Eric Donovan evokes John Duddy about boxing: “You’re the first to get hit and the last to get paid”

Eric Donovan joined Saturday’s Off the Ball to discuss his big fight at the National Stadium next weekend.

The Kildare man is a former Irish amateur who won a bronze medal at the 2010 European Championships and is a five time national champion.

Speaking to Ger Gilroy about the difficulties in the paid ranks, he said: “The tickets is the worst part. I really don’t like that part. Thankfully for me I started with probably 100/100+ fan-base and it’s growing every time. But, of course, I don’t have a big TV promoter Eddie Hearn or Frank Warren behind me. My manager is Leonard Gunning and he’s only a small time promoter that’s trying his best to kind of build professional boxing in this country.

“But, when they put on a show – it’s a huge operation. You’re talking about the fee for the BUI which is the Boxing Union of Ireland, the renting the hall or the stadium you’re going to rent out and because it’s a big show, you’ve got ring girls, you’ve got time-keepers, you have to bring in opponents, you have to pay for their flights, you have to put them up in hotels, you have to pay for dinner/food etc.

“So, there are so many overheads and obviously Leonard, being manager and promoter – he hasn’t got that kind of financial resources available…so each boxer is allocated a certain amount of tickets to sell to contribute to the whole show.

“I think John Duddy hit the nail on the head when he said ‘you’re the first to get hit and the last to get paid'”, he added.

Ireland’s Eric Donovan in action against Qiang Lio of China in 2011. Image: ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan

Talking about his decision to leave the amateur game, Donovan said: “Ryan Burnett gave me great feedback as well because he’s a World Champion and I’ve been sparring with him. He’s sparred a lot of featherweights around my weight – good, good lads. Lads who are European champions, lads who are boxing for world titles and he said ‘Eric, you’re up there with them…you are really up there with them. Just a bit more experience, keep working and keep doing what you’re doing’. But he was genuine when he said that and you need that reinforcement.

“So I really believe I have a lot of intelligence in the ring, a lot of speed, a lot of desire and heart but it’s just about getting the right opponents, getting them at the right time and having your manager kind of direct your career along at a good pace. And, if you can get anyone and any given day for a title, for the European title – you could really achieve it.

“I’ve really looked into this and as a pro…I can probably go into six/seven weeks training camp before each fight and maybe have four fights a year – that could work for me and it just made a lot of sense. Where, as an amateur, I’ve got to be up in Dublin, on no funding and trying to wrestle my way back into the number one spot – it just, I felt like I hadn’t got that drive inside me anymore.

“I wasn’t done with boxing, I needed something else, a new challenge, something to spur me on.”

You can buy tickets for Eric’s fight by contacting him directly on 085-1352235 or at call into the Healthy Living shop in Athy ahead of his bout at the National Boxing Stadium next weekend.