How’s training been going?
I’ve been put on the Podium squad [at GB]. I had a meeting with Rob [McCracken] and he was really happy with how I was going, said I was hungry and tough, said he was pleased with my conditioning after Christmas.
Will the Bocskai be your first tournament for GB?
My first representing Great Britain. I represented England in the Tri Nations and the GB [championships]. This will be my first one for GB. It’s going to be unbelievable. It happened so fast after the last year. A few lads are going over so hopefully we’ll get some gold medals.
Do you feel you’re in the running to get to an Olympic qualifier?
They said remember we’ve still got you in the picture for Rio. They said keep doing what you’re doing, keep your head down and we’ll see how you get on in the next tournament, in WSB. If I got to two of them I would be ready for wherever they want us to go. If they want us to go somewhere, I’ll be ready.
Do you feel beating Scott Fitzgerald in the ABAs last year was your breakthrough?
Definitely… I took each fight as it came. I ended up fighting Scott, I knew he was a Commonwealth champion but I went out to win and I felt like after that that was the start. I caught everyone’s attention there.
Was it hard to maintain it against Conor Loftus in the final?
On Sunday morning of the final, everyone’s the same, you get out of bed and your body, you can’t physically move but it felt like I had to win the final. Because after taking out the number one seed there was that much pressure. It was a pretty close fight.
He’s a top lad… When the GBs came along and I was boxing him, I knew I had to win.
What did you do differently in the final of the GB championships?
I just relaxed. I knew I was capable of beating him… I had to relax and that’s what I did really.
We both started quite well. I caught him with quite a few good body shots… In the first round, he got a standing eight count. The second round was close and I felt I was just pulling away in the third, that’s when we clashed heads and the referee stopped the bout. So it was a bit unfortunate for that but we’re team-mates, we get on well enough for having two good scraps!
Click HERE to watch Cyrus Pattinson box Conor Loftus in the GB Championships
