Jamie Quinn may not win many professional boxing fight’s, but ask anyone in the boxing game about him and they will instantly speak his name with due respect and praise.
Week in week out Quinny and his compatriots who also don the tag ‘journeymen’ fight up and down the country against the home boxers who have sold all the tickets and their fans are expecting a knockout! In most cases the home boxer is a backed prospect, a fighter with a solid background, mainly unbeaten and most likely a decorated amateur star. And if they are lucky, some journeymen will get the call to go in with an established name, for a bit more cash, but way more risk of suffering that stoppage. Which would mean they cannot fight again for 28 days.
Quinny, as he is known to most, is what boxing call a journeyman, they used to call them ‘Cannon Fodder’ in the old days, but to work the part of a successful journeyman, is one of the hardest jobs in the world!
Stepping into these fights with only days and sometimes hours notice is not for some. The name of the ‘journeyman’ game is to survive the home fighter trying to take your head off, in front of his baying fans. This is his big night, he needs the experience before moving on to face other ambitious prospects, so where do they get that experience? We present Mr Jamie Quinn…..
Quinny took this fight against hot prospect Zelfa Barrett at very short notice.
So you see a journeyman maybe looked down upon outside of boxing when they glance at their record, but in boxing they are held in the highest esteem, just ask the prospects in boxing what they think. Finding good journeyman who can give a young rookie some good competitive rounds, pushing their limits without winning, is like finding ‘a piece of hay in a massive big stack full of needles’ Every promoter’s show is hanging on the availability of this rare breed every weekend.
Last week the Sun newspaper published an article in their paper. It was along the lines of ‘UK’s worst boxers to fight each other’ It was referring to Quinny’s 100th professional fight, which he is having against another journeyman in Kas Hussain, who himself has had 100 fights. In this one, to celebrate his centenary bout, Quinny was being the home fighter. You see no one usually goes to see him fight, he travels to fights alone or with his coach and not one soul can be heard hollowing his name. But this next fight is a chance for all his family and friends and boxing fans to pay tribute to his milestone and for once get behind him.
The Sun headline really got to Quinny, he felt embarrassed and says he cringed every time someone sent him the link. You see people who don’t understand pro boxing and his role in it, including some of his friends, just see that he loses most weekends. But they don’t get the full picture and for it again to be highlighted in a national newspaper hit him harder than any prospect has for a while.
He is already sick of people having sly digs at his losing record, even though these are against fighters, who wouldn’t get in a pro ring every weekend themselves, it takes a special mortal to learn how to fight every Tom, Dick and Harry not every few months after a training camp, no and I repeat EVERY WEEK quinny does it! And don’t forget when he is in the mood, he will take out a prospect as quick as look at him given the chance.
After the Sun published the article, the boxing community spoke and sent the said journalist who did it, a piece of their mind in Quinny’s defence. After realising the error, the journalist sent an apology direct to Quinny and changed the article headline to his credit. Quinny appreciated his gesture and the issue was lay to rest as far as he is concerned, the Romiley man is well used to riding the shots and getting smashed in the gut on a regular basis.
This week we went over to see Quinny at the gym where he trains in Manchester, Northside. He wanted to respond to the article and put his side across once and for all. You won’t see many interviews with him as he rarely does them or get asked to do them, but we were happy to accomodate, we have known Quinny since he was young and see him at most shows.
After the interview Quinny did with Aky, I dropped him back off home in Stockport, he had got the train down to the gym. On the way back his Mam rang him. She was worried about him, she knew the Sun thing had knocked him for six for a couple days and he was very down about it. She said she had seen the Facebook friends sharing the post and laughing and was seeing how he was. “I’m ok Mum.” he said. “I’m just having a nightmare trying to sell these tickets, I’m never gonna be the home fighter again, I’m happy on the road.”
Quinny has an handful of tickets he needs to sell in order for his fight to take place and he is struggling at the moment. Can you help?
You can go along and support Jamie Quinn in his 100th fight on Saturday 26th October at the Oldham Leisure Centre. Call: 07719 563 759
