"It hasn't been officially announced or anything, but I am retired from boxing..."
Brendan Irvine almost has to convince himself that his fighting days are over.
The candid statement requires a brief moment of reflection before he continues.
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"I am finished with fighting. I am retired but probably nobody really knows about it," he adds.
"I was thinking of going professional after the Tokyo Olympics, but things just weren't right at the time. And I am now in a good job that I love doing, so why would I jeopardise that?"
Irvine had reached a crossroads in his glittering amateur career when he returned home from Tokyo. He was already a two-time Olympian, European and Commonwealth Games silver medallist and 18-time Irish champion.
The St Paul's ABC flyweight had the world at his fists, but little did he know that his Olympic defeat to Carlo Paalam of the Philippines would be the last time he would lace up the gloves in a competitive arena.
After returning from Tokyo, Irvine landed a job as community coach with the Ulster Branch of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA).
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Irvine has immersed himself in the role over the past two years. And his 'all or nothing' philosophy meant something had to give.
"There is no sense in me going pro and trying to juggle my job with a boxing career. When I do something I am 100 per cent committed," the 27-year-old said.
"I can't be half in, half out. That's not how I operate.
"If I went professional I would have to leave my job and solely focus on a career inside the ring. I can't burn the candle at both ends.
"I love my job and I get a lot of satisfaction out of it. It is like doing what I have done over the past number of years, but doing it on the other side of the ropes.
"I am showing kids the basics of boxing and having fun while doing so. Boxing is a hard, tough sport.
"Kids can be intimidated. So I try and make it fun for them."
Irvine took up boxing at the age of nine and has dedicated his life to the sport.
He fought out of St Paul's ABC in Andersonstown and immediately set his sights on becoming an Olympian.
Not only did he realise that dream once (in Rio 2016), but twice when he fought in the delayed Tokyo Games two years ago.
"There are loads of things I am proud of. From a kid of nine years of age deciding to give boxing a go, and then achieving what I did," he added.
"I took up boxing to give it a crack, and then I set my sights on becoming an Olympian. I have achieved that twice, and could probably have done it again next year.
"I would have been confident enough qualifying for the next Games, but what would I get out of it? I'd maybe get a medal which would be great.
"But if I didn't get a medal it would still be great. So it was the best decision to push on in my own life.
"I am getting married in September which is exciting. It is all happening for me."
Irvine says accepting retirement was difficult, so much so that he would fabricate a comeback story to satisfy the curiosity of fans.
"It was a very tough decision for me. I'd say I have only got comfortable talking about it over the past three or four months," he said.
"When I am at boxing shows people would be asking me, 'when are you fighting again?'. And I would be saying, 'I am trying to go pro', even though I knew in my head I wasn't going pro.
"It was just because people were torturing me. So it was a hard decision, because boxing has been such a huge part of my life.
"The positive is I still get to work in the sport and do something I enjoy. I am probably more involved in boxing now.
"I am also involved with my club, St Paul's ABC. And I am involved with Ulster University and Ulster High-Performance, so my time is bouncing from here to there, here to there, doing coaching and other events.
"I am loving it, and I don't get punched in the head anymore, which is good."
Irvine briefly considered fighting alongside his job with the IABA after returning from Tokyo, a plan endorsed by former Irish High Performance Director Bernard Dunne.
But Dunne's resignation in May last year left Irvine on the ropes when it came to his career plans.
"After Tokyo I didn't really have a plan. I knew I had a interview for the job, which I ended up getting," Irvine recalls.
"But my initial plan was still to box and do the job as well, under Bernard Dunne. Bernard said he would work with me.
"He trusted me a lot. I was injured for a year before the Olympic qualifier, but I trained at home. I stayed in my own bed and trained at Jordanstown and St Paul's.
"Bernard kept in touch with me every week and I kept him updated on how I was feeling, and how my training was going. I was selected to go to the Olympic qualifier and was the first one to qualify.
"Then coronavirus>Covid hit which put everything back. But Bernard trusted me and we had a good relationship.
"If I was having a bad day, I told him. If it was a s*** day, I was up front with Bernard.
"So I accepted the job, and then Bernard resigned. So I was sort of stuck in limbo a bit, and didn't know what to do.
"My missus and I got a house before the Olympics, and when I came home we settled in and the following year we started planning our wedding.
"That's when I thought about turning professional. I got my licence to go professional, and I was close.
"I paid for all that out of my own pocket. My medical, licence and things like that.
"But things just weren't right in terms of management and money. And I had a good job so I decided to focus on that.
"Most pro boxers don't make a lot of money out of the sport. You have to reach the top to get something back.
"People don't realise the sacrifices many boxers make. I had to weigh all that up."
As for the future, Irvine says his 'ultimate' aim is to one-day become part of the Irish high-performance coaching programme.
He said: "Maybe down the line this could lead to high-performance coaching. That is ultimately what I would like to do.
"I go up on a Saturday and help the Ulster high-performance. I was away last year with the youth and juniors in Italy for an Ulster high-performance training camp.
"So down the line that is something I'd like to do. I am building towards that."
Irvine admits he remains fully immersed in boxing, even if it means he "doesn't get punched in the face anymore".
He says: "I am at ease with my decision. Everything has worked out for me.
"I am still heavily involved in the sport. I am actually in Dublin today to coach in the Monkstown Boxing Club with St Paul's.
"We have nine boxers down here today competing. So it's all good.
"I now have a career in front of me. There aren't too many boxers who retire and have something to fall back on.
"I have been fortunate."
Irvine is revelling in his role as Community Boxing Coach in Belfast, run by the Irish Athletic Boxing Association and partly funded by Belfast City Council.
One of his next coaching clinics will be a special six-week Summer Camp at his amateur club, St Paul's.
Irvine will teach kids aged between 6-15 the fundamentals of boxing, in the hope that he might encourage or inspire a future generation of Irish fight stars.
"If you can show kids the basics and they can master them, then they could have a bright future. The basics are simple to pick up - good footwork, good hands and head movement," he said.
"If you get the fundamentals right at an early age, then you can be successful in the sport.
"I have been doing this job for almost two years. It will be two years this September.
"I am loving it. Every day is different.
"I am at different schools every day. Different youth clubs, community centres.
"And you're working with kids from both sides of the community which is great. You are bringing kids together through event days and things like that.
"The last one we held as for International Women's Day at Lisnasharragh. That was a massive success.
"We had over 200 kids there that day and the Lord Mayor came along, too. I was there with Paddy Gallagher, and Paddy Barnes was there.
"If you can spark interest in a couple of kids at these events then it is worthwhile. Especially with females.
"Girls and women boxers are unbelievable at the minute, and the Irish women's team is the best in the world.
"The girls are leading the way in amateur and professional boxing in Ireland. So if we can kickstart some more journeys, it is an amazing feeling."
He added: "A lot of kids now play GAA, soccer, rugby, hockey or whatever. I want to give kids a chance to experience boxing, something they maybe want to try but are too afraid to go to a boxing club.
"I enjoy giving something back and coaching the younger kids. There is a lot of talent out there, and I am sure there is a lot of potential out there who just haven't had the chance to try the sport yet."
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