JUDE GALLAGHER is already eyeing up Los Angeles after becoming the second Irish boxer to lose to Carlo Paalam at an Olympics.
The Filipino defeated Brendan Irvine en route to silver at the Tokyo Games and Gallagher fared no better here against a man known as The Tin-Can Crusher, his previous job.
He dropped a unanimous decision and, whilst he might have been aggrieved to see all five judges give the second round to his opponent, he had no real complaints.
The Tyrone man said: “It’s tough. But look here this is where I wanted to be, sharing the ring with the best in the world, a Tokyo silver medalist.
“So I’m grateful it happened to be honest with you.
“I thought the fight was closer than what the scorecards made it out to be, but I’ve no complaints.
“It’s hard to know when you’re in there. I knew the fight was tight, I knew I wasn’t getting it all my own way, that’s what happens at this level. You just have to deal with it, bounce back stronger, and I will.
“It’s been an incredible experience.
“There’s been a lot of Irish boxers on before me, I’ve been watching them back in the Village and I’ve been itching to get out ever since.
“I got in here today and gave it my best. I can leave with my head held high.
“I’m only 22 so in four years’ time I’ll be a much different boxer, I’ll only grow from this. I’ll go on now and set my sights on LA, I’ll be peaking come 26, 27, I’ll be a different boxer.”
The flyweight was the fifth out of seven Irish boxers to lose their opening bout and he admitted it was an uphill struggle once the first round went against him.
He said “Yeah, it’s hard but you have to stay composed. You have to control your emotions and implement the plan and I did that, I didn’t get too eager or too aggressive.
“He was trying to counter me and bring the overhand rights so I had to be cautious coming forward.”
He went for it in the third round but to no avail.
He said: “I knew I was two rounds down. I had to bite down on the gumshield, put the hands up and go forward. I had good success doing it, it just didn’t work out. But, look, I’ll be back.”