Carlos Spencer is looking forward to fighting professionally when he faces Monty Betham Jnr at this weekend's Fight for Life fundraiser.
Spencer is a descendant of Ngāti Kahungunu who played 35 tests for the All Blacks, is looking to make a name for himself in the boxing world.
While Spencer is widely known for his skills in rugby, he says taking the fight wasn't a decision he made lightly.
Monty Betham Jnr was a crafty player on the league field and also made a successful switch to boxing with a record five wins and one loss - the latter being to former boxer, Shane Cameron.
Spencer is the head coach of the Southern Kings and was impressive in two previous Fight for Life bouts against former Warrior Awen Guttenbeil and former Kiwi Jarrod McCracken.
Betham also has added motivation going into this fight, it'll be his son's eighth birthday on Saturday night.