I hid coins in shorts to fool scales
PAGES OF FANTASTIC TERRY ADMITS ‘CHEATING’ AS A KID... NOW HE FILLS HIS BOOTS Bullion’s common touch START HERE
Interview by CHRIS McKENNA
TERRY FLANAGAN is coining it in now after delivering an emphatic KO to those who thought he was too small to hit the big time.
Flanagan is odds-on favourite to make a successful fifth defence of his WBO lightweight title against Petr Petrov at the Manchester Arena tonight.
Trouble
His ring success is a clear victory for the persistence of Flanagan, who had to hide coins under his shorts as a schoolboy to make him heavier.
The unbeaten Mancunian said: “I was the smallest kid in my school – and that even included the girls. It was a big problem.
“When I started boxing I always had trouble making the minimum weight in championships of around Top tip: BIG PLANS: Terry Flanagan with belt and Petrov 4st 7lbs, so I would put a pile of twopenny coins in my groin guard to cheat the scales.”
Many of his bigger school pals thought he was fighting a lost cause and stopped calling for him on the way to the gym.
Flanagan added: “I knew I wasn’t strong enough so I had to use my skills to make up for it. That accounts for why my footwork is so good.
“I developed a good boxing brain early on because I always had to box bigger kids. I never really matured until I was 18.
“When I eventually turned professional I probably looked about 12. I am where I am today because I’ve had those fights and been testing myself from an early age.”
Flanagan has an unblemished record in the paid ranks with 32 straight wins and 13 knockouts to his credit.
He became the first Englishman to win a world lightweight title when he claimed the vacant belt with a win over Jose Zepeda in July 2015.
Knocking
The 27-year-old is now hoping that a win over Russian Petrov, 34 – who has lost just four out of 44 bouts – will lead to big-money unification fights.
So far they haven’t materialised with Flanagan saying: “I thought once I had the world title, people would be knocking at the door – but that hasn’t happened.
“My better nights are still to come. Petrov is a great fighter and it is going to be a tough one for me. But I am ready for anything.”