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Conlan: I hung up the gloves before Breen ‘Mr Miyagi’d’ me back to the ring

JAMIE Conlan is on a boxing high at the minute. ‘The Mexican’ fights for his first title in the Odyssey Arena live on BoxNation tonight and has signed a promotional deal that finally gives him career structure and clearer path toward titles.

However, it could have been much different for the popular Belfast flyweight as after one disappointment too many the undefeated former Irish Prospect of the Year winner retired.

The talented Cyclone Promotions fighter, who fights for the WBO European title on the This is Belfast card, suffered an unfortunate sequence of events not seen since Lemony Snickets and became disillusioned with the business end of the sweet science.

After he got news of yet another fight fall through the flyweight decided he had enough and hung up his gloves. however, a bit of ‘Mr Miyagi’ style mentoring from coach John Breen convinced him he had to much to talent to stop.

“To be honest there was a time I got disillusioned. It was after another fight had fallen through I just I had enough of this. It was just a build up of disappointments. Fights been canceled, shows been called off and that I just said I had enough of this,” Conlan told Irish-boxing.com.

“Then Eamonn Magee called me on the Tuesday and I went to the gym on the Wednesday then I went to see john on the Sunday. We didn’t even talk boxing, well I thought we didn’t, John Mr Miyagi’d me and I thought about it again.”

With both him and gym mate signing a deal with Barry McGuigan and Cyclone Promotions Conlan no longer has to worry about possible fight derailment. He now has a set plan and a much clearer career path and it has made all the difference.

‘The Mexican’, who fights xx in Belfast on Friday night, claims he has never been more in love with the game and as a result has bever been in better shape.

“The love is back now and the buzz is back. Having a promotional team like Cyclone Promotions behind me gives me a boost and a focus.

“With the Cyclone deal I can relax and just focus on fighting. If something happens I have them to fall back on and they are putting on shows so I know I have fights to look forward too,” he added before expanding on his career plan.

“I told them my intentions. After this fight I want to step up. I want to move another level every fight. I want to progress and move on every fight. I want to learn every fight too and move toward more titles. I am not sure of the Paul Butlers situation, but Barry and the team where pushing to see if he has vacated or not and they have put me forward for the British and Commonwealth titles.”

“The next bill will me and Mark topping a card in Belfast, which is brilliant news. Not sure on the date, but I am assured it is pretty soon as Cyclone want to keeps us active. That is the first thing I said when we meet, I want to be active.”

While he is delighted with a promotional deal that see’s him join a team that have helped Carl Frampton become a massive star, Conlan also feels he owes a lot to John Breen the trainer, who not only coaxed him back to fighting, but has played a massive role in his unbeaten career to date.

“I said last week that I want to do this for John Breen as well. The gym has had champions in the past and for me there is no one in Ireland that comes close to John in terms of training. He gives so many hours in the gym even when we are not there. He puts a lot of time in and for us to be able to bring success back to the gym would be great. He lives for his fighters, he is more nervous than me before a fight. I have seen him more devastated when his fighters have lost than some of the fighters themselves. It is good to know you are not on your own.”

 

 

 

 

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