After turning professional, Paddy Barnes aims to make this chapter of his sporting career his most memorable.
The 29-year-old’s professional debut will be a hometown affair in Belfast later this month.
Barnes made the switch to the pro-leagues by signing with Matthew Macklin’s MGM Marbella following a disappointing showing at the Rio Games.
After claiming bronze medals in Beijing and London, Barnes was sent crashing out of Rio at the first hurdle after losing a split decision to Spanish boxer Samuel Heredia Carmona in the round of 16.
In an in-depth interview Fearghal O’Connor in Sunday’s Business Post, Barens admitted that his performance in the Games is not something that he will get over any time soon, but he felt that turning professional was the perfect way to progress.
“It’s not that I’m over the Olympics. I’m devastated. It’s something that will always be with me. But I just need to get on with life.”
“In sport, I am ruthless. If I believe in something and I really want to do it, I will do it, regardless of what happens and what the consequences are. I think every boxer and every athlete should not care about anybody else but themselves.”
"Where's the facts and proof of it?" https://t.co/pjXEDtXteW
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With world champions past and present, such as Liam Smith and Billy Joe Saunders, training out of his new gym, Barnes has made his ambitions for the pro-leagues clear – he wants to bring more belts back to MGM and to Ireland.
“I could have five or six years easily as a pro. My aim is to win a world title at flyweight, a world title at super flyweight and a world title at bantamweight. I want to be a three-weight champion.”
“Hopefully I can do it in three or four years. I’m not going into professional boxing for the fun of it, you know. I’m in there to make as much money as I can and to bring pro titles back to Ireland.”
The full interview can be found in the Sunday Business Post.
