Alex Winwood

Alex Winwood stands as a pioneering figure in Australian boxing, not only for his achievements in the ring but also for his cultural significance as the first Noongar fighter to contest for a world title. Born June 25, 1997, in Bunbury, Western Australia, Winwood grew up in Perth as one of eight children and is the great-nephew of former professional boxer Brian Bennell. His grandfather, Primus Ugle, is a celebrated Indigenous artist, and Winwood himself is a proud Noongar man and ambassador for the Australian Institute of Sport’s ‘Share a Yarn’ program, which fosters connections between athletes and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Winwood’s journey into boxing began at age 15, encouraged by a high school teacher. He trained at Eureka Boxing Club in Mandurah under coach Brian Satori, quickly making his mark in amateur competition. His amateur resume is formidable: six national championships, participation in two World Championships, and representation at both the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. At the Olympics, Winwood suffered a split-decision loss in the round of 32. At the Commonwealth Games, he was controversially knocked out by Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba despite quickly rising to continue the fight.

Turning professional in late 2021, Winwood moved to the Gold Coast to train under Tony Tolj, manager of Dragon Fire Boxing, and alongside Commonwealth Games alumni twins Andrew and Jason Moloney. His professional debut came on November 25, 2022, at Metro City, Northbridge, Western Australia, where he stopped Stinky Mario Bunda in the second round to claim the vacant West Australian light flyweight title.

In just his second bout, he won the vacant WBC International light flyweight title by fourth-round technical knockout against former IBO world champion Tibo Monabesa. He then captured the WBC International strawweight title with a unanimous decision over Nicaraguan Reyneris Gutierrez and defended it successfully against Filipino Criz Ganoza.

Winwood’s rapid ascent through the professional ranks set the stage for his first world title challenge. On September 7, 2024, he faced WBA Super Champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong (Knockout CP Freshmart) at HBF Stadium in Mount Claremont, Perth—a bout that marked the first world title contest for a Noongar boxer. Despite a valiant effort, Winwood lost a majority decision over twelve hard-fought rounds. Still, his performance earned widespread respect and cemented his status as a top contender in the strawweight division.

Winwood’s fighting style is characterized by technical proficiency, high work rate, and resilience. He has demonstrated the ability to adapt to different opponents, combining knockout power with the stamina to go the distance. His bouts have primarily taken place at Metro City in Northbridge and HBF Stadium in Perth, with his only fight outside the intimate Metro City venue being his world title challenge.

Looking ahead, Winwood remains focused on world title aspirations. His next scheduled bout is a ten-round regional strawweight title fight against Joey Francisco from the Philippines on March 14, 2025, back at Metro City. Winwood and his team are committed to competing at the ten- and twelve-round level, with the explicit goal of capturing a world title in the future.