‘I’m Back Now’ – Cian Reddy Targets Active Finish to 2025 After Year Out

Cian Reddy wasted little time looking ahead after ending a year-long absence from the ring with victory on JB Promotions’ latest show.

The IGB prospect moved to 5-0 with a six-round win but, despite maintaining his unbeaten record, was far from satisfied with his own display.

Reddy’s first outing since 2024 represented an important step back into activity, yet the Unit 3 fighter admitted his own expectations remain significantly higher than what he produced on the night.

“I’m very hard on myself,” he told Irish-boxing.com in association with Winners Win.

“I think I could have done better. Sometimes I don’t know if I’m too hard on myself or I should be, but I have high expectations of myself.

“I want to go far in this sport, so I want to keep progressing.”

Many fighters returning after a lengthy layoff would point to ring rust as a mitigating factor, but Reddy refused to use his year out as an excuse.

“Not so much ring rust,” he explained.

“I didn’t want to use that as an excuse. I’ve been out and that’s it. But I’m back now. That’s it.”

The performance may not have met his own lofty standards, but the victory was far from straightforward. Reddy was matched with an experienced opponent and found himself having to deal with plenty of rough tactics over the six rounds.

“I knew he’d be tough,” he said.

“He has 30-odd pro fights and fought a lot of good lads at a good level as well.

“But I wasn’t expecting him to be as dirty as he was. He was using his head, using his elbows. He elbowed me a few times. Used his head, pushing, bending the rules.”

Rather than complain, the unbeaten Portlaoise prospect viewed the experience as another lesson in his development as a professional fighter.

“You’re learning there too,” he said.

“I had to adapt and you can’t say anything is a surprise in boxing because everybody has two hands.

“Anybody can do anything when you have two hands.”

Despite his frustrations during the fight, Reddy was keen to stress that respect remains central to his approach to the sport.

“I respect everybody I get in the ring with before I do and after,” he said.

“He has a family to go home to. We both go home to our families.

“People are people, you know. This is a sport.”