JORDAN Flynn does not need to look far for inspiration as he works towards his ultimate goal.
The Cowley boxer contests his sixth professional fight against Jahfieus Faure, from the West Midlands, at York Hall tomorrow night.
Flynn has already won two bouts this year and is rapidly building experience as he looks to progress in the sport.
The 26-year-old’s motivation has been fuelled by the success of Joe Cordina, who beat Kenichi Ogawa last month to claim the IBF super-featherweight title.
Flynn trains at the same Essex gym as the Welshman and wants to emulate his friend’s achievements.
“I want to become a world champion,” he said.
“To have someone in the gym, one of your mates, becoming a world champion just shows it’s realistic.
“It makes you want to achieve it yourself.
“I want to finish this year with another two or three fights and start working up to getting my first world title.”
Victory in the capital would take Flynn’s professional record to 6-0 and he is working hard to make his dreams reality.
The Oxford fighter has been sparring eight rounds of four minutes each in the gym, separated by breaks of just 30 seconds.
He said: “I feel more experienced and prepared for each fight.
“I got the stoppage last time out (against Constantin Radoi) and I want to keep making statements.
“I’ve been working so hard in the gym, every single day I’m giving 110 per cent.”
It is also a big weekend for fellow Oxford boxer Ciaran Flanagan, who has waited more than six years to make his professional debut after his original attempt was stifled by a hand injury as a teenager.
He faces Luke Pollard in his maiden bout at featherweight, which will be contested over four rounds at York Hall tonight.
The prospect originally registered as a professional aged 18, but was forced to pull out four weeks before with a hand injury.
In the following years the now 24-year-old was plagued with a reoccurance of the problem, but he slowly became reintroduced to combat sports.
Flanagan signed with boxing promoter and manager Mark Neilson in 2021 and was set to make his debut earlier this year, only for the British Boxing Board of Control to curtail his plans after reviewing his scans.
However, after providing a neurological report, the board are now happy for the 24-year-old to make his debut and he is ready to go at the second time of asking.
“It’s been so hard and so tough because of the last two delays due to my medical issues,” Flanagan said.
“Staying focused has been difficult but we’ve stayed in camp so I’ve had a 15-week camp for this fight, I only had one four-day weekend off.
“When I was told I’d be boxing at York Hall I said it was a dream come true. York Hall is the home of British boxing, so there isn’t much I could really ask for.”
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