Why Bobbi Flood Chose the Pro Route: Olympic Dreams, Weight-Class Reality and A Clearer Path
For all of his amateur career, indeed since he first laced up a pair of gloves, Bobbi Flood had one destination in mind â the Olympic Games.
Like so many young Irish talents before him, the Dublin fighter committed himself fully to the amateur system, believing that the long road through championships, trials and qualification events would eventually lead to boxingâs biggest amateur stage.
The Dubliner looked destined to grace a Games and realize an ambition most boxers had when medalling on the underage international stage and transitioning into the senior set up with a great deal of hype around him.
âThat was always the goal,â Flood admits when speaking to Irish-boxing.com. âI always wanted to be an Olympian. That was the dream from the very start.â
But as Floodâs career progressed, structural changes within amateur boxing gradually reshaped the landscape â and, ultimately, his future. The removal of the 75kg weight class placed the talented Cabra boxer at a crossroads.
For Flood, neither 70kg or 80kg, the revised weights, were realistic options.
âI was never going to hold 70 kilos for three years,â he explained. âAnd jumping up to 80 kilos is a massive jump, especially when youâre in with the best in the world.â
âThatâs ten kilos of muscle youâre talking about,â he said. âAnd youâre trying to put that on in a very short space of time. That kind of change damages your body, and itâs not something you want when youâre still developing as a fighter.â
Rather than forcing his body into a division that didnât suit, the young Dub made a decision. The professional route, once viewed as the alternative option or the route to go only after Olympic success, became the better path.
âWhen the opportunity came, it just made sense,â Flood said. âI didnât want to chase something that wasnât right for me physically. The pro game suited me.”
Having teamed up with Anto Fitzpatrick and former world champion Sunny Edwards on the managerial side of things, the former underage star signed with Queensberry.
So it’s unsurprising his debut comes on Frank Warren’s Patrick’s Weekend card at the 3Arena. The high-profile nature of the bill and the fact that it will be broadcast on DAZN mean a wider audience will get to see the 20-year-old in action – and the young talent is adamant that he’ll make the best of the platform. Flood plans the kind of performance that will help open the floodgates when it comes to winning support.
âWhen I get out there, Iâll be able to show my levels,â he said. âThe work Iâve been putting in â late nights, early mornings â thatâs what people will see.
âItâs about doing things the right way,â he said. âIâm exactly where Iâm supposed to be,â he adds before pointing out his large sponsor-base has allowed him to make pre debut work.
âYou want as little stress as possible,â he explained. âYou donât want to be going into the ring thinking about bills or rent. You want tunnel vision â just focused on the fight. That support is critical,â he said. âWithout it, none of this is possible.â
Those sponsors being Plant Tech, JDN Pro Artist, GM Carpentry, AutoClass Motors, Somerville Motors, Raven Homes, Bossy Baker, John Lawless Roofing, TanMe Tanning Salons, Letâs Glow Limited, Sean Hunting, The Cornstore, Macaron, and Studio M Fitness.
