FORGET COTTO!
‘This weekend is all about me!’ Broadhurst tells Matt Bozeat
DON BROADHURST insists there are two legends having their last fight this weekend.
There’s Miguel Cotto – and Broadhurst himself!
“He copied me!” said the 33 year old from Birmingham ahead of his fight at the Holte Suite at Villa Park on Saturday night (December 2).
“Cotto thought: ‘If ‘The Don’ is quitting, I might as well quit myself!
“There are two legends having their last hurrah on Saturday!”
That’s the way Broadhurst is – a glassis-half-full type who usually has a bounce in his step – and he looks back on his pro career with a smile, though there were regrets.
Broadhurst turned over in 2006 after striking Commonwealth Games gold convinced he would win world honours.
He saw amateur contemporaries Amir Khan, Stephen Smith and Frankie Gavin fight at the highest level – he was roommates and good friends with Khan – but the highlight of his career was a 14-month spell as Commonwealth superflyweight champion in 2008-2009.
“It’s been good fun and I’m content with what I achieved even though I don’t feel I fulfilled my potential,” said Broadhurst, beaten in 10 rounds when challenging Josh Wale for the British bantamweight title in September.
“I was a pressure fighter, I was suited to the pros, but you can’t do anything about circumstances.
“I lost a few years in my prime when I lost my mum and I had injuries and fights fell through.
“Even now, I don’t really feel as though I’m past my best.
“I feel as though I still have ability and at the right weight, I could win things. But it’s hard for me to give boxing the commitment you have to. The rewards aren’t there at the moment and neither is the motivation.
“I look at people sometimes and think: ‘ That should have been me,’ but if you think like that, you won’t get anywhere.
“I’m gutted, but I’m happy at the same time.
“Boxing has given me a good life and made me a better person.
“For a lad from Erdington who was expected to end up in jail, I’ve done OK. Growing up, I had family members in jail and there aren’t too many routes out of a place like Erdington.
“Boxing took me around the world and I’ve made some good friends.
“I don’t know how I’m going to feel after my last fight. I’m quite an emotional person, so I might start crying!”
Broadhurst intends to stay in the sport as a coach. After Christmas, he intends to start working towards gaining his amateur coaching badges.
“Boxing is in my blood,” he said, “and I’ve got so much knowledge to pass on. The aim is to one day be a Great Britain coach. I have loads of knowledge to pass on. I know what it’s like to win, what it’s like to lose, how hard it is to diet and make weight.”