Josh Taylor says he felt like walking away from boxing after losing at the London 2012 Olympics.
The undisputed super-lightweight world champion was eliminated at the second stage round of 16 in London.
However, he bounced back with a gold medal at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games before turning professional.
“I was sick, I was really, really sick, I said, ‘I’m not doing this anymore, I’ve had enough. I’m miserable’,” said the 30-year-old.
“I never ever wanted to feel like that again, that bitter disappointment.”
Taylor, unbeaten in 18 pro fights, says his partner Danielle played an important role in him continuing in the sport after he lost to Domenico Valentino.
“I had given up a lot,” he explained on 5 Live Boxing with Costello & Bunce. “I’d been four and a half years away from home not enjoying it, really. I wanted to be home.
“Making weight – 60kg – that was the big thing. I was just miserable all the time. I was feeling hungry, I was feeling weak constantly, all year round.
“I qualified and I thought, ‘I can win this’. To come up empty handed and get the fight nicked off me – not out-boxed, not out-pointed just stolen off me by the points scoring system.
“My missus was like, ‘come on, keep going’. That was the dummy spat well out the pram. It was just me throwing a tantrum but I really did feel like, ‘why am I doing this? Putting myself through misery all the time and not enjoy it. I swore to myself I never wanted to feel that again and just grinded harder.”
