By Mark Vester
In a follow up to a story posted on BoxingScene.com a few weeks back, Irish light heavyweight amateur Kenneth “Kenny” Egan, who won a silver medal for Ireland in the 2008 Beijing games, will not turn pro and plans to remain in the amateur ranks until the 2012 Olympic games in London.
Earlier in the month, it was being reported that Egan was on the verge of signing a deal to turn professional under the banner of New York-based promoter Lou DiBella. Egan admits that he was considering a big deal with DiBella, and there was another from manager Shelly Finkel, but in the end he decided to remain as an amateur and made the announcement in Dublin.
"I have given the whole situation a lot of thought and have now arrived at a final decision. After the Olympics, I came home and enjoyed all the focus and the publicity that went with it. People shaking your hand and saying 'well done' and all that," Egan told The Independent.
"But there had to come a time when I asked myself: 'What's the next step for Ken Egan? What's next? Will I stay amateur or go pro? Mind you, there were very attractive American offers on the table, including one from promoter Shelly Finkle and another from Lou DiBella, a very influential man on the US boxing scene. DiBella invited me over to Madison Square Garden in New York in November to watch the Joe Calzaghe-Roy Jones Jnr fight, and that was when he made the offer. They were all in six figures, so they had to be taken seriously."
"But I asked myself was this the road I wanted to go down. In the end, I decided it wasn't, as my heart wasn't in it. I told them so, and that there was no point in going over there and wasting their time. My mind was made up. I have enjoyed the amateur scene and I still do. I've had so many trips all over the world. I know how the game works. I love wearing the Irish vest as team captain and I would hate to leave all that behind.
"I know the Olympics is four years away and a lot can happen by then. I don't like looking too far down the road. Just now I want to concentrate on 2012 and the National Seniors. But the Olympics has to be my ultimate goal, and I intend to stay at light heavy. I can now focus on my amateur career again, with no distractions, and no publicity. I've been training for the past two weeks with the other lads in the National Gym. I've no regrets at not winning a gold medal in Beijing."
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