Spike O'Sullivan: 'I am without doubt the hardest punching baker in the world'

Since Spike O'Sullivan was beaten by the Mexican Jaime Munguia way back in January 2020 and it was unclear whether or not he would be seen again

Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan getting some work in with coach Paschal Collins. O’Sullivan makes his return Saturday. Tom Hogan/Golden Boy via Sportsfile

It was June of last year when Spike O’Sullivan caught a glimpse of himself in a photograph and realised that a newfound obsession with cake was threatening to end his boxing career for good.

The global pandemic and the resulting lockdowns turned plenty into amateur bakers but for Mahon puncher O’Sullivan, his penchant for pudding had gone well beyond the odd banana bread, which has punctuated many
Instagram feeds since Covid hit.

‘Spike’, who has spent his whole boxing lifetime operating with a bodyweight around 11st, ballooned up to over 14st during 2020 after happily baking a ‘family-size cake’ — and eating it all — every single day.

O’Sullivan has not boxed since he was beaten by the Mexican Jaime Munguia way back in January 2020 and it was unclear whether or not he would be seen again. Then, when the pandemic came a few months later, he stayed at home with his four children while his partner Selena, a pharmacist, worked every hour under the sun.

Despite that defeat in January, the 34-year-old says 2020 turned out to be one of the best years of his life but it came at a physical cost.

“I got to spend so much time with my kids. It was fantastic and I really enjoyed that,” O’Sullivan recalls.

“I became a baker — I’m an expert on baking cakes. I am without doubt the hardest punching baker in the world.

“We like making queen cakes and turning them into dinosaurs. That’s the sort of thing I’m talking about.

“But I was eating so many cakes. My missus was as busy as ever but I was eating cake continuously, for the duration.

It was a long, long year because we didn’t know if boxing would come back. For myself, being so heavy — I got over 14st in June 2020. I saw a picture which frightened me.

“I was thinking I might never box again. I saw that picture and I just knew I had to cut out the cake. When the missus was at work I was genuinely eating a family-size cake every day. The kids got sick of eating the cake but they enjoyed making them — I still ate them though.”

Now Spike has put a stop to all that and has whipped himself into shape again. He takes on Nodar Robakidze in Belgium Saturday but with no flights into the country, he had to fly to Amsterdam before getting a train into Liege. In truth, the journey started way back in September.

“That was when I got back in the gym,” says Spike, who still drives all the way from Cork to Paschal Collins’ Dublin gym for training.

“I had been doing a bit of running, some weights and I bought a punchbag for the garden. But when I got back running I got plantar fasciitis in my feet — the extra weight I was carrying didn’t help — so I had to take a break from running for six weeks.

“But I got a massage machine for the feet and I’m back better than ever now. I’m flying. I’m back in the gym and I love it so much and I’m so excited to fight on Saturday night.

It feels a bit surreal because I’ve been wondering whether it would even happen again. I’m so happy to be back.

“It’s another part of the narrative and another adventure.”

Defeat to Munguia was the fourth of O’Sullivan’s career and his second in four outings. But he is still adamant that he is within touching distance of a world title shot. Victory on Saturday, of course, is only the first step but he can see a clear path to the hardware.

“Jermell Charlo has three belts and I believe he will fight Brian Castano for the other one in the summer,” O’Sullivan explains.

“If he wins he will move up in weight and vacate all the titles. So there will be four vacant titles — so eight men to fight for them — and I could be among them. Once I get back winning I will get a ranking at light-middleweight and I’m in the mix.

“If I get a world title shot I am confident I can knock out any man at this weight. I’ve never been beaten at light-middleweight, all my defeats have come to elite fighters up at middleweight.”

And he’s in no rush either. Although one might think Spike is entering the closing stages of his career, he insists he still plans to fight on for another seven years.

“That’s my plan,” he explains.

“My intention is to box for another seven years because I want to do 20 years as a pro. I started at 23 and I’ll bow out at 43. I feel great now, so it’s achievable.

“I honestly feel like I’m in the best shape ever. I should win this one but you never know, I never underestimate anyone.

I’m more nervous about these fights than the big ones because it’s pretty much a lose-lose fight.