Love Island winner Jack opens up on his happiness, his fight plan that could lead him into the ring with Tommy Fury and why he would love to go back into The Villa in summer
To kick off the New Year, BritishGambler sat down with the charming and witty Jack Fincham, off the back of the Love Island winner resetting himself for the year ahead in solitude at a Spa. With Love Island All Stars kicking off next week, Jack admitted that he needs to focus on himself and be selfish with his time, but that he would love to go back on Love Island come the summer, a place he considers the ultimate place to find love, and a place that brings out the best in himself.
A professional boxer, Jack has laid out the route that he wants to navigate by announcing his first fight against an influencer in May, before taking on the fight that he truly wants against Aaron Chalmers. Jack has said that the world is his oyster after that, but he would be willing to fight Tommy Fury, who he knows previously passed on a fight with him, and that Tommy is not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination.
I know that you have a fight lined up for May – are you allowed to say who it is against?
There have been a few options from speaking to my boxing manager. I’ve been out for over a year now, so this is gonna be my comeback fight. I’m gearing up for Aaron Chalmers at some point in the year, so this one is to shake the rust off, although you don’t take any fight lightly.
There have been two or three options thrown at me and I’ll be honest that they are influencers, so I will beat them. In my eyes, they’re there to be beaten. Obviously, they will put up a fight, but it looks like it will be an influencer.
There is no one set in stone, but I spoke to him today and the fight is 100% happening in May. I’m back with my old trainer, getting my nut down and getting on with it.
Speaking of influencers, I know there are some more famous ones in the world of boxing – how would you like to line up against KSI in the ring?
I’m just gonna say this honestly, because while in the boxing world he has transformed over to being professional, I have a lot more experience than KSI, and going off his last performance and watching how Tommy dealt with that – I’ve got more experience than him as well from doing amateur fights as well – but I watched it and would have dealt with it so differently and would have beaten him clearly. It’s questionable if Tommy even won that to be honest…
Would you have been embarrassed if that even went to the 2nd round if you were in the ring?
I reckon I would have beaten him inside 3 rounds without a doubt. I want this to be known that I’m not talking about KSI because he’s the big card, I’d fight him for nothing to prove a point. When I am fit and in shape, I will fight him for absolutely nothing just to prove the point that I’m good enough to be in the mix with those names.
I’ve said this load of times and I’ve been doing it such a long time, the only thing that has ever let me down is not committing enough to training and cutting corners in training; losing too much in the weight cut, still sneaking out for a drink a couple of weeks before which I did on my last fight. If I get my head down and just train properly, and I’ve trained and sparred with people that would beat them hands down at British Level. I’m not saying this to out it out there for loads of money; I’ll fight him for nothing. I will fight him for free to prove the point.
You mentioned Tommy Fury there – does that make him the second-best boxer to come out of Love Island then?
Tommy’s third. I’d say for me the first is probably Idris Virgo for boxers that have been on Love Island. Idris first, me second and Tommy third. That’s just be being honest and nothing against Tommy because I like him as a person, but boxing-wise, he’s good but he’s not out of this world. He’s just got a massive following; he’s a Fury at the end of the day!
He can box, he’s a good fighter, he’s strong, he’s in good shape, he dedicates himself but put it this way – he’s not unbeatable. He’s not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination.
I imagine you have a lot of respect for Tyson Fury and the way he has overcome his struggles?
I look up to Tyson massively. I was on stage with him a few years ago as he was doing a talk – he probably won’t remember me, but I have a photo of is somewhere! But he’s a hero of mine, especially the way he talks openly about mental health.
I watched his documentary the day it came out, At Home with The Furys. I love him. I watch his videos for inspiration, and he’s someone that I would go out of my way to watch videos of to make me feel better about myself and to help me through stuff, he’s that much of an influence on me without a doubt.
The way he has come back, I guess that’s exactly how you’re viewing boxing now too?
I’m using boxing to get myself in shape both mentally and physically. I’ve listened to some of his interviews where he said he was using drink and drugs, and the fact that he has overcome it, then why can’t I make something of myself in boxing as well? I think he’s brilliant.
Your fight with Anthony Taylor was at the end of 2022. Do you feel like you’ve improved a lot as a boxer since then?
Yeah, and so has he to be fair. I learned a lot about myself. That for me, I’ve got to box on a World level stage at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai with Mayweather in the same arena. You don’t just get in there with someone that lives the life and is fit as a fiddle, who has had five professional boxing fights before me. To go in there and get to do it. On paper he won. If it was me with an influencer or a KSI that night, it would have been a different story, I would have beaten any of them.
What is your fight plan moving forward?
I won’t say dream fight, but because it’s been spoken about so much and he’s f*cking good and I’d earn a lot of respect by beating him, I need – not want – to fight Aaron Chalmers. He stepped in for me a couple of months ago and beat the guy. I need to get one fight under my belt, and then that’s the only person that I want to fight. It has to happen. He’s a professional fighter just as Anthony Taylor was, and that’s why I’m so confident, because they’ve got the same background and I’m not just some influencer with a six-pack, but a proper fighter.
Going back to Tommy, he seems to have fought some very average boxers, and if he wanted to take himself more seriously as a boxer, would he fight the calibre of people that you’re wanting to fight?
Tommy said a couple of things that didn’t sit right with me. He was saying that ‘these are good fighters’, basically acting as if he brings so much to the table – he brings views to the table, but he’s just protecting his record a little bit. I’m guessing the KSI fight he just couldn’t turn down, but I know for a fact that he has been offered people and said no. I know that on the card I fought Anthony Taylor and he was meant to be fighting someone and his opponent pulled out and he got a replacement, he got offered me and he said no to fighting me.
