Sam Eggington 'irritated' by retirement talk as star insists he's going nowhere
Sam Eggington is irritated. There is a feeling he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
Talk to his trainer John Pegg and the discussion becomes more animated.
Eggington, who returns to the ring this week to contest the European super-welterweight title against former pedigree amateur Abbas Baraou, may have a point.
Twice involved in tear-ups that have won ‘fight of the year,’ a string of titles ranging from IBO light middleweight to Commonwealth, British and European - the 30-year-old has packed plenty into his pro career.
He dismantled renowned big-hitter Joe Pigford in his last bout and, when the subject of his longevity is raised, it provokes a reaction.
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He said: “I think people look at how many fights I’ve had, how long I’ve been here and think I’m just here for a laugh. I’ve proved with the Pigford fight I’m here to box, win and look good. I'm no gimmick.
“People say: ‘You’ve been here ten years now…’ Why does that matter? Why does it even come up? The fact is, I won my last fight. I’ve won my last two or three… okay, so I lost an IBO world title fight on the other side of the world.
“It doesn’t matter how many fights I’ve had or how long I’ve been here. Mention what I’m doing now. Don’t irritate me by asking when I’m going to stop.
“John told me that someone said to him the other day: ‘He won’t be boxing much longer, going at it like that.’ What are they on about? I’ve been here ten, 11 years already. I’m 30 years old. At some stage, they’ll be right.
“But they aren’t now. I love what I do. And I’m going to go on proving it.”
Pegg, who operates out of the Eastside gym in the shadow of St Andrew’s, is Eggington’s counsel for the defence. He said: “No way does Sam get the credit he deserves. No way.
“Find me a boxer from Birmingham who is better decorated than him. Find me one.
Eggington came off second best against Dennis Hogan in Australia (Getty Images)“I’m not saying he’s the best boxer that’s ever come out of the city but you find me one who has won the Sports’ Writers’ Young Boxer, try and find one who has won two fights of the year, gone from area level up to world level.
“In a world where people genuinely want 50-50 fights, here is someone. He’s got losses - you’re going to have losses if you take 50-50 fights.
“He’s beaten more unbeaten fighters than any British boxer in the past 20 years - eight. Ricky Hatton beat three, Amir Khan two. Tyson Fury has beaten eight. People don’t want to take on the unknown because there’s a risk involved.
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“Sam Eggington is a risk to other fighters. He loves fighting.”
Standing in his way is German amateur Abbas Baraou who was a European champion as an amateur. “He’s a decent amateur,” said Eggington, “I don’t know what he’s going to bring. Whatever he does, it won’t be anything I’ve not seen before.
“I’ve got a plan A. If they’ve got a plan B or C to work around me, fair enough. I’ve got a plan A. That’s what he’s getting.”
The final word has to go to Pegg, however.
“Every boxing fan loves Rocky,” he said, “when you find someone who follows those ideals in real life, gets beat, doesn’t give up, keeps going forward, wins more than a few, has a loss, keeps coming back for more, they say: ‘This is boring,’ and they turn off.
“You want to see it in a fiction film but not in real life? Come on. Sam Eggington doesn’t do back-flips when he wins. He won’t do fake. He won’t dye his hair. He just does fights of the year.”
* Sam Eggington takes on Abbas Baraou for the vacant European Super-Welterweight title this Friday, March 1, live on Channel 5.
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