Introducing: Sean Higginson
It’s been a tough last few months for natural fighter Sean Higginson.
The skillful bantamweight has been out of the ring for over year and has missed the sport dearly. However, with a lack of desire to continue fighting amateur, and a lack of pro offers, the Belfast man was caught in a saddening limbo.
Thankfully Higginson has been offered to the chance to get back in the ring as part of young promoter Kieran Farrell’s Belfast revolution – an opportunity which the fight-hungry St John Bosco boxer jumped at.
Higginson told Irish-Boxing.com that “I have been out of the ring now for well over a year, I haven’t done anything for a long time. It was killing me not training and not fighting. I was feeling really down and missing it, but I had no intention of going back amateur after a few things that happened before I stopped.”
“I had people coming up to me telling me I need to get back at it and that I was wasting my talent. So I then took the decision to turn over as it’s always something I had intended on doing.”
A decorated boxer in the vest, the 22 year old described how “I have had close to 140 amateur fights and have boxed in a lot of different countries and made so many memories. I won two Irish junior title an intermediate Irish title and was beat in the final I also of the Irish Seniors and three Ulster Elite finals. I always managed to get to the finals just never seemed to get over the line! Internationally I am proud to say I have boxed for Ireland a handful of times and I have also won a couple of multi-nation tournaments as a junior.”
“My style I would say is a back foot boxer. All my life I have boxed on the back foot, hit and not get hit. When I moved to senior I started standing more and learned to sit down on my punches. I try to pick up different styles from different boxers, the likes of Mayweather, Andre Ward, they are perfectionists so I try learn things they do.”
In the pros Higginson looks like he will trained by the legendary John Breen. It had been rumoured in recent weeks that the old-school coach would be switching off the Calor heaters and stepping away with training, but it seems like he may stick around with the new pro.
While he is a newcomer to the pros, Higginson is most definitely not a newcomer to Breen’s Gym, and explained how “I started going down to his gym about four or five years ago with Jamie Conlan and, from then, I have always got on well with him. John is one of the nicest men in boxing.”
“As for his decision, I don’t know if he has made his mind up 100% yet. I wouldn’t like to see him walk away as he has put so much into the sport and it would be sad to see him walk away now. I hope he stays around to guide me in my career as he has so much experience that will help me.”
After his period out Higginson is just happy to get back fighting, and outlined how “the plan for 2017 is to be as active as possible and get rid of the ring rust. Kieran has a plan for me and I trust him that it will work out. My overall goal is simply to go as far as I can – but at the minute the goal is getting back into the ring and doing what I love, and that’s fighting.”
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Eric Donovan joins Gavan Casey and Joe O’Neill on Episode 2 of the Irish Boxing Show:
