Paddy Barnes reacts to Billy Walsh's departure

News of Billy Walsh's departure from Irish boxing had scarcely been confirmed when our man Colm O'Regan found himself face-to-face with two-time Olympic medallist Paddy Barnes.
"He texted me earlier on, saying it’s all a big joke and he’s not even leaving," Paddy deadpanned, before laughing uproariously.
Jokes aside, though, the fighter made clear that the departure of the much-admired Walsh is a major blow. "At this stage, the Olympics are eight or nine months away – it’s bad timing. Really, big-time bad timing. He’s the one who puts the performance plans together, plans the training camps, the fights. For him to leave right now, leaves everything up in the air."
Paddy has been involved in the High Performance Unit since 2011, so he's had many years of first-hand experience of Walsh's impact.
"You’re training with the best boxers in Ireland, and he’s been at the top of the development of that."
One thing Paddy can't comment on, though, is exactly what led to the coach's departure.
"I don’t know what was happening behind the scenes," he shrugged. "Obviously, I knew there were some issues going on, but I don’t really know what they were. I can’t blame anybody, because I don’t know why he’s leaving. If there’s more money to be made with a contract elsewhere, who wouldn’t go?"
Paddy's preparations for the Rio games will continue apace, under the guidance of John Conlan and Zuar Antia - a man Paddy identifies as being irreplaceable.
"He's one of the guys we need to keep," he stated. "He's a technical genius, and we really can't afford to lose him."