‘No ifs or buts about it – I’m #1 now’ – Emmet Brennan sets his sights on Tokyo
Emmet Brennan claims there can no longer be any debate about it – he is adamant he Ireland’s leading light heavyweight.
81kgs was billed as the most interesting of the National Elite Championship weights heading into the most recent installment of the blue ribbon domestic tournament.
With Joe Ward departing to the pro ranks a host of noted and emerging talents were vying for the Irish title and Irish #1 status.
After beating reigning champion Thomas O’Toole in the final at National Stadium on Friday, Brennan finished a top of a pile that included Tony Browne, Tommy Hyde and Paul McCullagh.
The Docklands BC fighter, who upgraded from middleweight for this tournament, believes the win is definitive proof he is the main man at the weight now, suggesting as a result he should be chosen for the Olympic qualifiers in March.
“I am number 1 now,” Brennan told Irish-boxing.com.
“If there is a competition with every 81 in it and I win it I am number 1 it’s as simple as that. There is no ifs or buts about it. I won both fights convincingly and they beat their respective opponents, who supposedly had a better chance than me. March [Olympic qualifier] is the goal now,” he added.
Brennan went full time with the upgrading to light heavy and making the Olympics in mind. He claims he is going above and beyond to book a ticket to Tokyo 2020.
“This is big my chance. When I say I have put everything into this I mean everything. I don’t see my friends. I train, sleep and see my family,” he explains before pointing out the benefits of moving up in weight.
“As I said I am full time now and I am different animal up at 81. Up at 81 I’ve a different energy. At 75 I am loosing 3 kilos the day before. I am not training as hard because I have that bit more energy. I’m doing three minutes in my sleep, no bother.”
“I still have the same sort of style where I am going forward n’all. I am fan friendly. I just have more energy. I thought he was holding a lot today, whereas Monday I was getting off bursts on the inside, which I am best at.”
Reflecting on his second Irish title win Brennan said: “I am normally a slow starter, its something I try to work on. In the first round I found him a bit awkward. In the second and third round I took control. If I was judging that fight I’d say he won the first round fair enough, but I won the second and third. Where they got 3-2 I don’t know,” he added before thanking his sponsors.
“Big thanks to my sponsors Novum Refrigeration without them I couldn’t have gone full time.”
