THE HARD WAY

ON MONDAY, June 27, Michael Conlan sparred eight rounds for the first time since March and would later describe what would seem, on the face of it, a normal experience for any professional boxer as precisely that: “Normal.”

It was perhaps normal in the way driving a car would be deemed normal for a qualified driver, or normal in the way a first date would be deemed normal for an adult male or female eager for company. Only, in this instance, the perceived normality of what Michael Conlan was doing this particular Monday was under threat simply by virtue of it being the first time he had sparred – thrown punches, received punches – since he was knocked out in the 12th round of a fight against Leigh Wood on March 12 in Nottingham. This detail, far from insignificant, made the featherweight’s afternoon drive his first since writing off his previous car in a motorway pile-up. It made his date the first since a recent and acrimonious divorce. It made the eight rounds of sparring, if not abnormal, at least [i]different[i].

“There were no after-effects or worries of being hit,” Conlan said. “I was back in with Harlem [Eubank, a super-lightweight] and mixing it with the boys. Shots were landing and nothing was affecting me. It was good.

“It’s [the defeat] not something that will hang over my head. I didn’t feel nervous or worried or anything. I wanted the boys to land some shots because I wanted to know how I would react.

“When I came out [of the ring], I said to Adam [Booth, trainer] that I felt a bit off