Shaun McShane aiming for titles and an Irish homecoming following “good and bad” 2017

Shaun McShane [5(0)-4(0)-1] returns to action this weekend and is hoping to get a quick start to a 2018 he hopes will feature titles and perhaps even a first fight on home soil.

The Donegal light welterweight gets going this Saturday night on a Prospect Boxing card at the Knights of St Columba Social Club in Glasgow.

It’s an early start to a year in which McShane hopes will be full of fights, unlike 2017 where he had just one bout.

Looking back, McShane told Irish-Boxing.com that “2017 was a good and bad year – good points being we had a son who is 14 months old on the night I fight.

“Bad points, I took eiight months out when he was born because he had problems and I took a fight at two weeks notice last June without having done any training, basically a few runs and a night or two in the gym. I won but I wouldn’t do that again, it was too hard getting weight sorted that quick after being idle for eight months,

“Then I got the shout for few fights but they fell through. Then I was lined up to fight on an MTK show last October, and camp was going great, weight, sparring, all was good then I got sepsis three weeks before it and I was hospitalised for a week.”

“It went through my whole body, so that ruled me out and took good while to recover, so this is only me getting back on track,”

“I won’t be flying 100% but I have to get back in the mix.”

While he is still only getting back into the swing of things, the 37-year-old Rosses man has not been handed a walkover and will box Belfast hardman Jamesy Gorman over six rounds.

The two-time Scottish title challenger described how “it’s good to get started early, instead of training and training just waiting on a date,”

“I’m boxing Jamsie Gorman, he’s welter and I’m light welter – I’m really a fat lightweight!”

“I’ll be giving away a bit of weight and, as far as I know, he comes to fight anyway and likes a mix up.”

“He’s been in with some good lads including Steven Carroll and went the distance for the Celtic title, so he’ll be no pushover for sure.”

McShane is planning for a big year, but is wary against declaring big targets.

The Glasgow-based fighter outlined how “as far as goals go, just one fight at a time.”

“I’m 99% sure I’ll be out again in March here in Glasgow and I’ll want one six or eight weeks after that again. I want to be busy, providing no injuries.”

“Hopefully after a few fights I’ll be back up there in title contention, whether Celtic or whatever.”

Still to fight in Ireland as a pro, a homecoming bout remains a dream.

“I want to get a fight back home, but as you know money talks in this game – and if you can put people on seats and sell tickets you’ll get on any show you want, but it’s not always possible.”

“People would like to come and support you but they don’t always have the money to do so, we just need to see what kind of deal would come up and we’d take it from there.”

“First thing’s first, get Saturday done with and hopefully get the win, and it will be good start to 2018.”