James Flinn has vowed to rebound stronger from his English title disappointment.
The Coventry welterweight [pictured at Friday's weigh-in] suffered the first reversal of his 12-fight paid career on Saturday night [November 12], against hammer-fisted Adil Anwar, and admitted he fell apart in the ring.
'Platinum Kid' Anwar, 24, was a step ahead throughout, decked Flinn twice in the seventh and more clinical punching saw him having his hand raised a round later to snatch the vacant English crown and chalk-up win 13 in 14 [seven stoppages] at Manchester's Event City.
The Leeds-based banger was a late replacement for then-long-standing champion Adnan Amar - the Nottingham switch-hitter who was forced to pull out of the all-Midlands title fight earlier in the week due to a chest infection - and added a second professional belt to his collection on a Hennessy Sports-promoted bill that was topped by a terrific Commonwealth heavyweight title struggle between Tyson Fury and Neven Pajkic.
But Flinn is adamant the defeat was more due to him under-performing than being outclassed. The two-time British Masters 10st 7lbs boss had hardly conceded a session in his 69 professionally-boxed rounds prior to Saturday and been preparing for a back-footed, fast-handed switch-hitter whose whipping uppercut had accounted for once-decent Canadian Ian MacKilop.
The smooth-boxing 29-year-old, who brought a sizeable following from Coventry, had an altogether different proposition in swashbuckling Anwar, though, and quickly found himself coming off second-best in a set 30-minute contest between two men who'd, between them, registered 22 wins in 25.
A solid right behind the head brought about the ending in the eighth and the post-fight post-mortem was being conducted in the Errol Johnson-handled West Midlander's head as soon as he'd stepped out of the ropes. "I'm not too bothered about the fact that I've lost my unbeaten record, but it's the performance that's niggling me," admitted Flinn, now 10-1-1 (2) after the weekend's setback.
"I felt brilliant in the dressing room prior to boxing but when i got in the ring i fell to pieces. As much as i tried, i couldn't find my range, my timing and nothing was flowing. It was one of those occasions when nothing went right on the night and i don't know why.
"But fair play to Anwar," added a gracious former top-rated amateur who looked unlucky not to outpoint Birmingham's two-time European middleweight monarch Matthew Macklin in the vest," who boxed well and deserved the win. I'll be back."
Image courtesy of Hennessy Sports.
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