Jordan Gill: Fight cancellation was soul destroying - but I will come back stronger

Gill will now have to wait even longer for hist first fight since his points victory over Chris Adaway last March. Photo: DKO Imagery (Image: Archant)

After months of strenuous training, the 22-year-old was set to extend his unbeaten record to 17 fights on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr’s IBO super-middleweight clash with Renold Quinlan last Saturday.

The Chatteris puncher had sold tens of thousands of pounds worth of tickets to his loyal band of followers from Fenland, who travelled to the Olympia in London to watch him step through the ropes for the first time in 11 months.

Gill’s hopes of a successful return to the ring suffered an early knock after his original opponent, Leonel Hernandez, was called up to face Kid Galahad higher up the card two hours before the show began, but a last-minute opponent was found and Gill was told he would fight after the main event.

But his much-anticipated return was dashed at the 11th-hour after David Price’s defeat to Christian Hammer and Eubank Jr’s victory over Quinlan over ran.

Jordan Gill sat in his dressing room for four hours before learning his fight had been cancelled. Photo: Instagram: @itsjordangill. (Image: Archant)

“The only way I can describe the night is soul destroying,” he said.

“I was still expected to fight after the main event and if I was in the ring at midnight it would have been fine, but licensing issues meant I wasn’t allowed to do the ring walk after 12am.

“I had my gloves on for four hours, I’d warmed up and was ready for the fight, but they came into my dressing room at about 10 past 12 and told me it was off.

“I stayed professional and focused and did everything that was asked of me but it wasn’t to be.

“I just feel so bad for everyone that came to watch from home because they came to watch just me. They said they all had a really good night which is a bit of a consolation, but it was a heartbreaking night for me personally.”

Gill has returned to Sheffield to continue training ahead of a possible return at the end of March, and says last weekend’s heartbreak will only spur him on to become one of the country’s top featherweights.

“I’ve been promised one of the top slots on the next show, and all I can do now is get back to training and focus on my next fight,” Gill said.

“When I lift a belt and become champion then all these hard times will have been worth it.”