Danny Costello: I took heroin all through my career
Posted: 14 Mar 2004, 13:44
DANNY COSTELLO stopped thinking about Mother's Day 17 years ago but next Sunday will be the most important day of his life.
It is the day when he will find out if his past life has put an end to his boxing future.
Costello was one of British boxing's top amateurs 10 years ago but now his professional career is on hold. Next Sunday Danny must convince members of the British Boxing Board of Control he is deserving of a boxing licence and one final chance to realise his dream.
He said: "If the board refuse my licence I will have nowhere to go. Boxing has been my life for 15 years and getting in the ring has saved my life several times."
When Costello was just 11 his mother Mary died and from that point until just four years ago, he lived a truly wild and reckless life.
He added: "By the time I was 14, I was boxing at night and using heroin by the day. I was surrounded by drug users but as the years went by I kept winning amateur titles.
"All my friends in south London at the time were using hard drugs and most of them are now dead. I know if I had not been in the gym I would be in the ground with most of them."
The brilliant little flyweight won two ABA titles in 1994 and '95, a bronze medal at the European juniors in 1993 and a bronze medal the following year at the Commonwealth Games in Canada. His future in the pro ranks looked bright but few people knew about his secret life away from boxing surrounded by junkies and criminals.
When it was time to turn pro in 1996, Costello finally did something sensible and left south London and moved to Liverpool to be close to his manager John Hyland.
He revealed: "In London I only had my uncle Kenny and auntie Margaret to try to help me and in Liverpool I had John's full support. It was going okay for a time but I was being treated too well and I started to abuse the people who cared for me again.
"I never knew how to handle anything nice and before long I was at the WMCA and surrounded by people that knew all about drugs and street life. I went from one hell to another but John stood by me and in 2000 I finally turned the corner and met Nicola. Now I have two beautiful children and I have been clean since 2000."
As a pro, Costello had lost one in six fights but it took him nearly eight years to compile his record.
He was due to return to the ring last year but the local boxing board refused him a licence because of his past life. The news devastated Costello, which is why the boxer and Hyland will go before the Board next week and try to get a licence so the fallen fighter can finally show just how good he is.
Costello said: "I've never trained like I've been training the last two years and I know I can get a serious title in a very short period of time if I'm only given the chance.
"I want to prove I'm a good father. I want to fight for my two kids because I know I can still win a title and give them all the happiness I never had."
By Steve Royce
It is the day when he will find out if his past life has put an end to his boxing future.
Costello was one of British boxing's top amateurs 10 years ago but now his professional career is on hold. Next Sunday Danny must convince members of the British Boxing Board of Control he is deserving of a boxing licence and one final chance to realise his dream.
He said: "If the board refuse my licence I will have nowhere to go. Boxing has been my life for 15 years and getting in the ring has saved my life several times."
When Costello was just 11 his mother Mary died and from that point until just four years ago, he lived a truly wild and reckless life.
He added: "By the time I was 14, I was boxing at night and using heroin by the day. I was surrounded by drug users but as the years went by I kept winning amateur titles.
"All my friends in south London at the time were using hard drugs and most of them are now dead. I know if I had not been in the gym I would be in the ground with most of them."
The brilliant little flyweight won two ABA titles in 1994 and '95, a bronze medal at the European juniors in 1993 and a bronze medal the following year at the Commonwealth Games in Canada. His future in the pro ranks looked bright but few people knew about his secret life away from boxing surrounded by junkies and criminals.
When it was time to turn pro in 1996, Costello finally did something sensible and left south London and moved to Liverpool to be close to his manager John Hyland.
He revealed: "In London I only had my uncle Kenny and auntie Margaret to try to help me and in Liverpool I had John's full support. It was going okay for a time but I was being treated too well and I started to abuse the people who cared for me again.
"I never knew how to handle anything nice and before long I was at the WMCA and surrounded by people that knew all about drugs and street life. I went from one hell to another but John stood by me and in 2000 I finally turned the corner and met Nicola. Now I have two beautiful children and I have been clean since 2000."
As a pro, Costello had lost one in six fights but it took him nearly eight years to compile his record.
He was due to return to the ring last year but the local boxing board refused him a licence because of his past life. The news devastated Costello, which is why the boxer and Hyland will go before the Board next week and try to get a licence so the fallen fighter can finally show just how good he is.
Costello said: "I've never trained like I've been training the last two years and I know I can get a serious title in a very short period of time if I'm only given the chance.
"I want to prove I'm a good father. I want to fight for my two kids because I know I can still win a title and give them all the happiness I never had."
By Steve Royce
