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Boxing deal for love-torn Lomu
25/02/2008 11:30 - (SA)
Wellington - Jonah Lomu has signed a lucrative international deal to help take his mind off his tangled love life.
Last week, Sunday News revealed how Lomu, who announced in December that his relationship with wife and manager Fiona was in trouble, moved from Auckland to Wellington to be with girlfriend Nadene Quirk.
Quirk is separated from Blues Super 14 prospect Jarek Goebel, who she married only 10 months ago.
But on Friday, All Black great Lomu was busy with business as it was revealed he is to be a global ambassador for the KO World Series which will feature kickboxing and boxing events internationally.
Chief executive Dixon McIver last night said Lomu was the perfect choice to promote his fights.
"When you think about it, Jonah is the ultimate story of battling against the odds and I think there's no better person out there to fill the role as our international ambassador," he said. Televised shows will take place in Asia, Europe and the US and Lomu will attend each of the events and help promote the fights.
Lomu's latest deal comes on the back of his high-profile ambassador's role for sportswear giant Adidas, alongside the likes of soccer star David Beckham.
Similar audiences
The kickboxing circuit was viewed by millions of people around the world through US-based sports webcast giants MCN Sports, McIver said.
The first, boxing, leg of the circuit, to be held in Wellington in April, is expected to draw similar audiences.
Lomu admitted he was pleased with the deal.
"This is a very exciting venture to be a part of," he told Sunday News.
He was less forthcoming about his new love interest, saying: "I don't want to get into that right now."
But Sunday News can reveal Quirk's Wellington neighbours are annoyed with Lomu's insistence on parking his 2006 Black Hummer in a loading zone in front of the building.
"We've been getting quite a few complaints," a building manager, who asked not to be named, told Sunday News.
"He's been parked there for the last three or four days and it's starting to rub some of the residents the wrong way."
The manager almost had Lomu's car towed last Saturday but the 32-year-old moved it in the nick of time.
- Rugby Heaven
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