Walsh ready to deliver on promise made to his father

From left, Michael Walsh, Liam Walsh and Ryan Walsh (Image: �TGS Photo tgsphoto.co.uk +44 1376 553468)

His 100pc record of 11 knockout wins perhaps weighed more on the minds of those outside the Walsh inner circle than those within. It is the sort of statistic that, hanging around the necks of other people for two years, might just be too tempting to leave alone. Not for Michael Walsh: sure, 11-0-0 reads well, but it's about more than that.

John Walsh, the father of Michael and twin brothers Liam and Ryan, died in 2011 and you sense he is never far from the brothers' minds. Watch them fight and when, invariably, their hands are raised in victory, they look upwards and speak a few words. The aftermath of victory is often emotional: for the Walsh brothers, the memories make it even more so.

While Liam and Ryan have won British titles – Liam relinquished his as he bids for world glory later this month, on the same night Ryan defends his domestic crown – Michael never got that far.

But now the elements have come together – remembering what his father gave a young Michael Walsh as an ambition, a target; and banishing a few demons of his own which were close to flooring him mentally, if not physically.

Michael takes up the story...

'One hundred per cent I have a target – I have even got a retirement day as well. When my dad died he asked me to win a British title before I retired. If I get it I am 100pc retiring.

'I have never retired, never said that I am done. I have gone away from the gym, gone home, told (trainer) Graham (Everett) I am done, but never let anybody else know because I have always wanted the opportunity to come back.

'It might not all go so well, I might get beaten by the next one I fight – I will be honest with you, my confidence isn't massive, I know come the fight when I get in there I will give everything and I will fight like mad, but I wasn't living a good life for two years. I wasn't training and I was deflated. I went really down,

'I started thinking about all the bad things that went on in my life before that and it was getting me down. I never use the word depression, but I felt like I was on the floor some days. I have five kids and they wanted to get their dad back.'

That's when the strength of the family bond intervened: Michael joined his brothers in Tenerife, which has become a destination in their build-up to fights.

'I went to Tenerife and told my other half I wanted to come back a brand new person, that was the plan,' he explained. 'I wanted to go and get really fit and train again. I know whenever I am in boxing it keeps me on the straight and narrow, keeps my thoughts strong, keeps me very positive. That was the initial goal – go over there, get back boxing but not to fight. I have always struggled training without knowing if I have a fight, because as soon as I start training I want to fight.

'Again, that is what has happened – I started training and sparring and did quite a few rounds with Ryan to bring me on and he completely exposed my defence so many times – he has actually given me a better defence if anything now, but he was taking liberties down there because he knows I haven't done anything for two years, but come the end I thought I was standing up well enough to what he was throwing.'

June 3, Braintree is now etched in the Walsh diary.

'I can't lose really, because my kids have got their dad back and I have got myself back, got my real thoughts back, my positive thoughts back.

'Let's hope I can get there and achieve what I want to achieve. If I can't, I can't.'

Walsh is frank when he acknowledges the part boxing plays in his life.

'I had a lot of ups and downs as a kid and I don't think I ever dealt with lot of it and I think I have always hid it behind boxing. Maybe I don't want to go back and deal with it now,' he says with a rueful smile. 'But first and foremost I love being back with my brothers – I have always backed them and tried to help behind the scenes but there is nothing like being in the gym together. We spend all our time together and it keeps us tight.'

That 11 KO record was acquired by stunning punch-ups that were over by the fourth round – five of his last six fights were ended in the opening round - and by his own admission, 'tactics' often went out of the window as Walsh exploded into action.

'This next one might not be as exciting,' he laughs. 'Mind you, I might get punched in the mouth and it will be all guns blazing as always. We'll see how it goes.'