Scots boxer told he would never walk again after horror drug deal stabbing ready for ring return

Jay Carrigan-McFarlane has experienced a life of addiction, however, after being sober for six-months he is on a better track to accomplish his high aims in the world of professional boxing.

A former alcoholic, drug addict, and dealer, has defied the odds by stepping foot back in the ring as a professional boxer after surviving a horror stabbing in a drug deal gone wrong.

Doctors told Jay Carrigan-McFarlane that he would never walk unassisted again, but now, six months sober for the first time since he was 13, the fighter is preparing for his next bout at the Crown Plaza in Glasgow on October 26.

The 26-year-old, former Scottish Cruiserweight and Heavyweight champion, had been deeply entrenched in addiction, selling drugs to fuel his habit whilst boxing on Sky, ESPN and DAZN. His lifestyle eventually led him into serious financial trouble, owing money to dangerous people. In a drug deal near Doncaster March 13, 2020 that turned out to be a set-up.

The fighter was ambushed and stabbed in the leg, head, and hand and required 13 stitches.

He said: “I got stabbed after getting caught up in a life I didn’t want. I owed a bit of money, and I got forced to do a job I didn’t want to do. It turned out to be a set-up.”

The brutal attack left him with significant injuries, and doctors warned him that he would never walk without assistance again. At the time, the Yoker fighter was drinking heavily and neglecting his recovery, which prolonged his healing.

“I was always flashy in the ring,” he explained, “my nickname is ‘The Ghost’ due to the way I float about the ring and how I’m always right in front of you but you can’t hit me.

“After the stabbing, I had to become a battering ram because I couldn’t put the same weight on my left leg.”

In the years following the stabbing, Jay found himself struggling mentally and was almost sectioned as a result.

He continued: “I’ve never been one for training. I’ve always just relied on being talented. I’ve been beaten by a few guys who are half the fighters I am.

“But as soon as I couldn’t train due to the injuries, it affected me mentally. It was during the first lockdown and it was tough. I had the green light to train because I was a professional athlete but I couldn’t.

“I was stuck in the house and I was nearly sectioned because my mental health decreased so much. I was full of drugs and drink and mentally I was away. I was at rock bottom but the thing about being there is the only way is up."

Despite these challenges, the Ghost has turned his life around. He’s now six months sober and has been steadily working to get back in shape, shedding five-and-a-half stone since May. He admits that sobriety has been the key to his transformation: “I would never change anything that has happened to me. Although, I wish I had taken things more seriously sooner.

“I’m standing here eight years later, and I did it as a functioning alcoholic. I realise how stupid I was, but I am the person I am today because of that journey.

“As soon as I got myself sober, everything started changing. The harder you work, the luckier you get."

For this fight, Carrigan-McFarlane will wear the colours of his late coach, Bert Watt, a tribute he never felt worthy of until now.

He said: “I never wore them before because I didn’t want to disrespect him with the way I was behaving. But I’m back now, and I hope he’s watching down on me and is proud."

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