I was seven or eight and a kid who was easily picked on. Not bullied but other kids would've told me what to do in the streets. I was very shy. I used to put my head down.

There was nothing special about me; there are boxers in Belfast who are more skilled but I had a bit between my teeth that drives me on.

I remember going through checkpoints as a kid. It felt normal but, looking back, of course it created tension. People standing with guns, sometimes your car getting searched and being asked where you are going. It changes the atmosphere.

I was always quiet and even timid.

From Tiger's Bay in Belfast to the MGM in Vegas... it's been some ride so far. And the best is still to come.

It's Northern Ireland, it's Ireland, it's Scotland, it's Wales, there's Scousers, Londoners, all behind me.