metro City Arena for the second time this year for Thunderdome 50.
The main event features the return of Francis “The Removalist” Chua who takes on China’s 4th ranked lightweight Xiaotao Su
This fight is Chua’s first in three years and it will be for the WBC Australasia Silver Lightweight title. A victory for the Aussie could possibly lead to bigger opportunities over east, more specifically in the form of Harry Garside.
When speaking to the 39-year-old, Chua said that he was excited to fight for a WBC title in his first outing after his hiatus.
“This is what gives me drive to go to training” Chua told, “This will boost me right back into the rankings and this guy is [ranked] number four in China.
“It’s going to be a hard fight coming back but it's what I want, I don't want to just come back for easy fights.
“It's been over three years now since the last time I fought in Sydney against a highly rated Japanese opponent. I didn’t go into that with the best preparation, so I want to try to redeem myself on this one”.
When his fight was announced Chua made an Instagram post to his followers, revealing that the fight was about more than just a championship, it was “deeply personal to him”.
When asked about this statement, Chua revealed that he has been through some devastating times in his personal life, with the passing of a long-time friend as well as his father.
“[One of my friends] was so happy to see me fighting again he always wanted to watch me fight, but he ended up taking his own life, that really hit me.
“My father passed away three years ago as well, around the same time I separated that was also hard. It's just me and my daughter Ariani.
“My current fiancé holds the family together while I work hard, without her looking after my daughter training would be impossible.
“It's sad but I always know that even though they're not here they're still watching from the heavens, that's what gives me a lot of drive to perform.”
Despite these heartbreaks, the Perth fighter is desperate to make his last run, one for the Australian Boxing history books, as well as making his daughter proud through his hard work and commitment to the sport.
“[My daughter] really wants this” Chua revealed “she knows it makes me happy when I go training even though it's been hard especially with my age, I like trying to keep up with the young boys.
“[I want to send her a message that if] you’re focused on something you can do it, I'm just hoping that she can see how hard I work and really appreciate it. I want her to be proud of me, that's what gives me a bit more drive as well, because I don't want to let anyone down.
“Things are coming together, I'm starting to feel good now, I think it'll be exciting when 30th of May arrives. This guy's going to be 10 years younger than me, let's see if I have still got it.”
This upcoming run will most likely be the last of Chua’s career. Although he is not looking past his Chinese foe, he does have some goals that he wants to accomplish before he retires.
“[I would like to fight for] an Australian title” Chua revealed.
“The opportunities for [No Limit] Boxing will come up because when I win this title other Aussies will want it, they'll come knocking and they'll be asking.”
“Opportunities will come and I just want to be ready for them.”
Throughout his career Chua has fought top tier fighters such as Liam Wilson and Kye Mackenzie, the latter being ranked second in the WBO at the time of his victory.
Before Francis Chua hangs up the gloves he wants one more fight against a big name in Australian boxing, one name that stands out is Harry Garside.
“I’d love to fight [Garside] but one fight at a time” Chua said, “We fought on the same card on my last fight and I met him there, I would love to fight an Olympian. “I would love to test myself against him one day, I hear he’s fighting soon so he’s getting back into it.”
“I’m very grateful for Tony [Tolj] and DragonFire Promotions for giving me this opportunity as well as everyone who supports me along the way.
“I want to be the best I can be for my loved ones, boxing helps me do that.”
Standing in his way however is Xiaotao Su, Su is ranked as the fourth best Lightweight in China and could prove to be a tough task for Chua.
With a record of fourteen wins and seven losses, Su is a very credible opponent for Chua to add to his resume.
Regarding the style of fight he expects, Chua thinks that the fight is going to be an all-out war.
“It's going to be toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring.” Chua told.
“It's going to be a really exciting fight, we are both aggressive fighters but I'm hoping to land the cleaner and harder shots.”
With clear ambitions and motivation for what is left of his fighting career, it will be interesting to see where Francis Chua’s journey takes him.
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