Boxing: Fist fractures won’t break my Games bid

Nov 19 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

MICHAEL McGREGOR connected with a big right hook and felt the searing pain shoot up his arm.

He had rocked his opponent and impressed the judges but he had also broken his right hand — again.

The Fauldhouse ABC boxer has long been tipped for a glittering ring career but a series of injuries to his punching hand have left him more often on the treatment table than in the ring.

But now after a recent operation at Murrayfield Hospital, Michael revealed to the Courier he is feeling fitter than he has felt in two years and he has his eye on a comeback on the Scottish and British title trails, which he hopes will open the door to a stunning comeback towards the Commonwealth games.

McGregor first broke his right hand in 2007 and underwent surgery before coming back, as he believed, stronger than ever.

But in the first round of his first fight for the Scottish title last year, his injury jinx struck again after landing a thunderous right hand on his opponent.

The 20-year-old knew instantly he had broken his hand but bravely fought on until the end in a move he concedes probably did more harm than good.

He said: “I could tell straight away it was bad but it was the first round of the first fight and I decided to finish the round.

“It was incredibly painful and in between rounds my trainer Pat Toner asked me what I wanted to do – I stupidly decided to carry on.

“The injury definitely restricted my boxing and I lost in the end anyway.

“So this was the second time I’d broken my hand and I had to go in for a second operation on it.

“It was so frustrating because, after my first operation in September 2007, I went on to have five first-round knock-outs in a row until I broke it again.

“In second operation, the surgeon tightened the bone capsule in my hand, which they felt was loose. They also removed some scar tissue and used some tissue from my wrist.

“I would like to thank my surgeon, Miss Davidson, who went beyond the call of duty in operating on me as she was off work and came in to do the operation especially for me and for that I’m very grateful.”

In his absence, Fauldhouse ABC club mates Robbie McKee and Scott Forrest have burst onto the scene and have been taking UK titles while McKee has even won a bronze at last year’s Youth Games.

And he admits to feeling pangs of jealousy being forced to look on injured but he has his eye on Commonwealth glory of his own if he gets the all-clear to make his ring return.

“My recovery is going well and I’ve been doing my own physio and stretches but I won’t know until January if I’m allowed to get back to boxing,” he explained. “It’s been really tough to watch boxing and I’ve not been able to go to the Fauldhouse shows as I find it hard to watch knowing it should be me in there as well.

“I do go to the club every few weeks and if I’ve not been in a while, then Pat or John Macaulay always give me a call.

“If I get the nod to get back in the ring in January, I will have eight weeks to prepare for the Scottish title in March.

“This event is predominantly a Commonwealth selector and it is at tight schedule to get fit again but if I can and I do well then I could get into the Commonwealth squad.”

But in an added twist of fate his dream of a seat on the flight to the games in Delhi could end up coming down to a match-up himself and a Fauldhouse ABC club mate.

“I believe I’m good enough to win the Scottish but I’ll be in the same category as Jamie McComisky, so, if I want to win, then I’ll have to go through him. That would be interesting.”