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Boxing

02nd Sep 2016

WATCH: ‘Bronze medals are for losers’ – Michael Conlan reveals anger with Vladimir Nikitin

Belfast boxer confirms he is going pro

Mikey Stafford

Michael Conlan is done with amateur boxing.

However the bantamweight world champion has not yet got over the pain of his controversial Olympic quarter-final defeat to Vladimir Nikitin.

On Friday’s Late Late Show Conlan confirmed that he was “in talks” with professional promoters and had “a lot of offers” as he turns his back on the amateur sport that he considers untrustworthy after his defeat to his Russian opponent in Rio.

Speaking to Ryan Tubridy he admitted that Nikitin’s failure to contest his semi-final bout with America’s Shakur Stevenson made the whole affair more painful as he wanted the Russian to go on and win gold – if you are going to get beaten at least get beaten by the best.

Instead Nikitin withdrew and slunk off home to pick up a brand new luxury car for winning a bronze medal.

“He took my dream off me and didn’t even try to replicate it. He just went and settles for a bronze medal and as Paddy Barnes always says, Bronze medals are for losers. I have a bronze medal from last time but it is a loser’s medal.”

The pain is clearly still raw for Conlan, who showed incredible class before the show by gifting a personalised pair of gloves to a young fan who had sent him a letter of consolation and a medal of his own after his defeat in Brazil.

Huge All-Ireland final GAA Hour features an interview with Kilkenny manager Brian Cody. Subscribe here on iTunes.