Age: 22
From: Mayo, Ireland
Record: 5-0
Weight: Middleweight
Trainer: Anthony Crolla
Instagram: @eoghanlavin1
Next fight: Saturday, August 23, against Omir Rodriguez at Altrincham Ice Dome
When and why did you start boxing?
I started when I was about six years old. My dad and my elder brother were involved in the sport. I just got hooked on it right from the start.
Favourite all-time fighter and why?
I don’t really have one, but if I have to pick one, I would have to say Vasilly Lomachenko. When I was a teenager, I used to watch him, and he was doing stuff nobody else was doing. I used to be obsessed with him, and I was always trying to copy him.
Best fight you’ve seen
Live, it would be Robbie Davies Jr. against Sergey Lipinets in 2024. I went over with Robbie as part of the team, and I was obviously emotionally involved with Robbie, and I wanted him to win. But it was still a very good fight.
On the TV, I have watched so many great fights. It depends on what you say is a great one. If you go off ups-and-downs, you would say Gatti-Ward, one fighter is winning, and then the other fighter is winning. But then there are the ones that are a masterclass, like some of the Mayweather or Canelo fights.
Personal career highlight
When I was fourteen, I won a silver medal at the European Championships. I was never supposed to win a medal, but I was so mad at only getting silver. Everyone back home was parading it as such a big achievement. But I hated it.
I just thought silver medals were for losers. When I came home, there was a big parade with about 1,000 people there, and I just hated it.
But looking back now, if I had won gold, it probably would have killed me. But I felt like a loser, and I always wanted to win more after that. Looking back now on it, it was massive. Nobody from my area had ever won a silver medal before.
Best and worst attributes as a boxer
My best is probably my dedication. My obsession and ambition for boxing. I have an obsession with learning and improving. My worst is also that obsession. I can be very critical of myself. I am never happy with every training session, every spar. Which can be good and bad at the same time.
What’s the hardest part of boxing?
Getting fights and getting paid. From a training point of view, it’s making weight and staying disciplined. But it’s the business of boxing. Fighters always want to fight. But it’s hard to get on shows, and if you don’t fight, you don’t get paid.
It’s also now about getting followers and growing your social media presence, and that is something I hate doing. I don’t like filming myself training, but that is something people want to see. The game is full of snakes, and it’s hard.
Training tip
Bite down and work harder.
Best friends in boxing
We are all very tight in the gym. We all have a very good connection. My old amateur gym was like a family. We all grew up together. So I would say them, and everyone at Crolla’s gym.
What’s the attraction of boxing?
The obsession of it. Once you are on it, you are hooked. It’s that weird obsession of always wanting to win. You are always looking to keep improving and keep moving on.
Where would you be without boxing?
I would want to be running my own business. If I weren’t in boxing, I would probably have gone to university like I should have. I’d probably be making a lot more money and a lot easier than what I am doing now.
What has boxing given you?
It’s giving me purpose and something to channel everything into. I was good in school, but once I got into boxing, that was it. I wanted to go pro and give everything to it. Boxing is now my only identity.
Who inspires you the most and why?
I wouldn’t say a person. What inspires me is ambition. Also, my supporters. The way they back me. I’m fighting in Manchester this weekend, and all those from back home will have spent money on flights, tickets, and accommodation.
It all adds up, and it’s really expensive. That reminds me that I need to pull my finger out and get working.
What one thing would you change to make the sport better?
The business model in the sport is so bad. Boxing is the only sport where we bring all the money to the event. Boxers should only have to box.
On the smaller shows, that’s different. If you go to the UFC, it’s the job of the UFC to promote. The fighters just have to fight. But in boxing, the boxers have to do loads of different roles.
First-ever boxing memory
When I was a kid, and crying in a corner because I wasn’t allowed to box.
Long-term Aspirations
I want to win world titles, and I want to headline in Mayo, Ireland, where I am from. I also want to make a lot of money. I have moved away from home to live in Manchester, where I train, and it’s tough.
If you finish your career and don’t reach the highs, and you have nothing to show for it, then you have gone through a lot and it’s all been for nothing.
