Collins Jr faces a frustrating year out of the ring

FORTUNE failed to favour Steve Collins Jr’s bravery as his decision to fight through the pain barrier has left him out of the ring for a year.

The novice pro and son of Irish boxing legend Steve Collins suffered a shoulder injury in January, but elected to try and extend his unbeaten run to four pro fights against Tommy Gifford in the Copper Box in February.

The 24 year old Cruiserweight aggravated the injury further during that fight, but did enough to secure a draw despite fighting two rounds with just one arm.

However, while he managed damage limitation under difficult circumstances in the ring such was the injury the All Ireland League winning rugby champion  has lost 12 months of his fledgling career.

Collins told Irish-boxing.com he will be out untill early 2015, but has vowed to return.

“I tore my shoulder completely off the bone in my last fight. I went into the fight with the injury. I actually injured it in January. I hid the extent of the injury I thought I could get through it and I thought I would be ok, but I ended up tearing the whole thing completely off the bone in the fight.”

“I have had surgery now and it will early next year before I am out again. It is the same injury as David Haye had so it is worse than a break so it will take a while to recover.

“I can’t even jog I have dropped about a stone because I can’t train all I can do is walk. I definitely will be back fighting, but I just face a long and frustrating recovery.”