FEARLESS FLYNN EYES PROS

CHARLIE FLYNN’S world has changed forever after winning lightweight gold at the Commonwealth Games, but the Scot has hinted it could be his final appearance as an amateur unless Great Britain’s boxing bosses offer him a compelling reason not to cash in and turn professional. The 20-year-old from Motherwell, with as many knockout punchlines as punches, admits there may be nothing left to chase in the amateur ring following his brilliant victory at Glasgow 2014 that has had the vultures of the paid game circling. So far, there’s been no call from the men in charge of the British Olympic programme begging him to join the fight for medals at Rio 2016. Even if they come calling, it still might not be enough to tempt him to sign up. ‘What would happen?’ Flynn (right) said. ‘I’d go in at the development squad, at the very bottom of the rankings, picking up £100 a week. That’s not going to do me much good. ‘Everything will be clearer when the dust settles and we can get down to setting targets and overcoming them.’ There’s a few parties to go to first, including last night’s Team Scotland parade in Glasgow that brought down the final curtain on a Games to remember. There will be more autographs to sign and pats on the back from the locals in Lanarkshire who, just three weeks ago, didn’t even know his name. ‘Before, I was just a wee guy running about in a trackie,’ Flynn laughed. ‘I was just out doing the roadwork and hitting the bags with people going: “there’s that wee nutter”. Now they see it all paying off and everybody’s loving it. I’m in for two hours every morning and folk are wondering if I’ve got any sense. Now they realise there was a gameplan and a target.’ He’s still taking it all in — what Glasgow meant to the public, to friends and family, and to himself. The realisation that he didn’t just claim a title, but that he also made history. ‘The last person to get a gold at lightweight was Dick McTaggart. He’s the one who presented me with the medal. That was unbelievable because he’s my hero.’