By Owen Morgan
Fighting in front of row upon row of empty seats will hold no fears for Pontypool-based boxer Kieran Gething.
As professional sport prepares for the prospect of returning to empty arenas in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown, many stars have voiced reservations about competing behind closed doors.
But Welsh area super-lightweight champion Gething says he will be physically and mentally ready to return to the ring whatever the circumstances.
The MTK Global boxer says he doesn’t need a packed venue to motivate him to produce the goods.
“There’s a real possibility my next fight will take place behind closed doors,” he says.
“It will be a lot different to the rest of my professional career so far, but I’d imagine it will be like the old amateur tournaments, like in Finland where there’s only about five people watching and all you can hear is your coach!
Take a look, have a buy, if you don’t like it. I might refund you myself.
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— Kieran Glyndŵr Gething 🏴 (@KiwiGething) April 26, 2020
“I don’t think it will affect my performance like it would other boxers, because I don’t feed off the crowd, I feed off my own achievements and opportunities, not other people.”
Abergavenny-born Gething has also been making sure he is physically ready for hostilities to resume in the ring despite the difficulties lockdown have posed him personally.
The 26-year-old, who was born with a congenital condition called talipes, more commonly known as “club foot”, said: “I’ve been doing a lot of running and cycling, but I can’t do too much running because of my ankle.
“I was born with talipes, so haven’t got full movement and can get painful grinding in the joints. I have to monitor and handle aspects of my training, mainly running.”
But that hasn’t stopped Gething getting plenty of work done with the help of his immediate family.
“While the gyms are closed, training for me at the minute is long, cardiovascular work,” he says.
“Thankfully, I’ve got a punchbag at my mum’s place so I can use that without any risk. I’m also fortunate to have my brother, who is a fantastic coach and a good boxer, and can take me on the pads.”
Fitness is going to be more important than ever when boxing returns, says Gething.
“I’ve been keeping fit all this time anyway, and I am getting myself ready, anyway, to stay ahead of the competition.
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A tribute to all the nurses & medical professionals who work tirelessly w/ undeniable spirit, drive & commitment, to look after our loved ones. ❤️
Salute to @MTKGlobal’s boxer/nurse @WhiteChoc90, a true warrior inside & outside the ring…🥊 pic.twitter.com/WaZoqtal7N
— MTK Global 🌍 (@MTKGlobal) May 12, 2020
“The fitness of the fighters could be interesting because there’s not the normal setups available, such as regular sparring.
“I imagine it’ll be a mixed bag really; there’ll be some fresh fighters and some not. Timing will be affected the most, it might be hard for some fighters to get that sharpness back.”
Whatever the difficulties, Gething is determined not to let them get in the way of his title ambitions.
“My goal this year is bring home a major title, such as the Commonwealth and British.
“I am also interested in the European Union belt, as it’s a WBC primer so can get you into the world rankings.”