Celtic Warriors Background Battler Steps Into National Elite Spotlight
Daniel Sullivan’s route to the National Elite Championships is unique, to say the least.
The Celtic Warriors Gym fighter has done things back to front to some degree. The Dubliner was a professional coach before he was a fighter, starting out as someone who wanted to learn the trade under the guidance of Pascal Collins and graduating to an Elite level amateur.
Along the way Sullivan sparred the likes of Spike O’Sullivan, Craig O’Brien, Niall O’Connor among others, he has also been a regular second in Celtic Warrior Gym fighter’s corners as well as head coach of the now-retired Lynn Harvey.
The fighter, who reached the semi-final of the last Intermediate installment, now has his sights set on National Elite success.
“I’ve been training in the Celtic Warriors Gym the last four or five years maybe, I’ve had seven amateur fights, the last time I fought was November two years ago and I’ve been just training ever since. I was just waiting on the elites to come up,” Sullivan explained when speaking to Irish-boxing.com before revealing he is fit and ready to go.
“I can’t wait now, they were meant to be in January but they got called off, so I’ve been training ever since then. It was hard but we were very lucky we got back in [the gym] last July, the few months without the gym I didn’t know what to do I was up the walls, but now I’m a lot better now I can train.”
Sullivan jumps straight in at the deep end and takes on 75kg favourite and Paris 2024 prospect Gabriel Dossen in final action on October 2 after Sean Donaghy withdrew.
It’s a big ask for the 26-year-old but he goes into the competition with no fear, O’Sullivan wants to win the blue ribbon tournament and turn over in a blaze of glory.
“I want to turn pro by the start of next year. I turned 26 a few months ago, so I need to start kicking on a bit. Hopefully, I win the Elites and get whatever else comes for the rest of the year then turn pro in the New Year, that’s the dream anyway.”
