Heavyweight Teen Sensation Adam Olyaniyan on dreaming big and staying humble
Adam Olaniyan has big dreams but believes taking baby steps is the best way to achieve them.
The Tallaght super heavyweight is a giant boxing prospect in every sense of the word.
He has twice proved himself the best on the continent in his age grade, winning European School boy and European Youth gold – and was only denied a European Junior medal by some bizarre scoring.
The 18-year-old is also said to have ‘handled himself well’ when sparring pros including former heavyweight champion of the world Joseph Parker and there are many who tell you he has Olympic medal and world champion potential.
The extremely polite and affable teen hears such talk but blocks it like he would a big shot coming his way. The younger brother of Elite Champion Joshua Olaniyan, does hold Olympic aspirations and world title goals, in fact, he wants to be an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world but says more immediate tasks deserve his focus.
“It’s cool and all but I can’t let that get to my heart and my head,” he says when asked about all those speaking highly of him.
“If I let success get to my head it won’t be good then. I just have to stay humble.”
That’s not to say the Jobstown BC puncher hasn’t dared to dream. Olyanian, who has had contact from promoters, wants to be a huge success in the sport – and if he realises all his ambitions could go down as one of Ireland’s greatest ever.
“It’s the best thing you can win on the continent,” he says of his April gold medal win. “It’s a great feeling but I’m not finished yet. I still want to do more so I can’t yet be satisfied.
“I have bigger goals, bigger aspirations and dreams. i just want to keep on pushing forward and please God I’ll get better. I’ll just keep progressing, keep on getting better, take it one day, one round, one fight at a time and see how far i can get,” he continues before revealing a four belt world title plan with a confident smile.
“Undisputed is the goal.”
Olyanian should have been fighting for a third major international medal in Croatia in April after suffering a dubious defeat in the European Junior quarters to the home fighter. Showing his maturity he wasn’t keen on bemoaning that reverse and instead looked for the virtues in the experience.
“Dodgy decisions come and go and I’m not going to complain about it. I took that as a learning experience, I learnt from it and I used it for something different and even for momentum.”
Reflecting on his most recent European gold win in Croatia he said: “It was a great experience. That was my third time being there so it wasn’t anything new. Boxing at Youth level for the first time it was a shock to the system doing the threes but I really enjoyed it.
“I was there in my own world, there to win the medal. I wasn’t mingling too much or focusing on things outside the ring.
