MICHAEL Conlan has parted company with Adam Booth, his coach for the last five years, and could switch to another London-based trainer or relocate to the USA.
The two-time world title challenger said it was time to make some changes to his set-up in the wake of his stoppage loss to Luis Lopez in Belfast in May. Conlan was stopped in the fifth round by the hammer-handed Mexican but remains determined to clinch the world title he has always craved. Booth won’t be in his corner if and when he gets there.
“I’m doing a big shake-up,” said Conlan.
“I don’t blame anybody but I’m shaking things up in terms of my team and how I’m moving forward. I think a fresh start, a fresh set-up is the best option.”
He said that himself and Booth, the man he linked up with after he returned home from fighting out of Manny Roble’s gym in Los Angeles, had “ended it amicably”.
“I’m pointing no fingers or blaming anybody, I just think I need something different,” he added.
“I could possibly go to Miami, possibly England, maybe even in the same gym with a different coach… I don’t know, I’m still trying to figure out which path I’m going to go but there definitely.”
Looking back on his loss to Lopez, Conlan said he lacked energy on the night. He boxed to the Booth gameplan for the first two rounds but when he started to mix it, the Mexican took over and emphatically won the argument.
“There was no energy,” he said.
“There was stuff going on behind the scenes which I can’t really explain and subconsciously it affected what was going on. Even in the warm-up I didn’t feel I was there, I was very agitated and I don’t know why. That’s how is rolls sometimes. If a footballer has an off day they go again the next week, if I have an off night it can for months until I’m back in the ring.”
