Leahy career cruelly ended early by injury

Happier times…Nick signs pro forms with Jon Pegg

THE career of Nick Leahy has been cruelly ended by injury before it had time to flourish.

Just one fight into his professional journey, Leamington based Nick suffered a reoccurrence of the ruptured ACL ligament to his right knee that had kept him out of the ring for close to two year.

Those of a certain age will remember it as the Paul Gascoigne injury.

Following discussions with a specialist, welterweight Nick has conceded he cannot continue as a pro boxer.

“The knee will be OK in everyday life, but not for the rigours of a professional athlete,” said trainer Derek Fitzpatrick.

The news is a hammer blow. Leahy, whose family are based in Evesham, was lucky to make his debut on a major televised show – March’s Wasserman bill at Telford International Centre screened by Channel5.

And the 26-year-old shone with a clear points victory. That night he told me there were no niggles, no problems from the old injury.

Sadly, that was a false dawn.

We don’t know what Nick, managed by Jon Pegg, would’ve gone on to achieve, but he certainly had a big following.

“It’s gut-wrenching,” said Fitzpatrick. “All the work and the time out and the operation. Nick got the opportunity to go on a Wasserman show and put on a good, solid debut.

“He is very deflated, gutted. You put your life and dreams into the thing (pro boxing). I’m taking the positives out of the thing. Obviously, there was more to come, but everything we wanted to do when Nick came to me eight years ago, we’ve done.

“He gained a national title. The dream was to turn pro and he did it. Everything we said he’d do up to this stage, he’s done.”

Bar a brief stint with Hall Green ABC, Nick has been with Derek since the age of 18. He won 17 of 20 bouts, gained gold at the Haringey Cup and collected a national development title.

Nick works for the family business and Fitzpatrick added: “He was never in this for the money.”

It was the glory that mattered.