BScene's Prospect Watch: Scottish Filipino John Thain

By Shaun Brown

The unlikely setting of Edinburgh may have unearthed a boxing star who could develop quite a following from the Philippines over the next few years.

Born from a Filipino mother and a Scottish father, John Thain 5-0 (1) hopes to return to Southeast Asia with titles and pockets filled with money to do something good for a country that will forever have a place in his heart.

“I want to look after my family first and foremost when I become a champion. And when I’ve made my money from boxing I plan to go back to the Philippines and build a house for someone or a family. I know it sounds far fetched but they live a lot more uncomfortably than we do,” stated Thain.

“I was out there five years ago and in a country where they have civil wars going on it all comes to a stop when Manny Pacquiao fights. He’s a god over there.”

And as ‘Pacman’ ponders his next move, 24-year old Thain is happy taking things one fight at a time. A month on from his Boxnation television debut the light middleweight hopes for more time on our screens next year after an inactive 2011. After an eight-month break he returned to action in Motherwell with a points victory against Steve Spence on the undercard of Anthony Crolla’s latest British lightweight title defence against Willie Limond.

“I think being on television was a little bit of a test for me. I knew I was gonna be seen by a lot of people but I just had to put to the back of my mind. I’ve passed the first test which I’d never done before so it was a new experience for me. Then I got the call to be on ‘Bunce’s Boxing Hour’ which I was surprised to be on. BoxNation is great because it gives a chance for fans to see guys coming through the ranks and getting to know them with interviews.”

In talking to Thain it seems like he’s still getting to know a side of him he never thought he had. The once shy schoolboy whose friends used to laugh at the prospect of him becoming a prizefighter is now a confident, “louder” individual with a giddy enthusiasm that’s hard not to like.

As a youngster, Thain was nothing more than curious about boxing citing the Rocky movies as first opening his eyes to a world of pain and glory. All the jokes and heckles from friends were always taken in good spirits but probably only fuelled a desire to prove to them and himself that he belonged in such an unforgiving place.

“I never wanted to spar I just wanted to train. But something happened – I got hooked into it. It felt right to be in a gym. I’ve never been able to express myself properly but I feel different when I box. I have a drive to be someone, to be something special,” he explained.

Described as “unique” by his late father, it was his encouragement and persuasiveness that took his son to a gym once a week and thereafter things took care of themselves.
However after only just a year of learning the basics, Thain would force himself to become a man at the age of 15 after his father’s death.

“It all happened within a week of him being ill. It was really, really shocking,” Thain explained.

“I didn’t want to think. I had to keep going. I should have taken a step back. I never really took a day off school or training; I should’ve just let myself heal. He was a sailor and he was at his work offshore when it happened. He got ill and we were told not to worry. I don’t know how I coped but I had good friends. It sounds stupid but I didn’t want them coming to the funeral, I didn’t want them thinking I was being weak. I was trying to be a man because I was the only male in the house.”

“I had a real dip in my confidence and he was the one who used to give me that confidence. In school people were looking at me and I kinda went into a shell. It was crazy; I got angry because people were trying to help me. It’d be great to have him here but I can’t dwell,” he revealed.

Much to John’s delight, his mother has attended all his professional fights so far. A woman, who once had concerns about her son’s career choice, now loves the sport. John explained that on a recent train she was reading a copy of Boxing Monthly attempting to do some matchmaking for her son whilst studying the divisional ratings.

A close relationship with his mother is followed by one with trainer Terry McCormack. At the age of 13, a young John Thain played football in a team alongside Terry’s son. Having been involved in the sport for over 20 years back then, McCormack had a desire to open his own gym and so the Lochend Amateur boxing club was born.

At the age of 21 and having trained only four or five times at the LA club, Thain would ask McCormack if he needed any more fighters. And despite losing a few fights in the amateur ranks his new trainer would tell his protégé, ‘I’ll make you into a champion, do what I say and we’ll get there.’ And to this day the youngster is still obeying those instructions, even in matters other than boxing.

“He’s heard me talking about cars recently. I saw one with a TV in it and Terry told me to keep my feet on the ground!”

“I owe everything to Terry. He even took me out to the Wildcard gym in Los Angeles when I was an amateur. He’s good friends with Freddie Roach so we went out for two weeks when Pacquiao was training for the Cotto fight. I didn’t want to come home.”

“Sparring was like fighting. I did some rounds with Roberto Garcia. He kept hitting me low, he was a good guy but everyone called him ‘low-blow Garcia’. If I’d known that I’d have bought a bigger protector because it wasn’t worth the cardboard it was made from. I had tears in my eyes from the shots. It was a test that made me a man.”

So far, John Thain has passed all the tests that have been thrown at him with flying colours. Many more lie in wait.