Brooke Neely: “I have always said if I got a medal at the Commonwealth Games, I would like to be on GB.”

Brooke Neely: “I have always said if I got a medal at the Commonwealth Games, I would like to be on GB.”

It was a moment of celebration. Selected as part of an 11-strong Scottish boxing team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, Brooke Neely was looking forward to a tournament that could decide her immediate fighting future. But an old injury resurfaced that very briefly threatened her place on the team.

“I was hitting the bag, and my knee dislocated,” Neely told FightPost over Zoom. “It has happened before, so it will probably happen a lot now.”

But there was no panic from the 21-year-old. “As soon as it happened, people were telling me I had time. It’s only been a week, but it already feels better.”

Neely is still firmly on course for Glasgow next month. “It’s exciting,” Neely says of her impending appearance at the Commonwealth Games. “It’s always been a goal of mine. It was supposed to be in Australia, but obviously they cancelled it. And now it’s in Glasgow, which is good because my family can now come.”

“To win,” Neely added when I asked what her expectations were in Glasgow. “But even just getting a medal would be class. That’s what I am hoping for. Getting a medal would be something to keep me boxing after the Commonwealth Games. It will give me that push to keep going. It’s a lot of pressure, but if I got a medal, I would be happy with that.”

The Commonwealth Games are vitally important for Brooke Neely. If a medal does come her way in Glasgow, it could open the door for more amateur successes. But if she leaves without getting a place on the podium, the world of professional boxing could await her. “If I didn’t get a medal, I think I would still box, but I wouldn’t try for another games. I know some people would try again, but I don’t think I would stick around for another four years. I would like to turn professional.”

Boxing came into her life at an incredibly early age. “I was 9 when I started boxing,” Neely says. “My brother went, and I kept saying to my dad, ‘ Can I go.’ And he said no. I ended up going, and my coach said I was talented. He said it straight away. The first night I went, he said I was talented.”

“I did boxing because I wanted to do MMA,” she added. “I always thought I would be an MMA fighter for some reason. So, I went to the gym and ended up winning the British and the Scottish. I got into the Elite national team when I was 15.”

The 21-year-old is now more than 50 fights into her boxing life. A six-time national champion. A statistic that could indicate a golden future for her. But medals aside, boxing carries a deeper meaning for her. “I love the adrenaline. I couldn’t imagine my life if I didn’t box. I have been doing it for that long. Everyone knows me as the boxer more than anything else. I like waking up in the morning and going to the gym. Doing the strength and conditioning. I like the sparring. I just love the routine. I like the complete discipline, because I need that. I don’t know what I would be like if I didn’t have it.”

The importance of the Commonwealth Games for Brooke Neely is obvious. If she wins a medal, it could mean she finds herself on the Olympic pathway. If she leaves Glasgow empty-handed, the pro ranks could come sooner rather than later. “I have always said if I got a medal at the Commonwealth Games, I would like to be on GB, and get an assessment for that. I would do that straight away because that’s your life. It becomes your job. So that would probably be ideal for me. I would also like a European or a world medal. If not, then I would just turn pro with someone decent.