Low Blows: Ciaran McVarnock

Wednesday lunchtime is Low Blows O’Clock, where Irish boxers get the chance to land a few cheap shots on their fellow fighters.

This week it is the turn of Belfast super featherweight Ciaran McVarnock [6(1)-0-1] who fights out of Arnie Farnell’s Gym in Manchester.

Q: Hardest trainer?
A: Not being big headed, but think that’s got be be myself. All the lads in the gym go on at me about the times I get in circuits and how well I do at 28 kilo kettle bell circuits and my work rate in the gym in general. If I find something easy I tell Arnie ‘let’s step it up a weight’ or ‘let’s do an extra round.’ Just a few weeks ago I said to Arnie that, instead of me and [Matty] Fagan doing ten 3 minute rounds, can we do a half hour straight – and we done that at an amazing pace too. Good to leave the gym satisfied knowing you’ve done a real hard days graft.

Q: Biggest Moaner?
A: That’s gotta be Kofi Yates. He is flat footed and always moaning about his sore feet and sore back .

Q. Funniest?
A: That’s definitely got to be Macauley McGowan, the guy is full of jokes. His debut was televised on Boxnation and his ring entrance song was One Direction.

Q: Biggest Ladies Man?
A: Now that’s a hard one. Everyone in the gym are all under the thumb. Except myself of course haha!

Q: Most Intelligent?
A: Gotta be joint between Macauley and Arnie. Both of them know the ins and outs of boxers. Reach, height, weight, every detail, them boys know it.

Q: Least intelligent?
A: People in the gym say the Irish are thick, but no way am I the least intelligent. It’s got to be big Jamie Mitchell, that boy would believe anything. He doesn’t believe there is an airport in Liverpool named after John Lennon. He think that when you fly from England that you have to leave the country – he thinks you can’t fly from Manchester to Southampton! Arnie told him South Wales was a different island from Wales itself and you have to get a boat to it, and he believed it. Arnie told him the kettle bell king that comes to gym is called Richard, his real name is Adam, still to this day months later he calls him Richard. Butler and Arnie sent him into the gym next door for a skirting board ladder and he went in and asked for it. We even put hair removal cream into a lynx bottle and he used it in the shower.

Q: Hardest puncher?
A: That’s got to be Kofi Yates. The boy can bang. How he doesn’t have more knock outs on his record I don’t understand because he can definitely punch hard.

Q: Most Naturally Talented?
A: Matty Fagan. When he is in the ring doing pads and sparring I just watch his foot work. His foot work is unbelievable. You can have him trapped in a corner and the next minute he will be behind you while you’re still facing the corner. Fagan is definitely one of the most talented underrated boxers there is.

Q: Cheapest?
A: Got to be myself. I hate spending money. In a shop I’m always straight to the sales section. My missus Janeen goes mad at me telling me to buy other stuff. I come out of poundland with about three full bags. Love when I go there.

Q: Worst Dancer?
A: Got to be Arnie. He’s always dancing. Great to watch. He doesn’t care, he would dance in middle of a shopping mall and itwouldn’t bother him

Q: Worst Dress Sense?
A: I don’t really know about that one because everyone turns up to the gym wearing everything and anything.

Q: Biggest Messer?
A: Arnie and Macauley. When them boys are together you can guarantee something’s going down. They’re always taking the piss out of people. You can never take them serious.

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)