For Dean Gillen, it’s better late than never against Vijender Singh

A steady job as a fireman, a hands-on dad and on the wrong side of 30, Vijender’s next opponent is as unlikely a boxer as they come.

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On the day the fight was announced, Dean Gillen was busy helping his daughter with schoolwork.

About a week back, on the day he turned 30, Vijender Singh’s twitter feed was inundated with congratulatory wishes from friends and fans. There was one unlikely message as well. It was sent by Dean Gillen, who will be Vijender’s second professional opponent in Dublin on Saturday. “Happy Birthday @boxervijender welcome to the 30’s club! (sic),” Gillen wrote. Vijender ‘favourited’ the message.

Both boxers will be fighting to keep an unbeaten record but they have common ground as well. Both are starting their careers — the bout will only be Gillen’s third. But what’s more unusual is that both are at the other side of their third decade. Building a prize fighter into a title contender requires a combination of talent, hardwork, judicious management in picking suitable opponents and above all — time — which both fighters lack. While a young fighter can eventually recover from an early loss, it could well sound the death knell for the career of a late starter. Of the current world boxing champions, perhaps only two began their careers post thirty (Guillermo Rigondeaux and Adonis Stevenson) Gillen as such faces an even sterner challenge than Vijender. He made his debut this May, just a month before his 33rd birthday. And unlike Vijender who had a storied amateur career going back almost 20 years, Gillen has been boxing only a fraction of that time. He never had a “I boxed on and off in my mid 20s,” he said. “I began taking things seriously only around 2010. I had a bad injury where I dislocated my right shoulder. At that point I decided that if I was going to continue with this sport, I needed to get serious about my training and nutrition,” he says. Gillen’s goal back then was the Police and Firefighters Games in 2013. Gillen says he promised himself that he would turn professional only if he won gold. He knocked out all his opponents to win the middleweight crown.

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For Gillen though, turning professional was always the dream. He isn’t attracted by the prospect of possible riches. As a 11-year veteran of the Nottingham fire service, he holds a steady job. “I’m not in it for the money. That comes and goes. It’s about recognition and being able to say you’ve turned professional in your chosen sport. I want to be able to turn around in the future and tell the grandkids a few stories. And a belt will be something I can always boast about,” he says.

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But Gillen is realistic about the challenges he faces. A younger fighter would perhaps chose to fight an easier opponent towards the beginning of his career to keep the number in his losses column of his career record a perfect zero. That’s not an option for him.

“I know that realistically I only have two or three years in the sport. So I can expect to fight about 15 to 20 times in that period. The older you are, the more risks you have to take because you have to grab any opportunity you might get,” he says. Indeed, because he knows he might have to fight on short notice, Gillen doesn’t swing between pre and competition weight. “I try to stay close to my fight weight so I don’t have too much to do before a fight. If you train too hard before a fight, you could pick up an injury, so I try to avoid doing it,” he says.

There is also a matter of contesting priorities for Gillen, a father of three daughters. “In my mind, I have to prioritise being a dad,” says Gillen. On the day when his fight was announced last month, Vijender had a long sparring session. Gillen, meanwhile, was helping his daughter with schoolwork.

But Gillen believes there are a few advantages. Gillen doesn’t have the benefit of a long amateur career like Vijender — who feels it gives him plenty of relevant experience that he can take into the professional ring. His career as a firefighter he believes has given him a calmness that will help him out. “I’m a lot more mentally tougher than I used to be. I suppose that maturity comes with age,” he says.

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The fact that he hasn’t had a lot of fights also means that he hasn’t taken too much damage to his body. “I guess the body becomes a lot tougher as well with age, like a tough piece of meat. I’ve been lucky because I haven’t had a lot of wear and tear,” he says.

Gillen believes he couldn’t have chosen a better time to be a prizefighter. “I am in the best physical condition of my career. I know more about nutrition and training than I did before,” he says. Even his family life seems to have fallen in place. “My youngest daughter is eight and she started school only a few years back. That’s made it much easier for me to go out and train more consistently,” he says.

All things considered, Gillen is realistic about his goals. “I do dream, but my goals are realistic. I know a national title will be difficult to achieve in the time that I have but I would like a couple of area titles,” he says.

Gillen is equally measured about his prospects against Vijender. “Vijender is a superstar. I saw him at the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. And when my colleagues first heard I was to fight him they couldn’t believe it. I know I will be an underdog but even if I lose, I need to lose well.”

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Regardless of the outcome of the bout, Gillen feels he is serving another role. “I don’t want to say to my children to do what they needed to do to make their dreams come true if I hadn’t done it myself. I’d like to believe that I can inspire people. That you still can do things at an age where you normally wouldn’t consider it. I’ve left it quite late, but it’s better than never. Right now I’m living my dream,” he says.

Father-fighter

* Both Vijender and Gillen are late starters. Among current world champions, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Adonis Stevenson began their careers after 30.

* Gillen, 33, started taking boxing seriously in 2010. He made his pro debut in May this year.

* Gillen promised himself he would turn pro if he won the Police and Firefighters Games in 2013. He knocked out all his opponents to the middleweight title.

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* He has been employed with the Nottingham fire service for 11 years. He has three daughters with the youngest 8 years old.