Emmet Brennan targets bigger nights in the Big Apple after biting down on faulty gum shield
Emmet Brennan knew he’d have to bite down on his gum shield to get past an early test in New York last weekend – what he didn’t know was the mouthpiece would be so hard to bite down on!
The Dubliner registered a third career win in Times Square last Thursday and did so by navigating a tricky step up to beat Devaun Lee, although it wasn’t just an experienced opponent that caused him some problems.
Throughout the fight, it was apparent Olympian was having issues keeping his mouth guard in – and speaking after he revealed he had gone to the venue without his custom-made gum shield.
“I lost my mouthpiece. I only got a new one at 5pm – I had to make a trip to downtown Manhattan to get one. Obviously, it wasn’t great,” he explained.
It was an extra and unnecessary stress but a learning experience just like the fight itself.
Veteran Lee came to fight and was armed with the tools to ask questions of Brennan, who, despite his amateur experience and BUI Celtic title win, went into the fight as a two-fight amateur novice.
The Queens native, who was part of the Contender TV show and shared the ring with the likes of Shane Mosley Jr, pushed the Irish prospect over eight entertaining rounds, giving the Dublin Docklands graduate exactly the kind of test he expected and wanted.
“We knew he’d come to fight, he was durable and he’d stay until the end – that’s why we took him,” he adds speaking on the fight itself.
“That shows my ambition and where I want to go. But if I’m going to fulfill my ambition, I’ve got to be better than that.
“That’s why you take these fights before you step up levels. I needed to experience this. The preparation in the background wasn’t great either.”
Although he was happy with the result and what he took from the fight in terms of learning, Brennan wasn’t overly happy with his display.
“If I didn’t take him serious, I would have been beaten here. But I took him serious from the get-go. I’m gutted with that performance.”
The BUI Celtic light heavyweight champion is hopeful the win will set up an Irish title fight on the undercard of Katie Taylor’s 3Arena undercard win in May.
The Inner City Dub is also hopeful it will open doors to a return to New York and Madison Square Garden where he would love to fight Galyway-born New York-raised Harley Burke before the year is out.
The entertaining nature of the fight, the fact he took a risk and won and the ground work he did outside the ring should all help his cause.
“This is my first fight in New York.
“I don’t know a lot of people here but I sold over 100 tickets, seeing 40 or 50 tricolours.
“It’s unbelievable, people making noise even when I’m not performing. For me, I’m living the dream,” he comments with regard to the support he drummed up
“This is only the start for me in New York. There’s going to be bigger and better nights. My plan is to bring an Irish title back here.”
