Tyler Jolly thinking positive and targets first belt on Gladiator card

The Herald Scotland

20-06-2025

Jolly is back on the basketball court at the Playsport arena in East Kilbride this evening as part of St Andrew's Sporting Club's Gladiator III extravaganza and this time there is silverware on the line, the Celtic welterweight strap up for grabs against Wales's Jake Tinklin.
It is the sort of progression Jolly had hoped for after a year of inactivity and he is determined to make the most of this opportunity.
'I've had two good wins already this year but against journeymen - that's the only way to put it,' said the Kilmarnock-based boxer. 'They were just in there to survive. But this boy's a former Welsh champion, he's boxed for multiple titles, so hopefully he comes to fight. And, if so, that will be to his detriment.
'[What happened with the medical] is in the past now. I'm just looking forward with a positive mindset. I've been doing a lot of work on staying mentally strong with sports psychologists and stuff like that. It's all just about being positive now.
'I do things like writing down affirmations and speaking positively about things rather than thinking, 'why is this happening to me?' or 'poor me' or anything like that. I'm just being a positive person and trying to get good things in return.
'I'm focusing on this fight for now. It's a good title but it's also a good stepping stone title. It then gives you a bargaining tool to possibly push on for the British title or the Commonwealth title after only six fights. Then everybody will need to fight me eventually.'
Jolly enters this new era with a new coach in his corner having parted with former three-weight world champion Ricky Burns to work instead with Rob McKechnie and Stephen Simmons at the Boxing Scotland gym in Glasgow.
'I've left Ricky but there's no bad blood or anything,' reveals Jolly. 'Just his schedule wasn't really matching up with mine anymore. I'm now with Rob and Stephen at Boxing Scotland and it's going really well.
'I'm familiar with the two guys. It's just getting back to what I'm good at and focusing fully on boxing. I'm traveling from Kilmarnock up to Glasgow most days but that's nothing to me. I'm from Whithorn so I'm used to travelling miles to get anywhere.'
Jolly was part of the Team Scotland boxing crew that enjoyed varied success at the last edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. Reese Lynch became the last of the male fighters to turn over when he made his professional debut at the Hydro last month and Jolly says the group all continue to support each other as they usher in a new era for Scottish boxing.
'Reese was brilliant that night, he looked really strong,' says Jolly proudly. 'We're all the next ones coming through to represent Scottish boxing. Nathaniel Collins is leading the way now and there's me, Reese, Sam [Hickey] and all the rest.
'There's a whole crop of Scottish boxers with titles and pushing on to big shows in Scotland all the time. Instead of needing to jump to the English beat or wishing that you could get on a Saudi card, there's now enough boxers in Scotland you can build shows around, 100%.
'Me, Sam and Reese, we grew up with each other and still speak most days. Me and Jake [Limond] have been training and sparring together. Then there's Matty [McHale] as well who's fighting for the Commonwealth title on this card.
'Boxing is a small community in Scotland. You get close with everybody. It's not one group there, another group here. Everybody's friendly and we're all supporting each other on our different journeys.'