‘I was drinking every day in New York, now I’m fighting on the Katie Taylor card’ – Dublin boxer Emmet Brennan

Tokyo Olympian Emmet Brennan couldn’t lay his hands on a ticket for Katie Taylor’s homecoming fight in the 3Arena last May. “I was willing to pay €700 for one on the day of the fight. but I still couldn’t get it,” he recalls.

This Saturday not only will he be in the 3Arena for the rematch between Taylor and Chantelle Cameron, he will take centre stage in the only all-Irish contest on the card.

In his second professional fight he takes on Limerick’s Jamie Morrissey for the Boxing Union of Ireland (BUI) vacant Celtic light heavyweight belt over eight rounds. For a rookie fighter this is a career-changing opportunity.

He owes a debt of gratitude to his family, friends, and neighbours in Dublin’s north-east inner city whose willingness to dig deep into their pockets ahead of Christmas has afforded him this chance.

“In order to get on a show like this you’ve got to sell tickets and I don’t mean a hundred tickets. You must sell hundreds of tickets and so far, I’ve sold over 600 tickets.

“The tickets are very expensive. I know some people are bringing their kids and it is going to cost them €300 which is a lot of money to be spending just before Christmas. So, for people to show me that kind of support obviously motivates me.

“This is a huge week in my life and my family’s life as well as being huge for Dublin Docklands BC and the whole community in the north-east inner city.

“I am representing the area and hopefully I can pass on a small bit of inspiration to the next generation of kids and get them to stay away from crime and the negative things on the streets so they can eventually realise their dreams.”

Being a rookie pro boxer is a lonely experience. “I knew the professional game was different to amateur boxing, but it is not until you experience it that you understand how different it is.

“When I was in the (IABAs) High Performance Unit everything you needed from medical tests, strength and conditioning, nutritional advice, physio was all looked after. But once you turn professional you are on your own and have to organise and pay for all these services.”

His fledging career has been kept afloat by his sponsors, RUBUS Lighting, CEA Architects, Novum Refrigeration and the Pain and Performance Clinic in Lucan. “Without their help it would not be possible to sustain full-time training.”

Brennan trains in the Dublin Docklands club where he is coached by Philip Keogh who was his amateur trainer. The club is flying at the moment, we had three lads away at the European U-22 championships and we had three lads who did well in the elite championships. We have a team of winners who push each other all the time. So, I’m lucky.”

Brennan’s manager Darren Barker is a friend of Eddie Hearn – the Matchroom boss promoted Barker when he won a World title ten years ago. So, the goal of securing a Matchroom contract is not a pipe dream for Brennan. But he must do the business in the ring to have a chance.

“In terms of where I want to go in the sport, I have got to beat this guy and put on a good show. But it will be no walk in the park. He is a warrior and will fight to the end. But if I want to go places in the sport I have to win.”

If he wins Brennan’s next target is the BUI Irish light heavyweight title and he has his eyes on a fight in New York after that.

Away from the ring he has been busy as well. Together with two friends he has set up a Fightr, a boxing and fitness studios for adults. They have a new facility just opened on Ossory Road in the North Stand area.

While it is now 15 months since he stopped drinking and quit gambling, he never takes the transformation in his life for granted. “I went from being an athlete in top condition pre-Olympics to a point where a few months later I was over in New York drinking every day.

“I don’t want to have any regrets. When I look back in five years’ time, I want to be able to say I give it everything. This is why fight is so important. All the sacrifices I’m made, all the training I have done, how committed I have been to the process. Now I want to win,” he said.

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