Friday 24 March 2017 13:01, UK
Jack Bateson has been out of action following nose surgery and hearing recently he had been omitted from the GB squad for next month's European Championships in Sofia did not help the young boxer's mood.
It will be a temporary blow to his confidence but Jack still has big qualifiers for the Olympics over the coming months with the European Open, WSB Tournament and a further World Qualifier.
The 21-year-old from Leeds has already been forced to sit out the Baku European Games, but stirring words from the Sky Academy Scholar's mentor Johnny Nelson should be a huge boost with Rio just over a year away.
Here are Johnny's words on why Jack reminds him of Carl Froch, what advice he has been passing on and why Jack could be making the headlines at next summer's Olympics...
Jack is a Yorkshire lad and there's no nonsense. I know his dad and I went to his house and said ‘I know you’. We clicked straight away.
There are no grey areas and his father’s the same. He reminds me of a mini Carl Froch. When he was first introduced to boxing he wasn’t interested – just like Carl Froch. Then he realised he was pretty good at it.
What we’re seeing now with Jack Bateson is he’s maturing physically, mentally and emotionally. He will win, lose and draw on his journey and once he becomes that fully fledged rounded fighter he will be unbeatable.
I’ve been in the gym recently and watched him train and this kid is fast, sharp and on it. When you go to his house there’s no escape. He’s got a gym downstairs and it’s not forced upon him - he’s just hungry for it.
While he’s hungry, he’s like a sponge. He’s absorbing every experience and as a boxer you have to go through the good and bad to get wisdom and that’s what Jack’s doing at the moment.
We just get on really well. He phones and I occasionally call him. I like everything about him. Carl Froch has just retired and he’s set the example for a lot of fighters to show how it’s done. There are a couple of fighters like that and Jack Bateson is one of them.
Harsh lesson
A couple of years ago, there was a young guy in the British squad called Charlie Edwards who Jack was really good friends with. He’s now turned pro and doing well but they once had to fight each other. Jack didn’t go full out and he lost.
He knew he could have done better but his friend took advantage. It was a bitter-sweet lesson. When you get in the ring it’s just business and all friendships are forgotten. Jack was hurt and he felt betrayed. The win was pick-pocketed out of him and it was a harsh lesson.
He will learn more on his way to the top though. He absorbs all this information and experience and I’ve seen him grow and grow. By the time the Rio Olympics come round you will see something special from Jack Bateson. He may even be the boxing star of the Games from the squad. The timing will fall just right for him.
You have to instill every experience. After all that he’s been through recently I told him that it wasn’t just happening to him. Boxing’s all about the same story, just different actors. If you lose or when times are hard, do not think it’s just happening to you.
You need to learn from history and you learn that from experiences. It’s been tough and when I met up with him recently I told him it all happened to me and I gave him examples.
I had 13 amateur fights and I only won three. My simple message was that if I can end up being world champion and retire undefeated, can you imagine what you can do?
I told him he had achieved 1,000 times more as I did as an amateur. That’s just his route. It might mean him losing but winning or losing doesn’t define who you are or who you will be. He needs to keep learning from these experiences.
On everything that's happened to him in the last few months and with Rio coming up, he’s still taking one step at a time and he’s not panicking.
There was no urgency or desperation in his voice when I spoke to him. I was pleased with that. We all suffer injuries - it’s just how you deal with these things.
He was patient, methodical and was making sure he was back in working order. I saw him spar and he was sharp.
I was very impressed with him physically, with his efficiency and speed - he was on it. If you’re seeing this now, this kid can be even better. I was impressed with him on every level.
WHAT'S COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS...
August 2-9: Siobhan-Marie O’Connor - World Swimming Championships, Russia
August 3-9: Quillan Isidore, National BMX Championships
August 5: One year countdown to the Rio Olympics begins
August 8-18: Lucy Garner, Route de France
August 8-9: Mark English, Irish National Championships
