'A lot of the best amateurs are better than the pros,' says Irish prospect Bobbi Flood

Bobbi Flood is only a couple of fights into his pro journey, but he has a wealth of experience from the amateurs to draw upon.

The 2-0 (1 KO) prospect from Dublin has plenty of confidence from what he has already seen and done.

“I’ve fought the best in the world already,” Flood said. “And in my personal opinion, a lot of the amateurs are a lot better than most of the pros. But yeah, I've travelled around the world and that comes with a lot of experience. I know I’m only young [21], but I have a lot of experience. I’ve been travelling the world boxing since I’m 10 years of age.

"I’ve been boxing since I’m three or four, probably younger than that, ever since I put a pair of gloves on. But now I have that bit of experience behind me. I’ve boxed in America, I’ve boxed in Bulgaria, I’ve boxed in Hungary, I’ve boxed everywhere. So for us to get a call for a fight in America, a lot of people would be like, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ We’d take it straight away. Not a bother to me.”

Flood trains in Liverpool with Stephen Smith, the former world title contender and student of the sport who has one of the best boxing brains in the country.

The stable includes recent world title challenger Caoimhin Agyarko, Jack Catterall, Jade Jones, Ste Clarke and Liv Holmes.

“I’ve never seen someone with the eye that he has for boxing, like, every little thing,” said Flood of his coach.

“Like, if this hand drops down a tiny bit before I come forward, he’d catch it and he’d bring it up and he’d make sure you do it properly next time.”

“Swifty” fell just short at the top level and falls into the bracket of one of the best British fighters not to win a world title. Flood has set himself a rough target of striking world gold in a few years.

“I want to be a world champion in five years, but it’s not a goal to where if it doesn’t happen, I’m leaving and this and that. That’s where I want it, five years’ time. I want to be fighting for a world title. If not, if it’s six, seven years, eight years, so be it. That’s just where I want to be.”

Smith has seen plenty, too, in his long association with the sport. Now he is charged with getting the best out of top amateurs turning pro, but the Liverpool coach would have seen plenty of decorated amateur stars not fulfil their potential in the professional ranks. 

How does Flood make sure he is not added to that list?

“I just have to make sure that I’m putting the work in in the gym, I’m doing what ‘Swifty’s’ telling me to do and because, not that he’s just a great coach, but he’s a great boxer as well. He’s been there, done that, where a lot of coaches, they’re great coaches, but a lot of them haven’t ever stepped in a ring. ‘Swifty’ knows the ins and outs of boxing. He probably knows boxing better than he knows his own kids. When I say it’s his life, it really is his life. All he does is box.”

With that in mind, Flood is asked how beneficial having boxed is across the board, and he’s invited into the debate about whether commentators and analysts should have fought.

He smiled as he considered his answer.

“Yeah, I agree with it and I don't at the same time,” he said. “Anyone can have an opinion on anything, but I feel like before you start judging boxers, I feel like you need to step in the ring. Anyone can have an opinion on anything, but when it starts becoming people calling, ‘Oh he’s shite, he’s shite,’ ‘Get in the ring with him, see if he’s shit.’ The amount of courage it takes to just step in the ring alone, never mind going and winning the fight and then doing it again a few months later on the world stage, like just to step in the ring alone, it takes balls of steel. It really does. I have to giggle at that because on my debut, when I was stepping through the ropes, I remember looking at DAZN [branding] and stuff like that on the canvas and I was like, ‘this feels like a dream.’ And then I looked up and I thought, ‘If I wanted to get out of here, there’s no way I’d be able to just step out of this ring if I didn’t want to fight. Like, ‘Oh, I have to do this now.’”

And the next step for Flood comes on Saturday, at the 3Arena in Dublin, when he bids to go to 3-0 before he fights on the big Croke Park bill, topped by Katie Taylor, on September 5.

The five-year plan is underway.