Me and My Shadow: How Gavin McDonnell Continues to Make a Name for Himself

Before facing Jorge Sanchez, Gavin McDonnell said at the pre-fight press conference: "I’ve been in my brother’s shadow—it is time for me to step out."

On Saturday, by beating Sanchez, Gavin continued to emerge from behind his twin sibling Jamie, a two-time world champion at bantamweight who currently holds the WBA belt.

Super bantamweight Gavin would like one to match, and he took another step towards achieving that goal—and stepping out of his brother's shadow—by picking up the WBC Silver title in Manchester, England.

The shorter Sanchez was game throughout the contest and even landed a right hand in the closing minute of Round 3 that seemed to briefly stun his opponent.

However, it proved to be a fleeting moment of success in an otherwise difficult first fight overseas for the Panamanian.

Helped by a flash knockdown in Round 2, the bright and busy McDonnell won by a distance on the scorecards. Behind The Gloves tweeted the final verdict from the officials: 

In extending his pro record to 15-0-2 (4 KOs), McDonnell showed again how he is continuing to develop under the stewardship of trainer Dave Coldwell.

More importantly for his career prospects, the bout was an official eliminator. He is now on the brink of a world-title fight, moving him ever closer to achieving his goal.

McDonnell simply won’t rest until he is a world champion. This isn’t about fulfilling a lifelong destiny; it's about making sure brother Jamie cannot claim bragging rights over him once they've both retired.

Gavin told Sky Sports after the win over Sanchez (h/t Andy Charles of SkySports.com): "Hopefully this year we can go out and get a world title. I won't stop until I outdo him—there is no way I am retiring as No. 2."

Jamie was ringside at the Manchester Arena to see his brother get the better of Sanchez. Spare a second for the poor soul who had to sit behind him too, as a world champion bouncing up from his chair often blocked their view.

The brotherly love briefly goes on hold when the pair spar with each other at Coldwell’s gym, but Jamie’s success in his own career has helped to motivate his twin.

In May 2014, Gavin drew with Josh Wale when defending the British title in Leeds, England. Later that same month, he was cheering on his twin as he picked up the vacant WBA strap at Wembley Stadium in London.

Now, less than two years on, Gavin is closing in on his chance at world glory.

He has already become European champion at 122 pounds, mainly through sheer hard work and a willingness to listen.

With each fight that passes there are signs of technical improvement, as recognised by Tony Bellew—who trains alongside the twins in Doncaster, England—on Twitter:

There is nothing flash about the way McDonnell works. His height (BoxRec doesn't have his size on his profile, but Jamie is listed at 5′10″) allows him to fight from a distance, but he's never afraid to work on the inside. Crucially, he is an eager learner with Coldwell and always in excellent physical shape.

McDonnell’s knockout ratio of 24 per cent shows he’s not a big hitter, but any opponent facing him should be prepared for a long, hard battle. Even the Energizer Bunny might find it hard to keep up with Gavin.

Jamie fights in a similar way—although, his knockout ratio is 40 per cent—but for different reasons. While he is purely in it for the money, Gavin holds a genuine interest in the sport.

Coldwell confirmed as much when praising his fighter at the media session ahead of the bout with Sanchez: "Each step that Gavin has taken has raised eyebrows. But he keeps going in there and doing the job.

"He may not be naturally the most talented, but you can’t find someone who can give anymore.

"Gavin knows everything about boxing. For him to become European champion was massive, but his ultimate dream is to join his brother and become a world champion.”

The ultimate dream for McDonnell is a step closer to becoming a reality after the convincing win over Sanchez.

He now has a silver title in his possession. However, what he really wants is something in gold, just like his brother.

Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise stated.