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John Joyce feels he could have chinned ‘The Chin’


John Joyce found out first hand why they call Belfast toughman Jamesy Gorman ‘The Chin.’

However, despite being unable to floor the respected journeyman, he believes he made people sit up and take note.

Joyce feels he is a relative unknown with what is fast becoming a very populated pro scene in Ireland at present and wanted leave an impression on the Celtic Clash attendees.

The solider wanted to join the privileged few who can claim to have chinned the chin, but wasn’t too upset with having to take the long route to victory.

The Lucan welter was content he wobbled the experienced campaigner and feels, but for a hampering cut, he could have gone one better. He also took confidence from the fact he performed against a two time Irish title challenger and a recent Celtic Nations title hopeful.

“I wanted to prove a point. I am fairly unknown and was on a stacked card so I wanted to lay down some sort of marker,” Joyce told Irish-Boxing.com.

“I know he hasn’t won much, but people know he is tough and he can make people look bad, but I thought I done well against him and I hurt him more than once. Not people can put it on Jamsey Gorman and I managed to do that with a cut eye. He played his part in the fight too which was good for the crowd.”

“I have to take confidence from it. He has been around and given some lads difficult nights. He fought for a Celtic title recently too so you have to take something from that.”

“I caught him with shots he had no business staying up from, so fair play to him. You could see how smart he was and you learn from that, but when he wasn’t smart he was tough he walked through jabs that nearly drop people in sparring and that’s with the big gloves on so you see why he is called The Chin.”

30 year old Joyce did land two timed left hooks early in the fight, shots which stiffened Gorman, but a cut over his left eye prevented him from landing properly again in the fight.

Indeed, without blood hampering his vision Joyce feels he may just have managed what a lot have tried and failed to in just his second fight – stop Gorman.

“In the first round I caught him with a big left hook and I hurt him, but he is smart and he protected himself well after that. I wobbled him with the same shot in the second, but he caught me early enough with the head and I got cut.”

“He apologised during the fight and caught me again and the blood was in my eye. It was bad throughout the fight and it really hampered me throwing the left hook. You kind of lose sight of it when you throw it and miss then.”

“I still caught him with shots, but he is one tough man, fair play to him,” he continued before stressing he is hoping to progress in rounds next time out.

“I want to go to six rounders now. Hopefully I get that next and then you see where we can go from there.”

Photo Credit: Laszlo Geczo Photography

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