Whatโs it like in LA training with Manny Robles?
Itโs been fantastic. We clicked right away. Heโs the trainer for me. Heโs been giving me things I need to work on.
Heโs helped me improve all the time and thatโs what I want to do, I want to get better every single day.
He reminds me a bit of my own father, the way he would approach things. Heโs always the boss but weโre able to have fun. Thatโs all a part of training.
Heโs been working on little things, like my inside work, when Iโm coming in close. Iโm open to some shots because I leave my chin there sometimes. In the amateurs I was getting away with it but in the pros you wonโt get away with that. Normal things, heโs just adding to what I have heโs not going to change me as a fighter. Iโm still going to be the same kind of boxer as what I was.
Weโve got some good sparring, it was my first time properly in the ring [on Monday] since the Games and I was happy with where I was at. I still have a lot of improving to do. That was me probably at 50%. Come fight night Iโll be raring to go.
Whatโs the atmosphere like in the gym?
Oscar [Valdez] and Jessie [Magdaleno] are like Mannyโs two main guys and to have me and them two in the gym, I felt like I meant something in the gym. I felt like I was meant to be there and they thought well of me.
Is it different starting out as the newcomer?
Itโs great. In Ireland I was the number one but now Iโm now nobody here. I love it out here. I have to prove myself again. Itโs good.
Do you have an idea of how many times youโll be boxing and the route youโll be going?
My year starts from March, thatโs my first fight. Iโll have definitely six fights but possibly eight. One of those fights is definitely going to be in Ireland, in Belfast or Dublin and then, if Pacquiaoโs fighting in Australia, weโll be fighting in Australia.
Do you know who the opponent is going to be for your pro debut?
I heard itโs someone called Tim Ibarra [4-4 from Colorado]. He boxed Mannyโs son ย back in 2012. So Manny will know about him.
You got Conor McGregor to agree to walk you to the ring, are you going to hold him to that?
We were talking when he was in Belfast and he said no problem. We shook on it. So I expect him to be there.
And AIBA have issued you with a fineโฆ
Theyโre not going to try and get it. Theyโre going to wait until if I ever want to be involved in AIBA or the national governing body. That means coming back to box or coming back to coach or whatever. They will then impose the fine… Theyโll never get it.