Snooker star Joe O’Connor eyeing up pro boxing: ‘It would be quite cool’

It could be a unique double career ahead for Joe O’Connor (Picture: Getty Images)

Joe O’Connor fancies a professional career in two sports, with the snooker star eyeing up the boxing ring as well.

The 29-year-old is back at the Crucible this year for a second time after beating Mark Selby in his opening game on debut 12 months ago.

Eventual champion Kyren Wilson beat him in the next round but O’Connor showed that he can hang with the best on the big stage, which is what he will try and do again in his first round clash with John Higgins on Monday.

On the table is where the Leicester man looks set for a long and successful ahead of him, but he fancies trying his hand at some pugilism as well as cuemanship.

He has been training regularly for years now and the itch to swap training for a proper fight is becoming very tempting to scratch.

‘I’m still boxing, up to four times and week now and jiu- jitsu twice,’ he said. ‘Over the last few weeks it’s been a bit tricky to get the sessions in with the qualifiers. I love it.

‘I’ve got a coach. We do one-to-one sessions. It’s more technical rather than the fitness side. I don’t really spar because I don’t want to undergo any unnecessary injuries or have a black eye on TV!

O’Connor is looking to land his first ranking title (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I’ve never had a fight, in or out of the ring, but the more I train the more I think I want to give it a go.’

Given how much he trains with the gloves on, O’Connor reckons he’s past the level of white-collar boxing, designed for novices to step into the ring, and he is eyeing up amateur fights, with the possibility of turning pro.

‘I don’t want to boast, but I think I’m a little bit too good for white collar, so it might have to be an actual fight against someone who trains all the time,’ he said.

‘If anyone’s out there who wants me to get on Misfits [Boxing], I’d definitely do that.

‘I’d have to start with amateur fights, but I want to try and turn pro. It would be quite cool to be pro at a couple of things.’

O’Connor was impressive on debut last year against Selby (Picture: Getty Images)

Before any thoughts of Vaseline, spit buckets and hand wraps, O’Connor has cues, balls and baize to deal with in the coming days.

The world number 30 loved his experience in Sheffield last year and is relishing a return to the iconic home of snooker.

He looked in good form in qualifying, where he beat Iulian Boiko and Jackson Page and only last month was in the World Open final, where he was beaten by his first round opponent at the Crucible, Higgins.

‘It’s great to be back playing there in that venue, I really enjoyed it last year,’ he said. ‘Especially coming off a final, there was a bit of extra pressure that I felt to get through, hopefully I can go there and win again.

‘I think temperament-wise I’m up there with the best on tour and over a long distance I think that’s crucial. Not letting your head go and keep 100 per cent concentration and just stick in there.

‘I’ve always believed I can get to the top of this game, it’s just about proving to everyone else what I believe.’

O’Connor and Higgins meet over two sessions at 10am and 7pm on Monday for a place in the second round, where the winner will face Xiao Guodong.