Never mind his patter, The Mailman is a true sweet science student
AS the curtain comes down on a spectacular year, Sportsmail meets some of the Scottish sportsmen and women for whom the next 12 months could prove even more memorable. Today, MARTIN GREIG looks at what 2015 might have in store for Commonwealth Games sensation Charlie Flynn
Aportrait of the boxer as a young man. Charlie Flynn has j ust won a bronze medal in t he European Yo ut h Championships in portsmouth. the teenager erupts, thumping his chest like King Kong and screaming ‘ SCOTLAND, SCOTLAND!’
the then national coach Kevin Smith tries to get him to pipe down, but trainer peter Harrison watches on with a beaming smile.
‘i was saying “keep going!”,’ laughs Harrison, who trains Flynn, now 21 and a Commonwealth Games lightweight gold medalist.
Harrison forgot all about that incident and when reporters asked his opinion of Flynn prior to the summer’s Games in Glasgow, he told them that he was a quiet lad, focused, who simply trained hard and went home.
‘ But he changed completely after winning t hat g ol d medal,’ says Harrison. ‘We saw a different side to him, but then i thought back to portsmouth and i realised that it was obviously in his make-up back then.’
Flynn the boxer franked his promise with that memorable gold- medal victory over Northern ireland’s Joe Fitzpatrick, but it was the post-fight interview that delivered on his star potential. one-liners abounded — ‘[the crowd were] like ants up there, man, but ants that sounded like lions’; ‘it was l i ke a thunderstorm, man’; ‘ t hanks t ae ma maw for daein’ ma was hi n’ — there were more garlands for friends and family, for his employers t he royal Mail; then, right at the end, the knockout punch — ‘ t he mailman delivers, once again,’ he bellowed into a camera. the Mailman was born.
Five months later, and Flynn’s profile has gone through the roof. He is regularly hired as a public speaker, opens community f airs and fills j ournalists’ notepads with hi s patter. that he has now turned professional and won his first fight — a four-round points win over ibrar riyaz at Glasgow’s thistle Hotel on December 14 — has only added to the feeling that a new Scottish sporting star has been born.
‘there will be no more mail for the mailman now — he’ll j ust be punching people in the ring,’ said Flynn on turning pro and stepping down from his job in Wishaw’s sorting office. Not many people can refer to themselves in the third person, but there i s as much substance as style to Flynn.
in that unforgettable 3min 17secs interview with amir Khan and John inverdale in the summer, there were keys to his character.
Flynn had spoken to african boxers in the sauna in the Games village who had praised the beauty of Scotland and the country’s National Health Service.
one even asked Flynn if he could come and work with him because ‘ i don’t want to go home’. in his moment of glory, he was moved to reflect on those less fortunate. ‘Most importantly, i’d like to thank God for everything he has given me. When you’re in these Games you notice that other countries don’t have much. You’re just thankful for your health, your wellbeing and the place you are right now.’
Flynn prefers not to discuss his religious f aith but that show of humanity spoke volumes.
the testimony of his manager alex Morrison is also significant. Morrison’s involvement with the sport dates back to the 1950s. He has managed the careers of ricky Burns and Scott Harrison among others but revealed in an interview in December 2013 that he had reservations about the future of Scottish boxing.
Even the high-profile bouts featuring Burns in big arenas, he reflected, may be a thing of the past. ‘ricky’s like a son to me. But my fear is that, when he retires, there will be no one in Scotland to pick up the mantle,’ he said. then, along came Charlie.
Not only i s Flynn a boxer of considerable substance — though Morrison claims he has a clutch of rising stars of similar stature — he is also box-office viewing.
‘it doesn’t matter how good a boxer you are, people won’t necessarily buy tickets, but Charlie appeals to people,’ says Morrison, who expects Flynn to have five or six fights in 2015. ‘ He is spontaneous, has great one-liners and he is likeable. i’ve got another guy who is as good as Charlie. ryan Smith has had three fights and won them all. then there’s Joe Ham. ‘i’ve wasted a lot of time in my life with boxers who drink and don’t look after themselves right. i prefer dealing with people like Charlie. None of my boxers drink.’
Despite all the patter, Flynn is a serious student of the sport. He ‘ obsesses’ over it, endlessly studying DVDs of opponents and, in that famous interview, spends the first 40 seconds discussing how he combated his opponent’s awkward style by being awkward himself. at one point, he even begins to mime some of his manoeuvres.
then came a crossroads. Would he stay amateur and aim for rio in 2016? or would he turn pro? on November 18 he announced his ascension to the professional ranks. ‘ He’s 21 now and that is the right age to turn pro,’ insists Harrison. ‘if you wait any longer than that then you’re wasting time.’
‘the great thing with Charlie is that you can discuss boxing with him. With successful boxers, it’s not a case of you telling them what to do. it’s a dialogue, and that’s the way it was with my son Scott, with Willie Limond and with paul Weir. if you want to reach the top, then it has to be a two-way dialogue.’
in the conversation stakes, Flynn is a worthy adversary for anyone.