Callum Peters continues to transition between amateur champion hopeful and his budding pro career.
The 22-year-old Australian super middleweight is set for his third pro outing later this month. Adelaide’s Peters, 2-0 (2 KOs) will face unbeaten first-year pro Anthony Hoarau on June 25 at the Convention Centre in Cairns, Australia. Their bout is part of the supporting cast to the Liam Paro-Jonathan Navarro junior welterweight clash.
Following the outing, Peters will then return to the non-paid ranks in hopes of becoming his nation’s first-ever world amateur champion.
“This Cairns card next week is massive. To be part of it, to share the week with guys like Liam Paro and Liam Wilson - I can’t wait,” noted Peters. “I want to test myself under pressure and keep building momentum before the Worlds. I love the challenge of juggling amateurs and pros.
“No Australian man has ever won gold at the Worlds — that’s the first box I want to tick. Then I want to prove I can back it up in the pros. I want to hold the Aussie belt knowing I’ve taken on the best in the world and then come back home and come out on top too.”
Peters represented Australia in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He came shockingly close to an upset win over reigning World amateur champion Nurbek Oralbay but dropped a narrow decision in their Round of 16 battle last summer.
From that point, most accomplished boxers make the decision to either turn pro or remain in the amateurs in pursuit of settling unfinished business.
Peters and his team opted for the unique career path to do both.
He continued with his amateur career, even through his pro debut last December in Sydney. It came three weeks after he claimed top honors in the Australian Elite qualifying tournament, and which he’s followed with a steady stream or activity in the amateurs throughout this year.
Peters mixed in his second pro contest during that run, a first-round knockout of William Lenehan on the April 6 Tim Tszyu-Joey Spencer undercard in Newcastle.
Following the June 25 show, Peters will then rejoin Australia’s national team for a tournament Kazakhstan. It will be followed by camps in Canberra, Australia and Glasgow, Scotland ahead of the 2025 IBA World Amateur Championships tournament from September 4-14 in Liverpool, England.
“What Callum’s doing is rare,” insisted George Rose, CEO of No Limit Boxing. “He’s already proven himself against the best amateurs in the world and he’s only 22. The way he carries himself, the way he trains — he’s already the real deal. He’s got that x-factor and ‘next big thing’ energy about him.
“There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll win the Australian title. But what excites us most is that he wants more than that. He wants to lead a new generation, and that’s exactly the kind of fighter we want in Australian boxing.”
At the bare minimum, Peters is expected to become the sixth Australian male boxer to medal at the World Championships. His own personal expectation is to become the nation’s first ever gold medalist.
“This is about pushing the limits for Australian boxing,” Peters said. “If I can show it’s possible, to win at the top level as an amateur and then succeed in the pros, then maybe more kids will believe they can too.”
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on and .
