IT looked like he had never been away - and this time Blaine Dobbins insists he “won’t be disappearing” after coming back with a bang in front of his adoring Derry fanbase last Thursday night.
Before his Ulster Elite Championship final showdown with Holy Trinity’s Clepson dos Santos, the 31-year-old hadn’t boxed competitively in almost six years, since landing the Irish elite title in February 2017.
At that stage he looked the heir apparent to light-fly king Paddy Barnes, who had turned over to the pro ranks after the 2016 Olympic Games, and was brought into the High Performance fold with hopes of a big future.
However, all didn’t go according to plan, and Dobbins drifted away from the sport for longer than ever intended, becoming boxing’s forgotten man before targeting a return at the end of this year.
And he came back in hugely impressive fashion, picking his punches beautifully throughout and even forcing Dos Santos into a standing count in the final round on the way to victory.
“I always knew I could do it because we trained so hard this last while,” he said.
“I’ve been working hard this last four months, I knew I had a good engine and that I had the tools to perform. The game-plan was just to edge in, don’t dive in and get caught.
“Just take my time, because that crowd can get you going, get the blood pumping, especially in your home town. But it all went to plan.
“My strength has probably come through too. I’m 31 now, a bit more mature, so the power’s there.”
Being home favourite is a factor that can either work for or against you. Even though the smaller weights normally start the show, Dobbins was moved up to headline act, with fellow Derry man Eoghan Quinn in the fight before against another Holy Trinity boxer, Jon McConnell.
That brings a pressure of its own, and it was clear a huge amount of those still crammed into the Guildhall after 11pm last Thursday night were there for Dobbins.
And then there is the opponent. With his slick skills and fast hands, Dos Santos is rightly regarded as one of the rising stars of Irish boxing, with the 18-year-old’s performances at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham only adding to that reputation.
This was as far from a gimme as Dobbins could have got as he climbed back between the ropes, yet he rose to the occasion and made sure the short trip home was a happy one for his loyal support.
“It was a very tough fight to come back against a guy in Clepson who is very active, training twice a day in high performance,” said the St Joseph’s southpaw, who picked up the coveted Best Boxer award.
“To come back at that level, it was nerve wracking to be honest with you. I knew he was a good boy, but I went in and did the business and was happy enough like.
“For it to happen in Derry as well, I’ll be a superstar for a week!”
And the aim now is clear. While the pats on the back and the compliments that followed his performance were appreciated, eyes are already firmly focused on the Irish elites at the National Stadium next month.
“I just want to keep busy now, go to Dublin for the Irish - that’s all that’s in my head; to go and have a good year.
“Who knows where it could take me? I’m back in business, and this time I’ll not be disappearing. It’s now or never. The clock’s ticking, I’m not getting any younger.
“In your 20s you don’t really realise that, so you have to make the best of an opportunity like this when it comes about.”
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McCONNELL AIMING BIG AFTER CLASSY SHOW IN DERRY
GOING into the lion’s den was never going to spook Jon McConnell, and the talented 20-year-old announced his arrival on the light-middleweight stage in a dominant display against Ciaran Quinn to claim his first Ulster elite crown.
After the disappointment of narrow defeats on the provincial and national stage in recent years, and missing out on the summer’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the Holy Trinity man has had to bite down hard on the gumshield in a bid to force himself back into the frame.
Since a 3-2 decision went against McConnell in last year’s Ulster elite decider, McConnell has jumped up two weight classes, to 71kg, as he pursues his Paris 2024 dream. In Derry last Thursday night, he showed just why he has been so highly-rated for so long.
Against a strong, tough opponent in Swatragh’s Quinn, who had a big support in the Guildhall, McConnell produced a punch-perfect performance, landing some eye-catching combinations and throwing some spiteful shots on the way to a unanimous victory.
“I knew, up here and him being from Derry, I had to put on a good show. After winning the semi-final last week my fitness was flying, I was super-confident. It was a great night.
“"That’s the sixth time we’ve fought so I know him well, from schoolboy right up to senior. I knew he was tough, an awkward southpaw, but I was just that bit sharper to the punch.
“That was the game plan all week - sharp in, sharp out, and it worked.”
And while he stood in the ring with the prize for Most Improved Boxer, McConnell was in no doubt the Ulster title was only the beginning as he eyes up next month’s Irish elites, where Olympic bronze medallist Aidan Walsh tops the billing at light-middle.
“This is only a stepping stone. For where I want to go, this is just a small step.
“Four weeks until the Irish elites and the chance to get on the Olympic team, this is perfect preparation. I’m still building into 71.
“I know everyone’s going to enter, it’s a tough weight but that’s what I want. The Irish elites is the biggest night in Irish amateur boxing. I missed out last year in the Irish and Ulster elites - I’ve won the Ulster elites this year, it’s time to do the double now
“What happened last year lit a fire in my belly something shocking. There were so many times in the months after I was still upset, I wasn’t going to go back, but my daddy kept me in the gym, kept on at me to keep going, and look where it got me.”
