LIAM Hanrahan has been foiled in his bid to get back to winning ways before the year ends.
‘The Macc Lad’ saw his perfect pro’s record go when he was caught by Krzysztof Rogowski at the Manchester Arena in September.
And he was out to make amends with a return to the ring, scheduled at the end of November at Bowler’s in Trafford.
But an elbow injury means he’ll have to bide his time. And he’s philosophical about his enforced lay-off, as he’s taking advice from someone who knows best.
“My trainer Scott Lawton said there’s no way he was letting me jump into the fight if I wasn’t 100 per cent,” said the former MBBC amateur star.
“Things hadn’t been quite right in the gym for a while, I think it’s a bit of wear and tear catching up with me.
“I’m happy I’ve got good people like Scott around me, he knows that there was nothing to gain by fighting when I couldn’t be at my best and risking a second defeat. He’s got my best interests at heart and I’m grateful for that.
“Unfortunately for him Scott’s familiar with injuries – in his career he lost some fights he shouldn’t have done by fighting with injuries – so he knows it’s one of those unfortunate things, and it’s frustrating but I’ll come back from it.
“I did my hand last year and when I took my time to come back I knocked out three people in a row.”
That maiden loss still rankles with Hanrahan but, as he only turns 25 next month, he knows time is on his side to make up for it.
“I wouldn’t say I was complacent, I never have been because you can’t afford to be in boxing,” he added.
“I’ve never looked past my next fight and everyone you box can be as dangerous as the next man, it doesn’t matter where they’re ranked.
“I didn’t even see that punch that got me against Rogowski, I felt it but pain’s temporary, it hurt me more emotionally!
“I know I didn’t fight to the standard I set for myself but I’ve been working with Scott to correct what went wrong. We’ll learn from that night and move on, hopefully I should be good as new and back in action in March.”
