Mailman Flynn aims to deliver post-injury
BOXING By Jim Black
IT takes an awful lot to wipe the smile off Charlie Flynn’s face but the Commonwealth Games ring star has struggled to find many positives over the past 12 months.
The former post office employee has had to endure a morale-sapping catalogue of injuries that have tested the resolve of the normally bubbly 23-year-old Lanarkshire lightweight dubbed “The Mailman” when he delivered gold at Glasgow 2014.
Consequently, Flynn, whose popularity was greatly enhanced through a series of memorable quips, has been keen to avoid having a microphone shoved in his face of late.
Who can blame him? He has not fought since May after appearing to become jinxed.
“It started with tendon damage to my right hand that resulted in me having to undergo surgery,” he revealed. I actually suffered the injury in my second pro fight in April 2015 but boxed on for another six until it got to the stage where I couldn’t throw a punch.
“Following the operation I was out for a long time and when I returned to training my body obviously wasn’t the same as it had been when I was fighting and I pushed too hard then picked up other injuries.
“I fractured my ribs sparring and later also fractured my foot. Then when I was ready to fight at Christmas I got a shot on my lip sparring, and, despite the head guard, which is supposed to prevent that happening, I needed stitches.
“The blood was pouring out and I couldn’t fight again until the stitches healed in case I got caught again as the injury would have reopened.
“I had a total of five injuries in one year and it was crazy. It was also torture mentally when you are used to training and fighting and everything is up in the air. That was probably my toughest experience, coming through all that.”
But Flynn can at last see light at the end of the tunnel as he prepares for his comeback next month on the undercard of Ricky Burns’ world title unification bout against Namibian Julius Indongo at the SSE Hydro Arena. He will face fellow Scot Ryan Collins for the Celtic lightweight crown in his first championship contest looking to preserve his perfect record.
He said: “What has happened has made me hungry for the sport and I’m dying to put on a show so everyone can see what I’ve got.”
Flynn is also eagerly anticipating a return to the venue where he became a golden boy three years ago.
He added: “I love the Hydro. It’s amazing because of the shape of the place all the volume goes into the middle of the ring and creates an incredible atmosphere.
“When I won my Commonwealth gold it was silent until I landed a shot and then you could hear the noise suddenly rising up like a mad thunder storm.
“The place shook and then it was all quiet again until I landed my next shot and then the same thing happened again. You can feel the energy coming off the crowd.”