I was told it, not that long ago. I guess he just wanted an easy night. When the Paul Bamber fight fell through in Dubai last year, he was offered me, I’m sure he was offered Aaron Chalmers. The person they got in – the guy knew what he was there to do.
I don’t judge anyone for that. Me and him have been mentioned in the same conversations on more than one occasion. I’m not stupid, if we were to fight right now, he’d bash me to pieces but in 2-3 fights time, you’ll watch the fight and it will make a lot of sense.
Is that the plan for you then? Do the fight later in May, then fight Aaron before taking on Tommy?
Have the one in May, put on a big performance, then Aaron Chalmers I’d like to fight around September and then the world is my oyster with any of those people. You won’t be able to ignore it. It’s not me fighting people like that simple Simon, Ed Matthews – they’re wicked at what they do, but at the end of the day they are influencers. I’ve got respect for anyone that walks between the ropes though as it’s a big deal, no matter what level you’re at. But there are levels at the same time.
But if I was to go and box Aaron this year, I’m not going backwards. I’ll be getting better people, and the names will get bigger and bigger.
You’re in a very positive headspace, and think your boxing talk is a reflection of how you’re doing in wider life, and you should credit yourself for the amount of work you’ve done on yourself. You’ve done so much to turn your life around in a short space of time. What have been the keys over the last months to get into a really good headspace?
Getting out of a victim mentality. All the stuff that I used to whinge about – I didn’t get that TV show, the papers are writing this stuff about me. You know what Jack? It’s your fault. If you hadn’t have done these things, you wouldn’t have to moan or worry about not getting these TV shows. It’s my own fault, so I’ve got out of that victim mentality.
Everyone knows I don’t have a license anymore, so I’m riding my bike to the gym every day at 7 o’clock, and it’s humbling. I don’t take anything for granted anymore. I spent the last 5 years taking everything for granted and it was the downfall of me.
I watched a Mike Tyson documentary where he said that it’s beautiful being at the bottom, because I can only go one way and that upwards. There are no expectations other than the ones I set for myself. I’m going to be fit and rich and doing all of the things that I wanted to do, I’m going to beat the people I said I’m going to beat, so no one can have anything but respect for me. I’m not putting myself in the position to make mistakes anymore, because I don’t have room for mistakes anymore. This year has to be the year, and it will be the year.
I saw you were at a Spa for the New Year, which speaks volumes of the transitions you have made!
Normally, I would have been drinking from Christmas through to New Year, felt terrible all New Year’s Day, and I thought I would take myself away to a Spa on my own. I had dinner with a friend, I was in the gym, I trained, I was in the steam and doing cold therapy in the morning rather than being in the pub and replacing it with healthier habits!
You went on Love Island looking for love and I know that is still the goal for you, but I feel as though you’re at a point where the main thing is to focus on yourself?
My main priority is that I have to be a bit selfish this year. I used to care constantly what other people thought of me, and I think being in the public eye for so long makes that happen, but I’m in the public eye and that’s not gonna change, so it’s part and parcel of it. The only thing I can control, and when I’m having a positive mental day, is that I can’t control what other people say, think or do, but I can only control how I react when those things happen. Rather than get caught up with things or panic about it, take a breather and don’t dwell on it. Getting over the victim mentality is the best thing I’ve ever done.
Once you’ve had time to focus on yourself, come summer would you go back into the Love Island villa?
I would love to go back on Love Island! It’s the ultimate place to meet someone, and I fell in love on there! It really is. I know some couples split up but just look at the amount of people that are still together after the show, there’s a few that are married. It creates the perfect environment, so I’d love to have the opportunity to go back in there. And I’d be brilliant!
What was the single best thing about Love Island?
It’s just perfect in how much you learn about yourself – you’re just your raw self. It’s not a mask of being with your mates, you’ve had a few drinks and go out to the club. Normally I wouldn’t have gone up to a girl on the street and go on a breakfast date, so you really do find out about yourself. You find both your strengths and weaknesses because it’s just your true self. It’s just you, no phone, no outside world distraction, no alcohol involved. Just your whole personality and if someone opposite you likes you for you, and the same for friends you make on the show that have met the real you, not met you on a night out, through a mate, through Instagram – they know you for your truest form. The best thing if finding the person you truly are.
Do you think if you went back on again, people would see the same version of the fun, big-hearted and caring Jack Fincham, and that he is a good guy?
Without a shadow of a doubt. If I was back in there, or any show that is filmed when you’re just there, you being you, that’s the real person. Exactly the same Jack Fincham you saw five years ago.
How important has Chloe Brockett been to you as a mate over the last months?
Chloe is very, very important to me. I love Chloe man. I’ve never really had a girl mate like that before, who completely gets me and I can tell them anything. She’s really important. I’m very much a mummy’s boy so I’m always better at talking to girls than boys to be honest!
You recently said that you were the happiest you had been by going back to selling pens. How has it been going?
I am flying! I’m so happy to be back selling pens again, cold calling, meeting my clients and putting a suit on – it does make me happy! I’m really happy and love having a purpose, and getting up with something to do, not sitting around waiting for the phone to ring and it’s so much more rewarding.
I’ve done a good few deals, and one big client that I dealt with years ago who I first met when I was 21. They’re a big film production company and all the celebrities that go through their doors I’ve actually met, versus when I was 21. It’s cool and I’ve got some big clients on board, and I’m only going to be getting more as time goes on.
Pen Salesman Of The Year award for you this year?
Without a doubt. You’re gonna see Stationary Salesman Of The Year – Gold award goes to: Jack Charlie Fincham.
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