As a thunderous left hand from Tae Kyun Kim (9-1-1, 8 KOs) connected with the jaw of Isaias Sette (2-3-1, 1 KO) to close their bout in early March, onlookers were left stunned at the scene playing out before them.
Not only had they just witnessed a leading candidate for Australia’s knockout of the year, but a substantial betting upset as well. Sette, a fighter known for his willingness to welcome a slugfest, had just been out-gunned by his Korean foe.
Long-time manager, promoter and trainer Brendon Smith was not-so shocked, however.
Five months prior to Kim’s devastating performance, he saw the quality of the 34 year old with his own eyes.
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Needing heavy-hitting southpaws to help prepare Dylan Biggs (10-1,7 KOs) for his Australian title clash with Nikita Tszyu (9-0, 7 KOs) in November of last year, Smith invited Kim into his Thailand-based camp, a place the Queenslander has been taking fighters like Michael Katsidis (33-8, 24 KOs) and Stevie Spark (16-3, 14 KOs) to prepare for over two decades.
Soon, the man known simply as ‘TK’ stood out for his professionalism and dedication to his craft.
“We’ve been going in and out of there, right back into the Michael Katsidis days. We used to prep his world title fights there and bring all the sparring partners there. We’ve got a special little camp there,” Smith told The Journeyman.
“With this fight for Dylan, we did the same and scouted sparring partners. Through a friend of mine, he pointed out ‘TK’ and we invited him into camp. He was wonderful in camp, he was terrific.
“He did a wonderful job, not just in the ring, but around Dylan. Everything they did, he carried good professionalism with him and he was a good team man. Very supportive.
“I think he spent 3 weeks in camp with us there and that was that.”
The experience, so it seems, appeared to have a positive impact on Kim as well.
In the weeks following the team’s return to Australia, Smith received what was thought to be a routine phone notification. As it turned out, the message tone could be more accurately described as music to his ears.
The solidarity formed between the fighters, forged in the sweltering Thai heat, led to ‘TK’ requesting a move to Australia to join Smith’s team in Toowoomba on a full-time basis.
Suffice to say, he was met with open arms.
“Out of the blue, I got a text from him saying that he’d love to come over and join the team. Of course, we welcomed him in,” Smith recalled.
“He’s certainly impressed with his professionalism in the camp and his passion around the team.
“They’ve all developed a bond, there’s a good team spirit amongst all the fighters here. He’s comfortable at the moment. Now it just comes down to the right minute of the right hour.”
With the contest against Sette under Kim’s belt, Smith is of the opinion that his newest charge is well on the way to injecting even more life into an already flourishing domestic fight scene.
Competing in a super-welterweight division boasting an abundant talent pool, the Seoul native is wasting no time in adding his name to the list of contenders. Besting former Australian champion Dan Hill (5-1, 2 KOs) over eight rounds in their Premier Boxing Series main event on Wednesday May 29, airing live on 7plus, will go a long way in aiding the cause.
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In Hill, Kim will not only have to deal with pressure, but a fighter that weaponises his gas tank and volume like few others on the Australian circuit.
Despite the faith he has in his fighter, these characteristics leave Smith under no illusions about the difficulty of the task at hand.
“Wednesday night against Dan Hill is a very testing fight, but a fight I believe he’s up to,” Smith said.
“He’s a very good fighter, very strong fighter, fights with a lot of pressure. We’re certainly under no illusions with ‘TK’ that it’ll be the toughest fight in his career, for sure.
“We feel it’s the right fight, but it’s a fight you don’t want to have an off night in with Dan Hill. He’s certainly going to be there all night. The start in that fight is the key I believe.”
The threat posed by Hill, though incredibly dangerous, is not one uncommon to Kim.
While it might be said that sparring rounds are very different to those conducted under the bright lights of fight night, the lessons learned from the repetition hold immense value. By basing himself in Thailand for a majority of his career, Kim has shared the ring with a revolving door of styles, angles and world-class operators over time.
Coupling the wealth of experience with a hunger for success, Smith believes Australian fans will be treated to the best version of ‘TK’ yet.
“He’s very keen to fight, very keen to see how far he can go in the sport,” he concluded.
“He’s got a good senior head on his shoulders. He’s been around, he’s sparred everyone in the world. He’s been around for a long time and he’s certainly been in and exchanged gloves with the who’s-who of boxing all over the world.
“I think you’ll see a few good years in ‘TK’, that’s for sure. He’s at the age and he’s said to me he really wants to test himself, but it’s our job to make sure that the fight still makes sense.
“I think he’ll certainly add a bit of excitement to the Aussie boxing over the next couple of years, that’s for sure.
“The country should know a little bit more about ‘TK’ come Wednesday.”
The Journeyman 