What are your thoughts looking back on the European Games?
I thought I won [against Kurt Walker]. They’ve done the analysis back here [at the EIS in Sheffield] and I landed more punches. It’s one of them… You can’t dwell on it too much. Obviously for a week after I was gutted but I suppose it’s not the opponent, it’s not him. He isn’t the one who made the decision. He’s in the same position as me, just trying to win. But I definitely felt comfortable, I definitely thought I won.
I can’t dwell on it too much because we’ve got the Worlds just round the corner. It’ll be good to box him again. It’s 2-2, so it would be good to box him again, maybe again for a medal, don’t know how the draw will go.
I’ll just be looking forward to getting out to the Worlds now.
What do you think of the weight at these Worlds going up to 57kgs (bantamweight is being changed by one kilo to featherweight)?
It’ll help me a lot. I’ve been 56kgs since the Youth Olympic days, 2014. Even though it’s only an extra kilo and it doesn’t sound like much, it’ll be a lot. I can feel myself, not being a completely different fighter, but being more energetic later on down the stretch.
Do you think there will be any lightweights coming down to 57kgs (60kgs is also being changed to 63kgs and light-welterweight eliminated)?
You might get the odd one or two but I reckon the majority of them will probably move up. They all will have been strict dieting and having to watch their weight to get to 60kgs so they probably couldn’t physically.
They’d have to weigh their options up. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two do but it could work out worse for them.
With Robeisy Ramirez turning pro, it’s good news for the rest of the division?
He’s won the Olympics twice so the weight’s opened up a bit as he’s gone and a few have turned pro from the last Olympics. The likes of [Michael] Conlan, Shakur Stevenson, so the weight’s opened up.
Obviously I won a bronze in the last Worlds so I’m looking to better it.
Who do you think are the people to look out for in your division over the next year?
You’ve got to worry about yourself more than anything. I’m probably the worst opponent for myself. Everyone is the worst opponent for themselves because they’ve got to get everything right.
But it’s probably going to be the Kazakh [Kairat Yeraliyev] and the American [Duke Ragan]. I’ll be watching out for them. I’m not sure what Uzbek’s going but the Uzbeks are usually good.
I wouldn’t mind fighting Kairat again, who won them [in 2017]. We went out to Kazakhstan before the European Games, I sparred him and I felt comfortable. As I say I’m not worrying too much about them, I’m just coming down to Sheffield week in, week out, making sure my weight’s good, making sure I’m training hard and living the life so I can’t see why I can’t be on the podium again.
