Last year, after seven years as a professional fighter, 26-year-old Flanagan became the first Englishman to win a world lightweight title and defended it once in a stellar year for British boxing. Yet Flanagan, who shuns the limelight, has rarely had the plaudits he fully deserves.
“Sometimes in boxing, if your face don’t fit, you can’t do much about it,” the quiet man who trains in a unit of an industrial estate close to where he grew up in poverty tells The Sunday Telegraph: “I’m the first ever English lightweight world champion, and I sometimes think they’d make a big deal of it if it was someone else. But because I’m not the best talker and I’m chilled and I don’t call people out, there is less noise around me.”
But there could be huge night ahead as British boxing surfs a resurgent wave. His crown, the World Boxing Organisation lightweight title, is on the line against Derry Mathews in Liverpool next weekend, and if he should come through it, a potential fight to set the pulse racing could be a world title unification against Anthony Crolla, who holds the World Boxing Association lightweight crown.
It would be provide a mouth-watering Manchester derby for several reasons: Flanagan and Crolla were in the same class in school, both grew up in Ancoats, and while unbeaten Flanagan supports the light blue of Manchester, Crolla is a United man through and through. It would divide the city, but could unite Mancunian support for one great fight night.
Flanagan, a smart southpaw, knows he has a tough night ahead against gritty Liverpudlian Mathews, away from home. The 32-year-old, who is stepping into the ring for his 50th contest, has said he will take Flanagan into the trenches.
“I’ve never overlooked an opponent. Derry Mathews has been there and done it. He’s seen everything in the game. He’s had his back to the wall,” explains Flanagan.
“I’d be stupid to think it’s an easy fight. I know it’s not going to be. There will lots of nerves, lots of adrenaline. He’s game, it’s a world-title fight, it’s his 50th fight and it’s his last chance. He’s going to come and give it his all. I’ve got to be on my game and make sure I’m at my best.”
But the spoils from victory could be enormous with a Crolla match-up in the future. “It’s great that we’re both from the same area and went to the same school and are world champions. But I can’t look past Derry. I won’t really think about that until after this fight but I’d like to think it could happen down the line. It’s not up to me. I think I want the fight more than Anthony wants the fight.”
Flanagan reckons he could put friendship aside for one night, one training camp, and what would be a riotously intense build-up. “It’s nothing personal, it’s just business. We could both earn a lot of money off it. You saw how big Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton was. Me and Anthony could be even bigger.”
Crolla, of course, sprang to prominence last year after his heroic efforts apprehending burglars at a neighbour’s home, an incident which left him with a fractured skull and broken ankle. Crolla’s rise again from the life-threatening assault to win a world title at the second attempt last year made him one of the sporting stories of 2015.
Before any of that might happen, though – and Flanagan and Crolla have rival promoters in Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn – Flanagan must deal with Mathews, who promised this week that they would be going “toe-to-toe in a proper dust-up, with no dancing around avoiding each other”.
“I’ve never overlooked an opponent. Derry Mathews has been there and done it. He’s seen everything in the game. He’s had his back to the wall,” explains Flanagan.
“I’d be stupid to think it’s an easy fight. I know it’s not going to be. There will lots of nerves, lots of adrenaline. He’s game, it’s a world-title fight, it’s his 50th fight and it’s his last chance. He’s going to come and give it his all. I’ve got to be on my game and make sure I’m at my best.”
But the spoils from victory could be enormous with a Crolla match-up in the future. “It’s great that we’re both from the same area and went to the same school and are world champions. But I can’t look past Derry. I won’t really think about that until after this fight but I’d like to think it could happen down the line. It’s not up to me. I think I want the fight more than Anthony wants the fight.”
Flanagan reckons he could put friendship aside for one night, one training camp, and what would be a riotously intense build-up. “It’s nothing personal, it’s just business. We could both earn a lot of money off it. You saw how big Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton was. Me and Anthony could be even bigger.”
Crolla, of course, sprang to prominence last year after his heroic efforts apprehending burglars at a neighbour’s home, an incident which left him with a fractured skull and broken ankle. Crolla’s rise again from the life-threatening assault to win a world title at the second attempt last year made him one of the sporting stories of 2015.
Before any of that might happen, though – and Flanagan and Crolla have rival promoters in Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn – Flanagan must deal with Mathews, who promised this week that they would be going “toe-to-toe in a proper dust-up, with no dancing around avoiding each other”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/12184819/WBO-lightweight-champion-Terry-Flanagan-rises-from-the-streets-to-the-hospitality-suites.html
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