COMMONWEALTH Games medallist James McGivern has described Ireland and Ulster coach John Conlan as the Mr Miyagi to his Daniel LaRusso ahead of his European Games bow later this month.
Twenty-one-year-old McGivern wasn’t even born when Karate Kid was released in 1984, but that doesn’t stop him drawing the comparison as he sets his sights on 64kg gold in Minsk.
The pair first worked together in the lead up to the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa, where McGivern won gold, and Conlan was also in his corner at the senior equivalent on the Gold Coast last year as the St George’s ace landed bronze.
A shift in Olympic weight categories has forced McGivern to move up from 60kg to 63kg but he believes that, with Conlan in his corner, anything is possible.
He said: “I’ve been across the planet and worked with different coaches and John Conlan, without a shadow of a doubt, is the best coach on the planet - not just in Ireland or Europe or wherever. He’s the best in the world.
“I look upon him as a bit of a Mr Miyagi and I’m Daniel San. He’s the sensai. Whatever he says, I do. If he tells me to jump, I say how high.
“The reason I like having him in the corner is because you can be in the middle of a war and he’ll be the most relaxed man in the room. He’s like that about everything.
“I’ll give you an example even from outside the ring. When we were at the Commonwealth Youths, we got to the airport in New Zealand and my bag was lost. At the help desk I had my passport on the table and the fella put a sheet over the top of it by accident and I dandered away without it.
“When we got to the hotel later I realised ‘f**k, I’ve no passport here’. I was in a frenzy, freaking out, and John was like ‘relax, we’ll get it sorted’. Within a couple of hours the passport was back in my hand and everything was alright.
“That’s just the way he is, always calm, and it’s good to have that kind of person around you. In boxing terms too, he’s forgotten more than I know.”
McGivern was last week named as part of the 13-strong Irish squad bound for Belarus, with the Games – which are also a qualifier for the World Championships later this year – taking place from June 21-30.
Ever since winning the national elite title in February, he has continued the process of building into his new weight, with Tokyo 2020 the ultimate goal.
There was a hiccup along the way when he lost out to experienced Dutchman Enric La Cruz at the Chemistry Cup in April, but McGivern insists that defeat is nothing to be concerned about.
“To be fair, it was me that lost that fight,” he continued.
“We had a tough camp, a long sparring camp, but after the first round I honestly thought ‘I’m going to knock this boy out here’. Everything I was throwing was landing on his chin.
“Then halfway through the second round, it just seemed like someone had pulled the plug out of me - I was busted. It could’ve been the camp, it could’ve been the weight difference – I was quite light going into it.
“He was tall enough but he wasn’t massive, he was just experienced and he was going forward the whole time; he could probably see that I was tired.
“But listen, it’s nothing to worry about. Down in Dublin, the strength and conditioning’s going to be a big thing for me now - nutrition, and getting bigger at the weight. Even with that, I’ll not be walking around like the Hulk or anything.
“This is a big competition for me. The Chemistry Cup is probably one of the tougher multi-nations you can go to but if you won there, it’s congratulations, well done and everybody forgets about it tomorrow.
“The European Games is a different ball game altogether. Brendy [Irvine] went there four years ago, won silver and then qualified for Rio, so this could hopefully set the wheels in motion for me.”
LEFT HOOKS
Oliver Plunkett are hosting an end of season show at their clubrooms tomorrow night, with the action getting under way at 7.30pm.
There are 14 contests scheduled, with Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi and Patsy Quinn all sending fighters on what promises to be an entertaining show.
If history is anything to go on, the showdown between Cohen McFarland and Caoimhin McMullan is not to be missed after they went to war during a previous bout at the Patsy Quinn club.
Twelve-year-olds Rachel McFarland and Katie Bell have also shown plenty of promise since joining Oliver Plunkett, while head coach Jimmy McGrath has high hopes for talented trio Patrick McKee, James McGrath and Joyce Goodman down the line.
“The kids have really started to come on and I’m expecting a lot from most of them next season,” said McGrath.
“Shows like this are a chance to get ring experience, get used to boxing in front of a crowd, that sort of thing. There’s the makings of a good squad here.”
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HOLY Trinity have four fighters in action at Saturday’s National Boy 4 and Junior 1 & 2 Championship deciders, with the west Belfast club out to sweep the boards.
Clepson dos Santos – who faces Emyvale’s Aaron Treanor in an all-Ulster final - Mason McClintock and Kyle McGreevey are all going for Junior 1 titles, while Daniel Owens takes the 36kg title on a walkover.
Jon McConnell, a European Junior bronze medallist, takes on Dylan McDonagh from the Olympic club in Galway in the 54kg Junior 2 final.
There is plenty of other Ulster interest at Junior 1 too, with Glengormley’s Chad Magill up against Charleville’s Dave O’Neill at 54kg and Rory O’Gorman - from the St Malachy’s club in Camlough – taking on Paulstown’s David Drennan at 63kg.
East Down’s Bryce Collins will be awarded the 42kg title on a walkover.
In the Junior 2 finals, Collins’s clubmate Oisin Mulholland faces Monkstown’s Jake Rapple at 48kg, while in the 60 kilo final the talented Eoghan Quinn (St John’s, Swatragh) will go toe-to-toe with Legacy’s Steven Cairns.
Fellow Derry native Joseph Burke, who boxes out of the St Canice’s club in Dungiven, is up against Matthew Tyndall (Docklands) at 63kg.
Shane O’Gorman (St Malachy’s) is up against Crumlin’s William Hayden at 66kg, while Emeka Onwuka (All Saints) – who has impressed en route to the final – looks to finish the job against Darragh Gilroy (St Flanagan’s).
At middleweight, Tiernan Mayse from Two Castles in Newtownstewart faces Patrick Lawlor (Brian Dillon’s), with Townland heavyweight Dylan Burns ready to mix it with Ballybrack’s James Redmond.
In the Boy 4 competition, Banbridge’s Dylan Foy was a convincing winner against Michael Glennon (St Brigid’s, Edenderry) last Friday night, with the rest of the finals taking place on Friday evening.
Gilford’s Brogan McComiskey will find Michael Nugent (Olympic, Mullingar) in the opposite corner for their 44kg showdown, with Townland’s Terry Hanna taking on Jim Donovan (OLOL) at 54kg.
There is an all-Ulster clash in the 60kg final, with Cookstown’s Charles McDonagh and Oran Carton (Star of the Sea) meeting, while James McGuinness from the St Monica’s club in Newry takes on John Fay (Swords) at 63kg.
