Loughran chance to revenge only defeat

Charlie Loughran….heading towards a professional career

CHARLIE Loughran, the exciting Coventry heavyweight hope, has been given the chance to avenge the only loss on his record.

The Toe 2 Toe ABC amateur club star will face the man who beat him by split decision in the ABA national developments final.

Oliver Hockney will have home advantage. The bout takes place on his club show, in Middlesbrough, on May 1.

But Loughran, who has lost only one of 16 bouts is brim-full of confidence. “When I fought him last time, I had a chest infection,” he said.

“Now I’m training mad – I’m sleeping at the right time, eating the right things.”

Loughran, considered a rare talent, bounced back from defeat in the nationals by taking the multi-national King of the Ring tournament in Sweden. The major event attracts around 500 boxers.

Charlie beat a Londoner in the semis and Dane in the final.

He now plans to fight in this year’s development tournament, then the elites – then look at turning professional.

“It’s been tough getting opponents in the amateurs,” Charlie added, “that’s why competing in tournaments has to be the way forward.

“I think pro boxing will suit me. The amateurs is a bit of a rush, you haven’t got a lot of time and I like to take my time.”

After the loss to Hockney, Loughran’s trainer, Billy Parmar vowed the lad would come back a better fighter.

“I told him, your first loss can either make you or break you,” Parmar said. “He was hurt, disappointed and upset, but he got back on it.

“He was still not 100 per cent because of the chest infection. Some fighters are not 100 per cent and they want to pull out, but he’s got a different mindset.”

We’ll see what difference that sole loss has made on May 1.