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For all of his amateur career, indeed since he first laced up a pair of gloves, Bobbi Flood had one destination in mind – the Olympic Games.
Like so many young Irish talents before him, the Dublin fighter committed himself fully to the amateur system, believing that the long road through championships, trials and qualification events would eventually lead to boxing’s biggest amateur stage.
The Dubliner looked destined to grace a Games and realize an ambition most boxers had when medalling on the underage international stage and transitioning into the senior set up with a great deal of hype around him.
“That was always the goal,” Flood admits when speaking to Irish-boxing.com. “I always wanted to be an Olympian. That was the dream from the very start.”
But as Flood’s career progressed, structural changes within amateur boxing gradually reshaped the landscape – and, ultimately, his future. The removal of the 75kg weight class placed the talented Cabra boxer at a crossroads.
For Flood, neither 70kg or 80kg, the revised weights, were realistic options.
“I was never going to hold 70 kilos for three years,” he explained. “And jumping up to 80 kilos is a massive jump, especially when you’re in with the best in the world.”
“That’s ten kilos of muscle you’re talking about,” he said. “And you’re trying to put that on in a very short space of time. That kind of change damages your body, and it’s not something you want when you’re still developing as a fighter.”
Rather than forcing his body into a division that didn’t suit, the young Dub made a decision. The professional route, once viewed as the alternative option or the route to go only after Olympic success, became the better path.
“When the opportunity came, it just made sense,” Flood said. “I didn’t want to chase something that wasn’t right for me physically. The pro game suited me.”
Having teamed up with Anto Fitzpatrick and former world champion Sunny Edwards on the managerial side of things, the former underage star signed with Queensberry.
So it’s unsurprising his debut comes on Frank Warren’s Patrick’s Weekend card at the 3Arena. The high-profile nature of the bill and the fact that it will be broadcast on DAZN mean a wider audience will get to see the 20-year-old in action – and the young talent is adamant that he’ll make the best of the platform. Flood plans the kind of performance that will help open the floodgates when it comes to winning support.
“When I get out there, I’ll be able to show my levels,” he said. “The work I’ve been putting in – late nights, early mornings – that’s what people will see.
“It’s about doing things the right way,” he said. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” he adds before pointing out his large sponsor-base has allowed him to make pre debut work.
“You want as little stress as possible,” he explained. “You don’t want to be going into the ring thinking about bills or rent. You want tunnel vision – just focused on the fight. That support is critical,” he said. “Without it, none of this is possible.”
Those sponsors being Plant Tech, JDN Pro Artist, GM Carpentry, AutoClass Motors, Somerville Motors, Raven Homes, Bossy Baker, John Lawless Roofing, TanMe Tanning Salons, Let’s Glow Limited, Sean Hunting, The Cornstore, Macaron, and Studio M Fitness.
