Boxers, above all athletes, know not to allow themselves to stare too far into the distance.
One contest, make that one punch, can derail or even finish a career and make a mockery of long-term planning.
But when your normal working day involves the camaraderie of a gym and the stress-relieving routine of hitting a punchbag or a sparring partner, you can appreciate why dealing with an open-ended coronavirus lockdown feels like trying to square a circle for a fighter. And why the desire to get back into a natural habitat eats away at a ‘one day at a time’ mindset.
Unbeaten Montrose super-middleweight John Docherty knows that this hiatus will come to an end and, with Eddie Hearn in his corner, he also knows that he is part of a stable of boxers who will be afforded the earliest opportunity to get back in a ring when it does. But with a British title fight drawing tantalisingly closer, and a campaign to establish himself as a big name in Scotland also on the agenda, try telling the Commonwealth Games medallist to be patient in the here and now.
“We’ve been told by Eddie to be ready for boxing to return behind closed-doors,” said the 22-year-old. “It will be better than nothing.
“I’m doing runs, circuits and bag work in a little shed but that’s starting to get a bit boring, as you can imagine. It will be great to get back in the gym with the boys when things improve. You only get pushed hard when you’re around other boxers and trainers.
“At the moment it’s a case of training, Playstation, training, Playstation so it will be nice to get into a different routine sometime soon.”
Docherty has a perfect eight wins from eight record to his name. He has yet to find an opponent to test him – a familiar problem for boxers who have turned pro on the back of a decorated amateur career.
“Things have been going really well,” he said. “I’m on a fast roll now.
“Before this break the plan was to be fighting for, and winning, a British title by the end of the year.
“The boy who had that belt has vacated it. I think he’s hoping to move up to European and world level. When I get my chance I need to be ready.
“I’m getting very close to a mandatory spot. The thinking is it will be after two more fights but it could even be after one more.
“It depends on who else is around. There aren’t a lot of super-middleweights in Britain at the moment. And it’s been hard to get other boys to go in the ring with me.
“In my last training camp I went through seven opponents and the one before that I went through 10.
“The only boxers who have gone a few rounds with me have been in fights that I’ve been told to get the rounds in, rather than knock boys out. I’m sparring 12-rounders in the gym. I just need somebody half-decent in front of me who people are saying will make a 50-50 fight and then do a job on him.
“Just now I’m fighting journeymen.
“There are unbeaten boys who are afraid to fight me. I know that. I’d fight anyone.”
Think British super-middleweights and the mind goes straight to the golden era of Benn, Eubank and Watson then Calzaghe, Froch, DeGale and Groves. The domestic scene in Docherty’s generation, though, isn’t blessed with potential stars of the future, however.
“There are no big scalps,” he explained. “There’s no-one in Britain who I can look at and think; ‘If I beat him it’s going to be very good for my profile’.
“Everyone’s been beaten by somebody and I know I’ll knock out every one of them.”
The British “scalps” with a global reputation will be there to claim if and when Docherty moves up a division to light-heavyweight. Anthony Yarde, Joshua Buatsi and Callum Johnson to name but three.
“I’m getting stronger at the weight but if I moved up I’d be stronger again,” he said. “I’m massive at this weight.
“I do think that light-heavyweight is my weight division, even from sparring as an amateur. But I want to clean up in Britain at super-middleweight first. I know I’m good enough to do that.
“I reckon I could probably get another two years at this weight. I’m only 22.
“British title level at light-heavyweight is very good. You can’t push it, though, because you need to be confident that you’ll still have the same strength at a higher weight.
“I’m sure I will. I’m already fighting boys in sparring who are a lot heavier than me.”
Josh Taylor’s status as a two-belt light-welterweight World champion, and his new multi-fight deal with legendary American promoter Bob Arum, will mean bouts in America become his new norm rather than fights in Scotland. There will be a gap in the market for an up-and-coming prospect to capture the public’s imagination, a gap that Docherty intends to fill.
“The plan is for me to fight more in Scotland to build my profile,” he said.
“By the end of the year, all being well, I’ll hopefully be headlining a NXTGN show or fighting on the undercard of Kash Farooq (who has recently signed with Hearn).
“I’ve been asking for it. I’m begging Eddie for a show in Scotland. It doesn’t have to be near my home town, I just want it in Scotland.
“There’s an opportunity and Eddie knows it. He’s a very smart man who knows what he’s doing.
“All the people behind me – Eddie and my trainer Charlie (Sims) – know what is best for me so I’m just following the route they plan.”
If Docherty is trying to keep a lid on rising exasperation at this enforced period of inactivity, at least he is doing so in the knowledge that there are no regrets about abandoning plans to add an Olympic medal to his Commonwealth bronze.
He weighed up the options after the Gold Coast Games in 2018 and thought 2020 was too long a wait to turn pro. With the Tokyo Olympics postponed, and no guarantee that a year’s delay will be enough time to get on top of Covid-19, the Angus man is content with his choice.
“I definitely made the right decision,” he said. “If I’d stayed amateur I would be turning pro now, with the Olympics being postponed for 12 months. I wouldn’t be waiting another year. I’ve been speaking to a lot of GB boys who are thinking about going pro now. It would be a nightmare.”
If that would have been the nightmare, what is the daydream?
“Hopefully I can be fighting for a world title in two years,” said Docherty. “And maybe Canelo Alvarez is still around. Beating him in Las Vegas would be the ultimate aim. Everybody in my team believes in me. I want a shot at him before he goes.
“You’ve got to think big.”
