SEAN Lazzerini couldn’t quite believe it when he was told he would have to win a box-off in order to secure his selection for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast.
The 20-year-old, who is one of the Sunday Herald's 'Six to Follow', has had a stellar year, winning the Scottish amateur title at -81kgs before going on to represent GB at the World Amateur Championships this summer. However, despite the powers that be deeming that all of the other nine boxers chosen to be a part of Team Scotland would be selected outright, Lazzerini was told a box-off just a few weeks ago was required before he would be awarded a ticket to Gold Coast.
“When I was told I was going to have to have a box-off, I was really disappointed because my coach and I thought that I’d done enough throughout the season to be selected,” the Glaswegian said. “And what was really tough to take was that it was only me who had to do a box-off and so it all felt pretty unfair – I did feel quite hard done by.”
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Lazzerini was up against Boris Crighton, the boxer who he had beaten in the final of the Scottish Championships, which only served to heighten the feeling of unfairness. Lazzerini, who won Commonwealth Youth Games gold in 2015, knew he was under extreme pressure – he had only three, three-minute rounds to secure selection for Team Scotland - and a nose injury he had recently suffered meant he went into the fight knowing a single punch from his opponent could end his Commonwealth Games dreams.
And with the fight on television, as well as the GB selectors watching on, it was a powder-keg environment but his previous victory filled him with confidence that a win was well within his reach.
“I did feel under pressure,” he admits. “Especially having had the nose injury, the box-off was my first fight back so I was a bit worried that one punch could re-injure my nose and that would be me out of contention for the Games.
“That’s what can happen in boxing – one punch can change everything. So I did feel under pressure but I just tried to ignore that and use the fight as an opportunity to display my skills and prove I was the one who should definitely go to the Games.”
That is exactly what Lazzerini did – he secured an emphatic victory and was delighted with how he coped with the situation. And while he would never have wished to be in that situation, he admits that being thrust into such a high-pressure environment will stand him in good stead in Gold Coast and beyond.
“I enjoy the big moments and I enjoy the atmosphere in those big fights – that’s what competition is all about,” he said. “I think that it’s actually been a good thing because it’s made me mentally stronger. It’s definitely helped me prepare for the future and these situations are what it’s all about.
“The box-off has given me the confidence that I can perform in these kind of situations and that’s great to know. As I’ve got older, I’ve got better at dealing with things mentally. I’ve got good people behind me - my mum and dad and my coach, Jim, always give me good advice. And Jim always gets me in the right frame of mind to fight so that means that I’m always mentally prepared for every fight.”
Lazzerini has recently spent time at the GB amateur boxing training base in Sheffield which is helping him sharpen his skills and raise his level as Gold Coast 2018 edges ever closer. He is at home in Glasgow for Christmas but although he admits that he will enjoy his Christmas dinner, there will be no respite from training over the festive period.
“I’ll enjoy my Christmas, have lots of food and relax,” he says. “I’ll still train though – and I’ll probably do a session on Christmas Day because I get bored if I don’t do anything. And training is what I love to do – training and boxing are my hobbies as well as my career. I don’t know what exactly I’ll do – I might go a run or go to the gym, I’ll just see when I wake up but I’ll definitely do something.”