Danny O'Connor is a 27 year old Irish/American pofressional boxer who is also a proud member of the Celtic family, which is not only because the fact that he's been a Bhoy since birth, but because both the Celtic fans and Danny share the same fire, passion and thunder that brings fame and success to those willing to embark on the journey to achieve this. Danny is from Framingham MA. but also lives in Stafford, Texas where he trains with 'Hall Of Famer' Ronnie Shields. Born on 30th March 1985, the 27 year old has had a very impressive record to date. His fast paced style has earned the light welterweight a 19/1 record 8 of them KO's and with stats like this Matthew Lynch and Ken Casey as well as Ronnie Shields must be very happy.
In the 2007 olympic trials Danny won bronze and was chosen as an alternate for the 2008 USA olympic team. he also won a very rare award 'US future stars national championship, the 2008 golden glove championship.
2012 has been a fantastic year for Danny Bhoy, 3 fights and 3 KO's all before the 5th round. In May '12 he headlined his first pro card at th House of Blues, in Boston, reports of the event say 'the atmosphere was more like a euro soccer match’ thanks to clan O'Connor I'd say, (Gillette stadium said 'they host Patriots and Revs games and it was nothing like that'). wonder if it was like the Celtic Barcelona game, only those there know. In September '12 everyone involved in boxing stood of an took notice as at the MGM GRAND casino was to be the venue for HBO'S boixing after dark card, another KO this time 3rd round.
Question. What atracted you to a career in boxing?
Answer. I played soccer my whole life and most non contact sports but there was just something about boxing that I loved. I started a bit later than others but at the age of about 16 I decided that I wanted to box. found a police athletic league gym in my hometown.picked up a pair of gloves fell in love and never put them down.
Q:What inspiration to you take that enables you to train so hard?
A: I draw inspiration from my fans. there is no better feeling then walking out to the ring in front of all my supporters, it is an amazing feeling. they motivate me daily and i appreciate every one of them. my family is a huge motivational factor, yes i love boxing and i have hopes and dreams of being a world champ but boxing is also how i make my living how i feed my family, its a way to make a better life for my wife and son.
Q3. How often a week do you train?
A3. haha how often? im a gym rat the question is when am i not training haha. i train every day numerous times a day 2 3 sometimes 4 times a day.im a very active person and i truly believe hard work and dedication are key ingredients to success.
Q4 .How do you feel you have develoed as a boxer under Ronnie Shields guidannce?
A4. coach ronnie is amazing, i feel like i have evolved tremendously since i have been working with him. i knew how to be a tough kid but coach ronnie has taught me how to be a fighter. he is working on making me a more complete fighter. his knowledge is very valuable to me and he is a great man. he believes in me, and most of all he has made me believe in myself.
Q5.What are your thoughts/feelings gong into th ring?
A5.when i step in the ring i dont have many thoughts or feelings. fighting off emotions isnt always the best idea in the ring. i make myself like a machine, a robot, coach ronnie and i have a game plan and i step in the ring to do what we work on in the gym daily
Q6.Do you have rituals kike other sportsmen/women?
A6.no actually i dont have any rituals leading up to the fight
Q7.Which of your 19 wins has been most special to you?
A7.no win in particular means more to me. each fight has a different special meaning to me. each was trained and prepared for by myself and my team and all are important on the road that i have been paving for my boxing career. i will continue to treat every fight like it is the most important one of my life, because at the end of the day it is.
Q8.if you could choose your ideal fight where would it be, and who against?
A8.If you anyone who is at that elite level doesnt matter which name it is. im here to win world championship belts and im excited to showcase my talent against some of the top notch fighters in the game. if you have a belt, im coming for it! the two dream venues are boston garden and celtic park. whenever can fight infront of my supporters its a dream come true.
Q9.How are you excitment levels as the Siviera fight nears?
A9.excitement is always good, at the end of the day im a fighter haha i love to fight, i love to train, i love everything about my craft. so i get excited when the fights are approaching. again i am a machine though ad i have a job to do in the ring december 14 so i have to contain my excitment levels and maintain focus
Q10. having 3 KO's in 2012, do you see this one going the same way?
