JACK Flatley may delay a decision to turn professional after reaching the Amateur Boxing Association final at the weekend.

The 20-year-old Bolton rising star stunned his rivals when he got to the last two of the biggest event in amateur boxing in the country.

It is understood Bolton has never had an ABA champion, and Flatley went mightily close to doing it at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.

And he had to do it the hard way, coming up against the number three ranked boxer in Friday’s quarter-final, the number two in the semi-final on Saturday and then the number one in Sunday’s showdown for the gold medal.

All three of his opponents in the 75k category are Great Britain internationals, receiving all the benefits that come with it like coaching, medical help, nutrition and physiotherapy while the Farnworth fighter has no sponsorship and fights out of Halliwell Amateur Boxing Club.

He planned to turn pro after the weekend’s ABA finals, but may now give the amateur game one last shot and earn in a bid to get his first international call-up, says his coach at Halliwell, Alex Matvienko.

“We spoke to the coach of the GB squad, Robert McCracken, who is also Carl Froch’s trainer, after the final and he said Jack was definitely going to be in the GB squad,” said Matvienko.

“We were going to turn pro if he won the ABAs but he always wanted to fight with an international vest on and Robert McCracken said some good things to him.

“It’s down to Jack what he wants to do. He felt a bit hard done by in the final because he felt he won the fight so we’ll give him some time to dwell on what he wants to do next.

“But he will be turning pro eventually.”

Unlike his three opponents at the weekend, Flatley had to pre-qualify for the finals by winning his regional bouts over the last few weeks.

He beat Jordan Reynolds in what Matvienko described as “a three-round war” on Friday before beating Daniel Woledge convincingly in Saturday’s semi leading up to a close-fought final with Troy Williamson on Sunday.

“Jack did awesome even if he is a bit disappointed because he went there to win," added Matvienko.

“He was the absolute underdog but people soon knew who he was. Everyone was wondering where he’d come from by the end.

"He’s come up the hard way, through a local boxing club, and he hasn’t got the help with things like nutrition and physio that the other boxers have who he fought.

“It would be great for him if a local person interested in boxing came forward and sponsored him. They’d be getting someone who is definitely going to be turning pro and is only going one way.”