'Dynamite' Dann to make come back

Scott 'Dynamite' Dann is set to make a roaring comeback and defend his Commonwealth title, the Herald can reveal.

Dann, aged 32, is set to make his first appearance in the ring in almost a year at Plymouth Pavilions on Friday, March 23.

Plymouth's boxing hero has been out of action since May after suffering a back injury in a car accident near his St Judes home.

He was forced to relinquish his British middleweight title after the injury left him unable to fight. But now the city sporting legend is fighting back and today, in an exclusive and candid interview with The Herald, he describes the last year as being the 'hardest of my life' and talks openly about how he hit the bottle as he sought to drown the pain and depression of injury.

Dann today roared out a warning to his rivals and also had a message to his legion of fans: 'I'm coming back'.

Dann is set to make his first appearance in the ring in almost a year but he admitted he would have to 'fight through the pain' in order to achieve his dream of becoming world champion. Plymouth's most famous sporting son told the Herald that he is also taking a 'massive gamble' when he defends his Commonwealth middleweight crown in the arena where he has enjoyed considerable success.

He admitted that he will only ever have, at the most, 80 per cent of his previous punching power which has seen him stop 17 opponents inside the distance.

Dann spoke candidly to the Herald of having to deal with his own 'personal hell' after a car accident near his St Judes home in May looked to have ended his glittering career.

The father of two also admitted that he had hit the bottle as he sought to drown the pain, the despair and the demons which plagued him when he believed his world and his life was falling apart.

Thankfully, said Dann, he caught sight of his reflection last summer and had been shocked by how out of shape he looked.

He decided then that if he could help his body recover then he could also resurrect his career.

As a result of his own discipline and self-belief, Dann now believes that he can see 'light at the end of the tunnel' where before he felt he had no future at all and that he would lose all that he had trained and fought for.

The 32-year-old also praised his family and friends who helped him through the dark times of his exile from the ring, when inactivity meant that he was not bringing in a wage to support his wife and children.

Having to relinquish his British middleweight title last summer after being unable to fight because of his back injury, he said, brought home to him just how serious a plight he was in.

But the city icon said thanks to the backing of his relatives, including his wife Sonia, his mates, people in the streets, his friend and trainer, Dave Smith, he survived and realised that he has 'to learn to live with the pain'.

Dann also insisted that level of support vindicated the decision early in his career to remain in the city he loves and to bring the world title back to Plymouth.

Dann admitted the past few months had been a chastening experience but that he could talk with feeling and empathy to others who are suffering from depression, with the message: 'Don't give up, things are not always as bleak as they appear'.

Now back in training and looking to get back down to the 11st 6lb weight limit, Dann said he could look back philosophically and also forward with optimism.

He said: "I don't know who I'll be fighting yet, but I'm just happy to be able to tell everyone that I'm coming back.

"I didn't think I'd ever say that as it's been a long, frustrating and really depressing time for me - the hardest year of my life.

"I can say that even though I got married to Sonia back in the summer - that's how depressed I had become.

"I was in absolute agony in my back and could hardly move following the accident and even had to take painkillers, which I never do.

"If you had said to me then that I'd be preparing for a title defence back at the Pavilions and in front of all my friends, I've have told you to get real and get lost.

"I sank into my own little pit of despair and started drinking too much.

"I couldn't sit down or lie down without pain, so I ate and drank just to get through the days.

"I'd always been active and prided myself on my fitness, so it was hard for me to take.

"But I caught my reflection in the glass and when I saw how I had let myself go, I thought 'That's it, I'm going to change things'.

"Thanks to the drive I've always had inside and also to my wife, kids, family and friends I was able to pull myself through.

"Some people have told me in the past that I should have moved to London when I first turned professional. They said, staying in Plymouth will hold you back.

"To an extent, that's probably true, I could have become a champion earlier. But it's at times like these that I know by staying in the city I love along with all my family and friends, I have profited, big time.

"And even though my back still hurts, I can't describe the relief that I feel knowing that I've got a future. Yes, it's a big gamble as I don't know how my back is going to hold up over 12 rounds - if I have to go the distance.

"But I'd rather go in for the big one rather than have a six or eight-round warm-up fight first.

"However, I'll probably have to prepare for that as I can't twist and torque my body to unload the big punches because of my back injury.

"But I'd rather live with that, than be as I was last year.

"I've been to specialists and they suggested for me to have an operation on my back, which I turned down flat.

"I know in my heart and in my soul that I can still become world champion - I really do.

"My plan is to defend the Commonwealth belt a couple of times then get Chris (Sanigar - Dann's manager) to push my name forward for a shot at the European title.

"But, right now I'm happy to take it each fight at a time.

"Deep down, I know if I look after myself and train properly and eat right, that I am a match for any middleweight in the world."

Thanks to his own strict training regime, his belief in supplementing his diet with vitamins, the help of local outlet 'Healthy Pulses' and dietician Sarah Heaton, Dann is optimistic that over the next 11 weeks he will get down to the weight limit.

He said: "I've always tried to eat properly. Also, I find running around 30 miles a week, that helps to burn off any excess fat.

"So, me and Dave (Smith) will be hard at it over the next few weeks - we'll both make sure of that.

"I'll make sure I am in the best possible condition when I get into the ring on March 23.

"I can't wait to feel the burst of adrenalin again and to put a smile on a couple of thousand Plymothians' faces."

Before his accident, Dann had been on a ten-fight winning streak and had won both the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles at the Pavilions. He is rated number eight in the International Boxing Federation's world middleweight rankings and has twice been voted the Herald's Sports Personality of the Year.

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The very best of luck to Scott, He's a great lad and really does do a lot for his home city ;)