How does a kid from Thames end up as a world top 15 cruiserweight, living in camp with Sonny Bill Williams and Anthony Mundine and getting rounds in world title gyms in New York?

In Episode 5 of ShedLifeNZ, Jason sits down with David Aloua, a New Zealand cruiserweight who represented Aotearoa at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, won multiple national amateur titles and picked up a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Amateur Boxing Championships before turning pro and claiming regional belts on his way into the top 15 rankings. Before the world rankings and title belts, Dave was a multi-code athlete, making the Dilworth First XV in Year 11 and winning a New Zealand wrestling title while still at school. He talks through those early years, the move to Thames, finding boxing, and how an apprenticeship on the tools sat alongside his climb through the amateur and pro ranks.

Across a laid back long form chat at the Shedquarters bar, Jason and Dave cover life in camp around Sonny Bill and Mundine, getting flown to New York as a sparring partner and crossing paths with Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin, gym wars at City Boxing with the likes of Hemi Ahio, Junior Fa and Carlos Ulberg, and what the fight game taught him about resilience, identity and life after the ring.