Falkirk based fighter Connor Flyflower has seen the highs and lows of boxing during his 9 years as a professional fighter.
In 2007 he knocked out Jimmy (Super) Mann in the 2nd round with a devastating left hook, to take his first world title. But the success and adulation that followed became too much for Connor. Only a year later in 2008, he stole all the pillows from a 5 star hotel in Livingston, and on that same day he drove a golf cart into the sea at St Andrews.
He was handed a 12 months suspended sentence, and during that time he re-dedicated himself to training. Stripped of his world title and not able to look his peers in the eye he became determined to get back to the top.
Then in 2010, after 8 straight knock-out victories he was handed a shot at a 2nd world title. He fought Paris hard man Patrice Mando in Florida in a fight which has now become known as “The Rammie in Miami”.
It was a bitter bitter fight, during which Patrice stamped on Connor’s foot before planting an elbow to his face. All of which was amazingly missed by the ref and the judges. This only angered Connor because just one round later he delivered an uppercut of such force that Patrice was literally thrown from the ring.
In his last fight in 2012 there was bit of controversy when he seemed to take a dive. He had just knocked his opponent out, and in a surprising twist in the ring, he then screamed out ‘No!’ as if he hadn’t meant to do it. He then stumbled a bit and fell to the ground, and in the end both fighters were counted out. That draw meant he retained his belt, but it did look a little odd.
I caught up with Connor at the ‘Fours ducks in a row” brassiere Glasgow’s east end. The areas a bit nasty, but I’m a bit of player, so the locals know to back off.
Hi Connor, it’s great to see you, how have you been?
Great. Yourself?
Good thanks. So, Connor, bottom line, did you take a dive in your last fight…
I don’t remember a lot after that. But when I woke up 2 days later in hospital my agent my agent Natasha filled me in. After Connor knocked me out, he went to his nearest golf course and stole a buggy and then drove it to the coast. She said that as he drove into the water in the cart, that he could be heard shouting at the top of his lungs “Where’s ma pillows ya dobbers”.
In some ways I feel responsible, but I would compare it to the Joker. If you provoke the Joker and he goes mad does that mean you’re responsible? I mean, I didn’t create the Joker, he was crazy to start with.
Anyway, great fighter and maybe we’ll see him back in the ring again in the future.
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