Macaulay McGowan had initially planned to avoid participating in the dads’ race by feigning an injury. It didn’t matter if it was his leg, arm, or head – any excuse would suffice. In fact, with his face still showing bruises from a fight he had on Friday night, just one glimpse would evoke sympathy from even the most fiercely competitive parent, leading them to grant him exemption from the race.
Yet the problem for McGowan was that his daughter, Florence, already a winner herself in the beanbag race, was having none of it. “Come on, Dad,” she said to her hero. “You have to.”
“I didn’t perform too well,” McGowan admitted as soon as he completed the race at sports day. “I was consistently mediocre, finishing fourth out of eight participants. I narrowly missed making it to the top three positions.”
Florence, his seven-year-old daughter, had a much more successful outcome. She proudly brought home the medals, or rather, stickers, and her father, observing from the sidelines, was content simply to witness her transformation from a fighter to an ordinary human being.
McGowan is now enjoying the freedom to eat whatever he desires, go wherever he pleases, and fulfill a role that surpasses that of a mere fighter. He currently finds himself in a delightful phase, similar to a honeymoon period, where the excitement and energy from the battle, as well as its aftermath, still propel him forward before the unavoidable crash.
“I’m feeling quite exhilarated at the moment,” he expressed. “Sleep has eluded me lately, but I know this euphoria won’t last forever, right? Currently, there’s a lot of excitement and praise surrounding me, being referred to as a warrior and whatnot. However, all of that eventually fades away, and what remains is simply the weight of defeat. It does require time for everything to calm down and find its place.”
I anticipate reaching this stage soon, either in the coming days or shortly after, where I will acknowledge the loss and experience some pain. However, I persevere and do not allow myself to become overly disheartened. I may have a brief period of feeling down, but then I move forward.
McGowan faced off against the highly-regarded German boxer Abass Baraou in a European super-welterweight title match on Friday. This achievement alone is significant, especially considering the reputation of Baraou and McGowan’s career trajectory so far. However, it was the way McGowan pushed himself and won over the hearts of fans that made him feel like a winner, despite the defeat. While he may have fallen short on his big night, his performance on live television on Channel 5 garnered the kind of appreciation that many fighters struggle to achieve even when they emerge victorious.
He expressed his focus on achieving personal success from within. By giving my utmost effort in training and delivering a flawless performance, I accomplish my desired goals. Essentially, that’s the extent of my capabilities.
“It’s disappointing that my best wasn’t good enough. But, at the same time, it’s not in my control. I can’t magic the win out of nowhere. I can’t magic the skills to beat that lad on the night. I did my best in the fight and he was better than me. I’ve got to accept that and I do accept it. That’s how I get over a loss.
“The losses sting, yes, they do, and they will forever, simply because I am a true competitor and my ultimate desire is to emerge victorious. However, I must occasionally acknowledge that despite giving it my all, my best may fall short. I understand it may not be glamorous or align with the narratives portrayed in sports literature, but it is a mindset that resonates with me and proves effective.”
“I acknowledge that I am not satisfied with my current level or the boxer I have become. I am determined to dedicate myself to improving the areas that require work. However, if I have already put in the effort and given my all in preparing for the fight, there is nothing more I can do. If the outcome doesn’t favor me, there is little else within my control, right?”
Abass Baraou outpoints Macaulay McGowan
To say McGowan’s attitude to competition is refreshing would be quite the understatement. In thinking this way, the 29-year-old shows not only humility, maturity and understanding, but also an intelligence and confidence most would assume he is lacking given everything he has just said. True intelligence, after all, has as much to do with an ability to accept and deal with reality as it does anything else. Even confidence, this thing so many boxers both need and crave, is only beneficial if it is a confidence rooted in some kind of reality and an awareness of what is true and what is not. Otherwise, it is not confidence but delusion.
“I got a European title shot out of the blue and I think everyone thought Baraou would knock me out and it would be a quick, easy night for him,” said McGowan. “The scorecards (119-110, 118-110, and 117-111) might show it was an ‘easy’ night for him, but I know full well each round was competitive. All right, there was the odd round or two he won clearly, but the rest were all close. It was never easy for him.
He isn’t just an ordinary person either. He possessed genuine skills as a fighter at the world level, earning a European title. Despite my utmost efforts, I simply fell short.
The Mancunian expressed, “Although I lost, I refuse to consider myself defeated. There was a time in my career when I never imagined being part of such intense battles. Yet, there I was, headlining a remarkable European title fight on Channel 5, giving the fans exactly what they desired. It was an unparalleled experience for me. I previously mentioned that winning the fight would have been a career-defining moment, but simply being able to reflect on the entire event – a European title fight against the WBA number two – holds immeasurable value. As a child, I would have done anything to have that moment.”
As humble as they come, and certainly as real as they come, McGowan isn’t the type to dine out on a performance – whether in victory or defeat. Instead, as was shown on Monday, he is more inclined to break free from the ersatz world of attention and adulation and return immediately to what he does best and what he knows. In other words, as quickly as possible he wants to return to reality; the day job; real life.
“His assessment of his first day back as a laborer measuring and cutting plasterboard was relatively positive,” he remarked. “I didn’t have an overwhelming workload. My tasks mainly involved precise measurements for the plasterboard and some cutting, followed by tidying up.”
At work, there was an air of pure delight among everyone. The talk of the town was the fight, and people showered me with heaps of praise. I relished the experience. It’s refreshing to strike a balance, interact with others, and reintroduce that routine into my life. Otherwise, dwelling on it becomes inevitable.
McGowan could be spotted at Joe Gallagher’s boxing gym before proceeding to cut up plasterboard. He spent his time there until 11.30 am, proudly displaying and wearing the sole symbols of triumph he had acquired from Friday’s fight in Bolton.
He expressed, “After experiencing a significant fight, particularly one resulting in a defeat, I prefer to confront my emotions by immersing myself in training on Mondays.” He admitted, “To be completely honest, my main motivation was to sport the Grant gloves I possessed. Throughout my career, I had a strong desire to wear them, but the price tag deterred me. I decided to keep them with me, allowing me the opportunity to wear them during my gym sessions.”
See. Who needs belts?
