On the eve of the biggest fight of his career, Scottish lightweight prospect Regan Glackin is embracing the pressure.
The 16-0 (3 KOs) boxer Glackin fights for the vacant British title in front of his own fans at Glasgow’s Braehead Arena on Saturday, against Englishman Louie O’Doherty.
Like any fighter, he will acknowledge the “nervous energy” in the lead up to the bout.
“But ultimately I’ve asked for this,” Glackin told BoxingScene. “I’ve been preparing myself for this my whole life. It’s all or nothing for me. I’m not trying to glorify some 16-0 record. For me, it’s all or nothing and my ambitions have always been to be British champion. I didn’t plan on just being Scottish champion, just being Celtic champion and then being happy and content with that. The game’s too tough. But I’m ready, I’ve earned it and I’m looking forward to it.”
In the aftermath of Josh Taylor’s retirement due to an eye injury, there is a vacancy for new Scottish stars to come through and develop in bill-topping positions, but Glackin is prepared to deal with whatever comes his way one fight at a time.
“I’m experienced enough,” said the 27-year-old. “All I visualise is the fight but for me, when I’m not in boxing, it’s trying to understand it’s a hobby but it’s also a career. When I’m not at training, I like to try and take my mind off it, when you’re in camp, there isn’t really a life out of boxing, but I try to take my mind off it until I really need to, even on fight day I’ll try not to think it until I’m in the arena getting my hands wrapped.”
It is the mindset of a fighter and their ability to face fears and harness the nervous energy that sets them apart from other athletes. As Glackin puts it, a fight in the street can provoke a fight or flight response. Boxing is different. For nine weeks, Glackin has known he will be walking into a fight, in front of thousands of people, in front of the cameras. The feeling is different. Flight is no option. Fight is compulsory.
But it is a trade he has full respect for.
As much as he tries to take his mind off the business when he’s not training, he will often find himself watching boxing on YouTube. He might not be scouting an opponent, he leaves that to trainer Joe Ham Snr, but he consumes the sport’s finest protagonists and watches their biggest nights.
“I love watching boxing. The last few days I’ve been watching the Matchroom show [The Greatest Showmen] on Netflix,” he continued. “I watch a lot of older fights and I used to love watching all the Mayweather All Access and that kind of stuff, training camps, but last night I had Rocky on, so I like studying it, but when I’m not in the gym I like to try and take my head away from it when I’m not in the gym. With being full-time, training and fighting is all I really focus on.”
Asked if he could box like any fighter in history, Glackin replied: “If I had to build a perfect boxer, I would love to be exciting. As much as the Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather version, the ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd version came forward and I think if you had to pick one performance to say ‘that’s how I want to fight,’ it would be him v [Arturo] Gatti. I think Floyd in his prime as ‘Pretty Boy’ was amazing but, in the modern day, what Floyd tried to bring was you can’t get hit, you can’t get beat, so I think that itself is really skillful. I think everyone wants to be involved in exciting fights, it’s nothing without the fans being involved. Prime ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd but with ‘Money’ Mayweather’s defense… His early fights were brilliant, he’d just stand in the pocket and take everything away from everybody, so it’s got to be admired.”
There was a time when soccer players were more on Glackin’s radar than fighters. Before he started to favor the gloves, aged around 10, Glackin was a promising right back with dreams of playing for Celtic.
But his passion for boxing consumed him and he’s since applied 17 years of focus, sacrifice and discipline.
He has been able to do that with the support of his family, too, who have backed him and helped take the strain selling tickets so he can focus on the job at hand.
“I’m a big believer that every single person is their own person, but my mum and dad are the exact same as me,” he said, talking about his ambition and work ethic. “They’re hard workers, they come from good families and I’ve had a brilliant upbringing. I’ve had more than I could ever wish for in material things and mostly in support.”
His dad runs a security company, and will actually be handling security on fight night at the venue, while his mom was a hairdresser and who runs a dance school. She now focuses solely on the dance school, and Regan has an older brother and younger sister. While he’s determined, he’s also family orientated.
Of course, that stability at home has enabled him to concentrate on his career, and he will always admit he is a work in progress.
When you’ve studied the greats, Mayweather included, so closely, how can you be anything but?
“Everything,” he said, when asked what he needs to add to his game. “I’m not going to sit here and say I’m perfect at something. After my fights, the way I dissect it is I would rather my coach tells me what I didn’t do well first; you can always do everything better. I think every fight, I’ve always improved. I’m never going to be a one-punch knockout artist, you know? That’s just what it is. I’m gifted in some areas, I’m not gifted with a one-punch knockout, but I definitely hit a lot harder than my record suggests. Through the pro ranks, I’ve come up against a lot of tough opposition in terms of getting them out the ring, but I definitely would say that’s one of the main things, develop more man strength, more power as I come up. But when you look at the flipside, I’ve got other pros that outweigh that. I don’t think you can ever be perfect, but we’re trying to evolve in every aspect which comes with experience.
“You can do loads of exercising [to improve power] and for my weight, I’m physically a very strong person, I’m big for the weight. I’m on a [strength and conditioning] S and C program but I’m a fighter. You can do all the added stuff but some people are just born with that talent, born with that knockout power, so it’s something you can work on, which I do, but it’s just one of those things. Some people are born with better power, some people are born with better fitness… Unfortunately, you can’t have it all.
“But the few people I’ve stopped, they’re durable opponents who’ve not been stopped. Everybody has got pros and cons and if you could nit-pick one thing and someone was looking at me as an opponent maybe disregard that. I don’t worry about that. I just try and improve my game every day in the gym and in fights.”
Having already claimed Scottish and Celtic titles, it is the British that is now in Glackin’s sights on Saturday.
He believes his coach has Plans A to C in place, should they be required against O’Doherty and – along with stablemate Nathaniel Collins and others – Glackin is part of a new era of Scottish boxing.
“In the past few years, you had the likes of Ricky Burns and then obviously Josh Taylor, and now it’s a new crop of Scottish talent,” Glackin said. “You’ve obviously got my good mate Nathaniel who’s headlining the show but on the undercard there’s a lot of rising talent. With Josh Taylor recently retiring, it’s kind of time to show the new crop that’s coming through.”
And while he maintains he will stick to immediate goals that are realistic, his progression will take a natural upward trajectory should he capture the Lonsdale Belt.
“It means everything,” Glackin said of the British title. “It’s widely regarded as one of the most prestigious belts in boxing and the fact that if you win it and you want to keep it outright, then [you have to] defend it three times. Every fighter’s got that dream of winning a world title, but for me I think you need to set realistic goals, and winning a British title opens many doors. My ambition has always been, can I get to British level and how do I fare there?”