WE all see the entrance. When a boxer marches to his fight, the crowd on either side, cheers merge with blaring music, and the bright lights illuminate the ring. Few stay to see them walk away, when a defeated fighter takes a lonely route back to his changing room.
It was a sensation Conrad Cummings never expected to experience when he fought Ronny Mittag at Wembley Arena last year, denied on a split decision on his own promoterโs show. โYou donโt really ever think about it,โ Conrad recalled. โYou walk out with all the crowd cheering. Walking back, I donโt want to ever experience it again. Just itโs horrible. I think I would have felt not as bad if I felt I had genuinely lost the fight.
โI thought I lost three rounds if I was being harsh. I thought I won the fight convincingly. I didnโt get the decision and I wonโt lie it felt like the end of the world to me. I was absolutely heartbroken. I felt I was cheated out of my first title.โ
But he added, โAll it did was make me more determined.โ
In a peculiar way he now feels liberated. He bounced back to win a WBO European strap against Gogi Knezevic, a belt which he is set to defend against Robert Swierzbinski on Saturday in Belfast. โItโs made me the fighter I think I am now,โ he said. โIโve took the weight of the world off my shoulders. Sometimes you do carry the weight, for no real reason, sometimes I put myself under that pressure. I feel great. I feel in a good place. Iโve one loss which I didnโt lose. Iโve moved on.โ
So far though Cummings feels he has not been boxing to his potential. โI boxed at the highest level as an amateur, won gold medals all over the world, Irish titles, I boxed in WSB with Mexico, I boxed World champions, I beat World champions as an amateur, an Olympic silver medallist,โ he said. โI was putting that pressure on myself. I was just over-trying. Thatโs not a bad thing, I believe thatโs a good thing. Thatโs going to stand me in good stead, the pressureโs off me.โ
He is working his way towards a shot at Billy Joe Saunders WBO European title. โSaunders is a phenomenal champion. Heโs beaten everyone put in front of him, Eubank included,โ Cummings noted.โ
โHeโs got what I want,โ Conrad added. โI feel it could happen soon.
โMy dream has always been to become a world champion.โ
And he warns, โI get there in the end. I always do. Iโve had a few bumps and bruises on the road. That makes the story more interesting. My storyโs never been straightforward. But Iโll tell you as a fact, I always get there.โ