Engagement ring's a real knockout
ANDREW Keogh fought his heart out on Saturday night - and then offered it to the love of his life.
The former world kickboxing champion proposed to his girlfriend, Emmylee Anaya, after winning a comeback fight during High Voltage II at the Lake Kawana Community Centre.
Emmylee, 33, said she thought her boyfriend just wanted to thank her when he called her down into the ring from the back of the crowd after the fight.
"And then he's dropped to the ground and asked me to marry him," she said.
Emmylee, whose 11-year-old daughter was with her during the proposal, did not hesitate to say yes.
"It was going to happen no matter what. It was just a matter of time. I think everyone who knows us knows we're in love," she said.
Andrew, 34, organised one of his friends to bring a ring to the bout but had not told anybody else of his plans.
"I didn't want to put any more pressure on myself," he said.
He said he had always believed he could win and was keen to propose in front of friends who had travelled a long way to see him fight.
"I thought everybody could share our happiness together and they could all see how we really love each other," he said.
Emmylee, who runs a charity, Hoa's Angels, said it had been virtually love at first sight for her and Andrew since they met through a mutual friend at a function about three years ago.
"I think we were the only sober ones in the room. I thought, 'I'll go and talk to this guy. He's the only one that makes sense,' and we both clicked.
"He's from Mackay, I'm from Broken Hill. We're both country people, we're both pretty down to earth."
The couple plans to marry on the Sunshine Coast on May 11 next year.
