Why Coyle nearly pulled out of fight

FROM a young age growing up as a fan of the Rocky films and throughout his professional career to date, fighting in America has long been a dream for Tommy Coyle.

That dream was finally realised last weekend when the Hull super-lightweight met Ryan Kielczweski at the TD Garden in Boston, with Coyle returning home with a resounding points victory.

Now Coyle has revealed his training camp was actually a nightmare and he came close to withdrawing just four weeks before fight night having suffered with a back and hip problem.

“I had the worst training camp I’ve ever had in my life. I changed strength and conditioning coaches and I pulled my back ten weeks out from the fight. So I didn’t actually complete one strength training session for that fight,” explained Coyle.

“Four or five weeks from the fight, I rang Eddie Hearn and said if I have to pull out of this fight am I going to get my opportunity again? I was missing so much training; I didn’t think it was going to go well at all.”

Due to injury Coyle had to take a couple of weeks out of training but then having made the decision he should continue at only three days before the fight injury was to strike again.

“Three days before the fight my hip went. Because I had been putting a lot of pressure on my left side because of the back issue I had on my right side, my hip flexor went.”

Coyle believes an interview by Anthony Joshua after his fight with Alexander Povetkin was the inspiration that made him persevere, adding: “He said that he had the worst training camp ahead of the fight with Povetkin.

“He said that it is your job to be a professional and there is no such thing as perfect. So I persevered and I knew when I was in the ring I’d find a way to win because it was such a big opportunity for me and I am so glad that I didn’t pull out.”

While Coyle conquered his hip problem to record a convincing points win, he did it having suffered a broken hand in the fifth round. The break across the knuckle of his left hand is now expected to keep Coyle out of action until Christmas, with a return to training scheduled for late December as he gears up for what could be the penultimate fight of his career in February.