A10.i am not looking for knock outs, i work on things in the ring that i do daily in the gym with coach ronnie. i wont force anything i will stick to my game plan and strategy and if a knock out comes it comes
Q11.Do you feel more motivatde now the worldwide celtic family have joined forces with Clan O'Connor?
A11.unbelievably motivated by my fans in usa and across the world. i feel blessed and honored that people take notice of all my hard work and the support i have recieved from everyone, clan oconnor, usa the celtic family and everyone around the world make me feel truly honored and to be honest it makes me feel very loved
Q12.What are Danny Bhoys career goals for 2013?
A12.being a world champion since the second i put on gloves thats the dream my man. being able to do something i love and am passionate about and have it a means to support my family and give them a better life. for all the sacrifice i make my wife makes equally as much sacrifice because she believes in me. there is no me with out her, we are a team and i could'nt do what i do with out her doing her part in it.
celtic/football Q's
Q1.when did you discover your passion for Celtic/Revs/soccer?
A1.played soccer my whole life, being from boston theres a lot of irish american population and celtic was a common club followed
Q2.What made you decide to come to the Barcelona game?
A2.after seeing how much of an underdog celts were against barcelona and watching the first match how it was such a winable game i knew that barcelona at celtic park was going to be an unbelievable game and i knew that celtic was going to be hungry for a win. i woke up a few weeks before and i said " u know what u only live once" and i just bought a plane ticket to glasgow and figured i would work every thing else out later i just wanted to be a part of the atmosphere and experience celtic park with my own eyes not over the t.v
Q3.What was your most memorable moments of your time in glasgow?
A3.every second of my trip was memorable. it really was a life changing experience. i knew that it was going to be like nothing i have ever experienced and it was. its so much more then just a soccer game and it was amazing to be part of it all. walking out to the pitch at halftime and speaking over the microphone to everyone was pretty amazing. seeing first hand how special a group the green brigade is how passionite and how loving they are for there club. the display they planned that took 4 days prior to the game to plan and it came out amazing. cheering till my voice was gone from the second the game started not thinking i could even get any louder, then celtic scored that first goal and i was louder. feeling so loved and welcomed by the supporters, feeling like.......i was home, even though i was thousands of miles from home. celtic family really is the meaning of family i felt loved and welcomes by everyone i met and i never once felt home sick. i could literally go on and on about how memerable it was but anyone who was been knows and anyone who hasnt i suggest that u make it a priority to go. no picture u see, or video will ever capture how i felt during my time in glasgow.
Q4.How did the interaction with the club and fans make you feel?
A4.the club went above and beyond to accomadate me and make me feel welcome. the supporters were amazing, so pasionite and loving. the display the Green Brigade did was so amazing, those group of poeple are truly something special. it doesnt matter your size, what you do for a living, your hair color, when u pull on that celtic jersey and u are part of the celtic family its amazing how the celtic family shows u love. i felt so welcomed and loved by everyone from the club, to the workers at celtic park to the supporters it was a very good feeling. i thank everyone for the kindness and for welcoming me with open arms. it was an experience i will cherish forever and im proud to be part of the celtic family
Q5.If you never had the gloves, and a ball instead, which team would it be, Celtic or Revolution?
A5.hahaha luckily i will never have to make that tough decision because im only a wannabe soccer player! (diplomatic answer Danny haha)
Q6.Do you visit Gillette Stadium often as a fan of REVS/Patriots? and do you follow other sports?
A6.yes i still frequently visit the revolution offices at gillette stadium whenever im home. i have a good relationship w/ the orginization and i enjoy going down and shooting te breeze with the guys and players. last time i was home for a day took in a revs practice. im now a season ticket holder for the revs. yeah i follow sports, boston sports stick together so im always following anything that has to do with boston sports like the bruins, redsox, patriots
Q7.(a joke Q i thought of for our bhoy haha) Celtic - Revs, which kit do you wear and which side of the stadium is you tcket for? lol
A7.) haha i could never choose between my clubs! i love both equally. if they played i would be very excited though because both of my clubs together at the same time it doesnt get much better then that.
i excpected s diplomatic answer for sports Q7 lol perhaps celtic top revs shorts and a half in each end hahaha.