Man for the Big Occassion Jack O’Neill has a Family Plan
Forget the World, Europe or even Ireland, Jack O’Neill has his sights set on being the best boxer in his family – and in fairness, if he does manage to achieve that he would have had a very successful career.
The new-to-the-scene pro is a third-generation boxer, his grandfather was a pro of relative note in the sixties while his Dad was an amateur standout, winning seven Irish titles.
O’Neill carries the baton and, having won an Ulster title, is now looking to make his mark in the pro ranks.
“My da was a seven-time Irish champion and my granda was a professional so I just have to be better than them two and I can say I was the greatest in the family,” he said before his father encouraged him to take the chance to pursue a pro career.
“When Ray first asked me to turn over (become a pro) I told him and I wanted to have a chat with my da before I made the decision. My da had a chance to go pro himself when he was 17 and he didn’t take it and I think he regrets it.
“So I sat down with him and chatted about it and he said: ‘Listen, sometimes you get an opportunity and you just have to take it’. So that was good enough for me, the decision was made and I turned over.
When I get to my da’s age I want to be able to say I have no regrets. Wherever I go, however far I get at least I can say I gave it everything.”
That wasn’t the only advice the Ray Ginley trained boxer’s father gave him. Alex O’Neill Jr, warned his son if he was going in, he had to go all in.
“I missed out on nights out and stuff over Christmas but that just gets me more motivated. When I get into the ring I know I’m mentally and physically ready because I’ve done all I need to do.
“You can get hurt in this game. You can’t half-ass it. As an amateur, I might have done that for a wee while until I got to senior and my da said to me: ‘You can’t get away with this no more, you’re all in or you’re all out’ so that’s what I live by now. I’m all in.”
The super bantamweight has had a near-perfect start to professional life with his first two fights playing out at the SSE Arena on big cards, his third was a BBC broadcast bout at the Ulster Hall. This weekend, he populates Matchroom’s massive Point of Pride bill.
“I’m absolutely ready to go, I’ve sold over 400 tickets for this one so there’s a massive crowd coming who will make a lot of noise, and it’s a great opportunity to impress,” he comments.
