JOSH TAYLOR broke down in tears recalling how his recently past father-in-the law guided him through the final two brutal rounds against Regis Prograis on Saturday night.
James Murphy died on September 15 leaving daughter Dani grieving for her father and missing her super-lightweight boyfriend while he was deep in training camp in Kent.
The Scotland hero admitted he and his partner had battled person problems in the build-up to the brilliant 10st unification clash.
But he only revealed the extent of the tragedy that hit his family, at such a crucial point in his career, after he was crowned the winner of the World Boxing Super Series.
In the bowls of the O2 in the wee hours of Sunday, while nursing his savaged right eye, the Tartan Tornado said: “I’m getting emotional now, I’ve not been able to do the grieving properly so it’s been hard.
“I’ve not been able to be there for my girlfriend, for her family, as much as I would have liked to have been.
“I used it as motivation. Especially in those last two rounds when I couldn’t see anything coming, it was pure determination and heart.
“I was saying, ‘Come on do this, do this for James’ or Jimmy as I called him.
“I was purely driving on just for him. I was running on pure instinct, heart and determination in the last two rounds because I couldn’t see so none of my tactics were working.
“But there was no way I was getting beat, that was my pure soul and drive.”
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The IBF and WBA king will target an undisputed decider with WBC and WBO champ Jose Ramirez after letting his war wounds heal and moving into the brand new East Lothian home he is in a desperate rush to furnish with more than world title belts.
The gruesome purple hematoma he suffered in the back-half of the fight was seen to and stitched up straight after the fight-of-the-year contender and most of his other pains were thankfully less visible.
He said: “I never thought the fight would get stopped because of the eye. I didn’t think it was that bad.
“I’ve seen bigger scratches on my back side. It was a small price to pay.
“I feel fine and clear. My stomach is a bit sore from some of the body shots, my hips and a***-cheeks are a bit dead but I feel fine. I feel great.
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“I will go back, see my family, give them a hug and a kiss.
“Our new house is built. We’ve not got a bed or anything yet so these belts and the trophy are our first bits of furniture.
“We will be sitting in the living room with a couple of deck chairs and the Ali trophy to look at.”