Paul Fleming

Paul Fleming is an Australian professional boxer who competed in the super-featherweight and featherweight divisions. Nicknamed “Showtime,” he was born in Tully, Queensland, stands 5 ft 9 in (175 cm), has a 70-inch reach, and fights from a southpaw stance. Fleming finished his professional career with a record of 28 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, including 18 victories by knockout, and became one of Australia’s most accomplished Indigenous boxers.

Before turning professional, Fleming built an impressive amateur résumé. He won a bronze medal at the 2006 World Junior Championships, earned qualification for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games by winning the Oceania Championships, and became the first Australian boxer to claim gold at the Pre-Olympic Chemistry Cup in Germany. He also represented Australia at featherweight at the Olympics and was supported by the Australian Institute of Sport.

Fleming made his professional debut in November 2008, stopping veteran Shane Green in the third round. After relocating to Sydney and joining trainer Billy Hussein, he developed into a polished and dangerous counterpuncher. He remained unbeaten for more than a decade, recording victories across Australia and overseas against opponents including Ryusei Yoshida, Angky Angkotta, Pungluang Sor Singyu, and Miguel Angel Gonzalez.

His first major regional breakthrough came in April 2016, when he defeated Gonzalez by unanimous decision to win the WBC Continental Americas super-featherweight title. Fleming later added further regional honours in March 2022, outpointing Jackson Jon England to capture the WBC-ABCO, IBF Pan Pacific, and IBO Inter-Continental super-featherweight titles.

Fleming’s unbeaten record ended in March 2023, when he faced Charly Suarez in a high-level regional title contest. After a competitive fight, Fleming was stopped in the twelfth round, suffering the first defeat of his professional career and losing his regional belts.

Alongside his achievements in boxing, Fleming has also been recognised for his Indigenous heritage and artistic work. The Australian Olympic Committee commissioned him to create traditional Indigenous artwork for official athlete towels used at the Tokyo Olympics.