Fagan raring to go despite 'bizarre' Khan accident
Posted: 22 May 2009, 08:28
Oisin Fagan makes his comeback tomorrow night. Any thoughts on how far he can go? Personally I would love to see him compete in the next lightweight version of Prizefighter and use that as a stepping stone. He has mixed at a high level (lost a split decision to Paul Spadafora) in the past and should still be fresh, athough it will be difficult to shake off being known as the guy Khan blew out in a couple of rounds, despite the leg break.
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http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-s ... 46448.html
IT takes more than a crushing defeat in just over four minutes, during which he broke an ankle, to discourage Dubliner Oisin Fagan.
Against Bolton's Amir Khan at the ExCel Arena in London in December, the gritty Portmarnock lightweight was knocked to the canvas twice in the first round and looked like going down again in the second before his corner threw in the towel, just as the referee intervened.
Fagan complained to his corner that he had experienced great pain in his left leg, and an X-ray showed a bad break just above the ankle, which would keep him out of the gym for several months.
But, happily, his rehab is now complete and he bounces back to action at the Events Centre in Castlebar on Saturday, ready to resume his six-year career. His aim is to hopefully fight his way to a shot at the European title and later a world belt, though at 35, time is rapidly running out.
Fagan meets an opponent not yet named on an attractive seven-fight card jointly promoted by former two-time European bronze medallist Phil Sutcliffe and Cork businessman Don O'Leary. It includes three other Dubliners -- Irish superfeatherweight champion Eddie Hyland, cruiserweight Ian Tims and middleweight Anthony Fitzgerald.
"It was a bizarre accident," said Fagan, a former Irish lightwelterweight champion. "The fight had gone according to plan in the opening minutes of the first round before Khan clipped me with a sharp right, a good punch which caught me off balance and dropped me. When I tried to regain my footing, I felt my ankle double-up beneath me. I heard a crack straight away, but I got back up anyhow, because I was determined to show everyone what I was made of.
"However, anytime Khan would move, I would have to re-plant my foot and it would buckle underneath me, even without being punched, so I was falling around like Bambi until my corner threw in the towel.
"When I had the X-ray, it was discovered I had sustained a spiral fracture in the fibula. It was a bizarre accident, but naturally I hated to lose. That's what I'm best known for -- never giving up because I've come up the hard way in this sport.
"It seemed like like I'd been outclassed but that wasn't the case."
With 22 wins in 28 fights, 13 either by count-outs or stoppages, Fagan has been in with some of the world's best. Besides Khan, who challenges for the world lightwelterweight title on June 27, he has fought Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Paul Spadafora and Verquan Kimbrough, losing the three on split decisions.
And he's ready for more. "Most boxing fans thought I was done after the Khan fight, but I'm not going out like that. I have had a whole five months of frustration to unleash on my opponent in Castlebar, and I won't let anybody down. That's a promise."
On the amateur scene, the finals of the National Youth Championships are scheduled for the National Stadium in Dublin tomorrow night.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-s ... 46448.html
IT takes more than a crushing defeat in just over four minutes, during which he broke an ankle, to discourage Dubliner Oisin Fagan.
Against Bolton's Amir Khan at the ExCel Arena in London in December, the gritty Portmarnock lightweight was knocked to the canvas twice in the first round and looked like going down again in the second before his corner threw in the towel, just as the referee intervened.
Fagan complained to his corner that he had experienced great pain in his left leg, and an X-ray showed a bad break just above the ankle, which would keep him out of the gym for several months.
But, happily, his rehab is now complete and he bounces back to action at the Events Centre in Castlebar on Saturday, ready to resume his six-year career. His aim is to hopefully fight his way to a shot at the European title and later a world belt, though at 35, time is rapidly running out.
Fagan meets an opponent not yet named on an attractive seven-fight card jointly promoted by former two-time European bronze medallist Phil Sutcliffe and Cork businessman Don O'Leary. It includes three other Dubliners -- Irish superfeatherweight champion Eddie Hyland, cruiserweight Ian Tims and middleweight Anthony Fitzgerald.
"It was a bizarre accident," said Fagan, a former Irish lightwelterweight champion. "The fight had gone according to plan in the opening minutes of the first round before Khan clipped me with a sharp right, a good punch which caught me off balance and dropped me. When I tried to regain my footing, I felt my ankle double-up beneath me. I heard a crack straight away, but I got back up anyhow, because I was determined to show everyone what I was made of.
"However, anytime Khan would move, I would have to re-plant my foot and it would buckle underneath me, even without being punched, so I was falling around like Bambi until my corner threw in the towel.
"When I had the X-ray, it was discovered I had sustained a spiral fracture in the fibula. It was a bizarre accident, but naturally I hated to lose. That's what I'm best known for -- never giving up because I've come up the hard way in this sport.
"It seemed like like I'd been outclassed but that wasn't the case."
With 22 wins in 28 fights, 13 either by count-outs or stoppages, Fagan has been in with some of the world's best. Besides Khan, who challenges for the world lightwelterweight title on June 27, he has fought Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Paul Spadafora and Verquan Kimbrough, losing the three on split decisions.
And he's ready for more. "Most boxing fans thought I was done after the Khan fight, but I'm not going out like that. I have had a whole five months of frustration to unleash on my opponent in Castlebar, and I won't let anybody down. That's a promise."
On the amateur scene, the finals of the National Youth Championships are scheduled for the National Stadium in Dublin tomorrow night.