Finlan returns wiser for his first pro loss

Jack Finlan…boxes on home territory on May 25. Pic: Manjit Narotra/BCB

IT’S the diversity of individuals drawn to the fight game that never ceases to amaze me.

Yes, there are plenty of hard men who fit the public perception of the industry’s workers. They eat, sleep and breathe boxing – nothing else.

But the West Midlands circuit alone reveals a host of fighters, trainers and managers who walk a very different path away from the ring. Former Commonwealth light-flyweight champ Matt Windle is a poet, Eastside gym’s frontman Jon Pegg is an author and playwright, Sian O’Toole and Kirstie Bavington are teachers, Oscar McCracken is a lawyer…

Now add to the mix Burntwood’s Jack Finlan who juggles fighting with a career in motor sports. It’s an exacting, full-on job – Finlan runs touring car championships and was at Donnington Park preparing for another event when I spoke to him.

He is, in interview, articulate, matter-of-fact and grounded: there’s no bravado or bull. “I’m not going to make boasting comments,” he said. “You have to be realistic. Only a very, very small per centage of the boxing population will achieve world titles. I think I can achieve a Midlands title and an English title – the English title is the one I want to have as a benchmark because that’s the belt I told my dad he’d have on his mantlepiece.”

Finlan’s fledgling career has hit a bump on the road. A product of Platinum ABC and managed by former amateur coach Steve Cadman, he shone in his debut, but suffered surprise defeat last month to Josh Morris – a man who had lost all his previous five pro outings.

I thought the decision fair. In the immediate aftermath, Finlan’s team felt he did enough.

Quibbling over the maths avoids what should be the real focus – Jack was well below par.

He picks up the pieces on Scott Murray’s Sunday, May 25, show at the Premier Suite, Cannock – a venue only six miles from Jack’s doorstep – determined to right a wrong. “It’s a lot like home,” said Jack. “I had 90 per cent of my amateur fights there.”

Of his first loss, he said: “The book stops with me, whatever I feel about the result, the book stops with me. It’s sour grapes if I start saying I think it was a bad decision. The result is irrelevant, what I think about the result is irrelevant.

“I know the level I can perform at and I didn’t perform at that level, whatever the reasons. I am a lightweight, if not a super-feather – that’s the huge lesson learnt.

Finlan scaled 10st 4lbs for Morris and stressed: “That is not where I’ll be campaigning, not where I’ll be successful. I’m looking at around 9st 6lbs for the next one.

“I want to be in this game for the long haul. I’m still young, I have time to grow and develop – and that defeat was part of the development.”

Boxing history is littered with great champs who lost early doors, learned from the setback and emerged much better fighters. No apprentice is defined by points defeat.

Jack Finlan insists he’s learned plenty.