By Shaun Brown
Gavin Gwynne wasn’t entirely happy with himself when Boxing News spoke to him earlier this week; this despite having won the vacant European lightweight title last Friday (December 1), when Emiliano Marsili pulled out at the end of the eighth round with a shoulder injury.
BN: Gavin Gwynne, the new European lightweight champion. How do you feel?
GG: A bit disappointed at the end result because I thought I was gonna get on top of him and stop him. And then I found out in the changing rooms afterwards he didn’t really injure his shoulder, he just pulled out because he was taking too much punishment. They robbed me of a good finish. I was a bit disappointed. Other than that, I’m fine, I’m happy, I got the win.
BN: Does knowing that now take a bit of shine off the result?
GG: Yeah, definitely, because I was starting to get on him the round before. I started to land some good shots. We knew he was going to be elusive the first couple of rounds. We knew he was a massive puncher; we knew he could box. So I just had to be patient and pick my opportunities. I got caught the first round which perforated my eardrum. My balance wasn’t the best for the next couple of rounds. I was a bit all over the shop and couldn’t get my work off. In round six I started to come into it and started to land some big shots and then he pulled out. I was gutted. When I was talking to him through his interpreter in the Doctor’s room, I said, “Is his shoulder okay?” Marsili said, “Yeah, it’s fine. I was taking too many shots.” It is what it is.
BN: How is your ear now?
GG: My ear feels blocked. I’m thinking it takes two or weeks before it’s back to normal. I feel all right. I’ve had some good food in me. I went out for Sunday dinner. I’m not a massive drinker but had a pint of Guiness to celebrate. One pint is enough for me. I came home and watched Christmas films with my family and I’m enjoying normal life.
BN: What’s your favourite Christmas film?
GG: Home Alone. I love both of them.
BN: Have you had any time to think about what’s next for you?
GG: Not really but obviously I’m still British champion. I’d like to defend that one more time to get it to keep. If that’s the case or a bigger fighter arises… I’ll take whatever’s best business-wise and money-wise really. I’ve got to try and make the most of my career while I can. I think I’ve got about three years left at the top of my game. I’m going to try and make as much money as possible and [win] as many belts as possible.
BN: British, Commonwealth and European lightweight champion all achieved in under three years and six fights. Are you the type to give yourself a pat on the back or are you not that type of person?
GG: I’m my own biggest critic. At breakfast the next day I was gutted. I was gutted with my performance, but I still got the win, so that’s all that mattered. I said in the interviews beforehand, “As long as I get the win.” I don’t care how it happened. My wife said, “Look at what you’ve achieved. Not many people thought you would achieve what you have.” I have got to give myself a pat on the back for that. A lot of people didn’t expect me to do what I did in the sport. I’m just gutted with my performance. But that was probably down to my perforated eardrum. You’ve just got to live and learn.
BN: Would you like to fight Marsili again or move on?
GG: Marsili said in the changing room, “That was my last fight. My age caught up with me.” So, that’s not probably a fight I’d be looking at. I would happily take any fight at world level. I’d never say no to any fight. Going off that performance everyone will probably want to fight me so it might do me better in the long run. If I’d beaten him in one or two rounds no-one would have probably fought me but everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon saying, “He didn’t look the best.” It’s probably done me good having that sort of performance. I’m looking at big fights now and big-money fights. I’d love to box in America; that’s one dream of mine. I’ve boxed in some big venues in Britain, but I’d love to box at the Millennium Stadium [in Cardiff]. It’s either that or America. Boxing in America would mean I’d ticked off every box on my [wish]list and I’d be a happy man.
BN: How would you react if your promoter asked you to defend your belts against your Queensberry stablemate Sam Noakes?
GG: Me and Sam get on but we’re proper fighting men. I’d happily take the Sam Noakes fight and I know he would fight me. I’d have to perform better, and he knows he’d have to perform better as well. It would be a really good fight for the British public and the British fans.
BN: If you did end up fighting Noakes, it would make sense to have that show back home in Wales, wouldn’t it?
GG: I want a big show in Cardiff. Give the Welsh boys an opportunity to box on a big show. Welsh fighters need to go on the road to box on big shows. It’s always the same. Unless you’re English you don’t get to box on the big shows. I would really like to give the up-and-coming Welsh prospects the opportunity because we’ve got a lot of them in Wales. I know for a fact we’d sell out a show at the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena within a couple of weeks. We’ve got Liam Williams as well and he’s got the [Hamzah] Sheeraz fight. Stick me and him on the bill and it’ll sell out.
