Sam Hickey has opened on his unbreakable bond with Mike Towell – and how the late Dundee fighter inspired him to Commonwealth Games glory.
Sam emerged as the boxing sensation of Birmingham 2022 earlier this month, winning middleweight gold after beating Australia’s Callum Peters in the final.
And standing on top of the winner’s podium was an emotional moment for the 22-year-old from Lochee.
As the national anthem blared out in the background, Sam fought back tears as picking up the first major medal of his career on the global stage sunk in.
He also reflected on doing it without the man he called his “big brother”.
‘That was for Mike’
Welterweight Mike died in 2016 after suffering a bleed on the brain after his fight with Dale Evans.
The bout was stopped in the fifth round before the 25-year-old was rushed to hospital and he passed away the following day.
Sam says: “I go through a lot of self-motivating and manifesting.
“I always tell myself before fights who I’m doing it for and why I’m doing it.
“I tell myself so much that I’m doing it for my family, my dad and Mike Towell.
“After one of my fights I pointed up to the sky, that was for him.”
Close relationship with family
He is still in contact with his mentor’s mum Tracey and partner Chloe Ross and a picture of him and Mike lights up the home screen on his phone.
He adds: “I still keep in touch with Tracey and Chloe and they wish me all the best.
“Mike was a big part of my life. We were like brothers since I was nine years old up to 16.
“Tracey still calls me wee Sam because I’d go round to her house.
“My dad [Darren] had a close relationship with him too, he used to help him out when he turned pro.
“I remember he would always show my dad respect that he wouldn’t show to anyone else.
“Mike would say what was on his mind, he liked to swear. As soon as he came to our house he would be different.
“He would never swear in our house!
“He would always be that big brother for me. I’m just happy that I feel he’s there.”
Mentor Mike Towell predicted Sam Hickey rise
Dad-of-one Mike’s death shocked the boxing world, one which Sam was very much at the centre of.
He was at the Radisson Blu hotel in Glasgow the night tragedy struck.
And the amateur boxing star knows the dangers that come with competing in the squared circle.
But he says: “I feel if you go into fights thinking about that sort of stuff, that’s when you would get beat and that’s when you could get hurt.
“You should go into fights with full intent on winning, not thinking about something that could happen.
“When that happened, my dad sat down with me and said, ‘I never want you to stop boxing,’ and here I am.
“Mike always said I’d always go on to do good things.
“I used to spar with him when I was about 15. His pals would ask why he was sparring with me, a young lad.
“He used to say, ‘You jump in the ring with him then – this guy is going places!’
“It’s mad looking back to where I’ve come from and how the journey has gone. It’s still not finished.”
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