'I'm NOT arrogant..I went in be there to give them a SHOW' PAUL 'ROCKY' MARTIN IS PULLING NO PUNCHES AS CHARITY LORDS OF THE RING FINAL LOOMS.

Byline: JAMES McNAMARA

IT'S two months since our showbiz reporter Paul Martin called me to say he had been asked to line out for RTE's Charity Lords Of The Ring.

I take lots of weird and wonderful calls from the man the Mirror office calls Senor Showbiz, but this time I was concerned for his mental health.

Had he enlisted for a reality TV Irish dancing show? Was he about to join the circus? Or had he landed an unlikely part as Bilbo Baggins in Middle Earth?

Mercifully, it was none of the above. But it didn't stop me laughing for the guts of an hour when I finally got it out of him.

I scoffed: "What? You are gonna be a boxer to raise money for charity?" The inevitable gags about Gucci boxing gloves and Dolce & Gabbana shorts came thick and fast.

Paul, however, wasn't laughing. His voice lowered: "Look mate, this is serious and you mustn't breathe a word to anyone. There's a strong chance I won't even be good enough to make the programme.

"But I'm gonna give it by best shot. I'm just letting you know so you don't think I'm dossing round town."

Two months later, he's not only made the grade, he's in the final of the most brutal reality TV show there is and has become the man the nation, especially bitter Ray Shah, loves to hate.

DETERMINATION

Over the last five weeks Paulie has trained harder than Russell Crowe preparing for the part of Maximus in Gladiator.

The fact that he's in the final of a show he feared he wouldn't even make is testament to the sheer guts, determination and doggedness that make Paul the man he is.

Initially the office found Paulie's latest project a source of unending amusement. We even left clips of Eye of the Tiger and the Rocky theme on his voicemail. Paulie took it in typical good humour but behind the scenes it was no joke.

I first realised he had a real chance of making an impact when I went to U2 at Croker with Paul and Ken Egan.

The Olympic silver medalist stopped me in my tracks as I made my latest gag about Paulie's foray into the world of pugilism.

He looked me in the eye (it was actually quite frightening) and said: "I'm telling you, Paul can win this."

With each week Ken's prophecy looked increasingly likely to be fulfilled. The weight began to drop off, the muscles rippled and the G& Ts were replaced with sparkling Ballygowan. This was serious.

The most refreshing aspect of Paul's ascendancy to the final of Charity Lords Of The Ring is the easy and breezy way he got there. I don't mean the fights were easy, I'm referring to the way he has acquitted himself with style and panache.

Tonight wiry Paulie faces the bulk of Dragon's Den mogul Sean Gallagher. They, quite frankly, couldn't be two more different fighters.

Paul has made Jacko's moonwalk his own - his sleight of hand and fancy footwork will be tremendous assets.

Sean, on the other hand, is built like a certain kind of brick house and will really pack a punch if Paul is foolish enough to let him land one. So how does Paul feel as he prepares to slay the Dragon? "Surprisingly I feel highly emotional," he says, chewing on his final egg white and salmon omelette.

"I have put my body and mind through such an intense regime. It's not a natural thing, your body and mind don't really know what is going on.

SCARY

"I woke up this morning and realised I am three rounds away from winning something as huge as this. To be quite honest it's scary."

It's not just the prospect of the final that flipped Paulie's stomach.

"The night before I demolished Ray Shah I was lying in bed with my stomach doing somersaults.

"It wasn't because I was afraid of Ray, it was knowing my friends, family and workmates were coming and I was terrified of letting them down." Paulie also admits he felt like an imposter being pitted against 10 celebrities.

He laughs: "It was like I was gatecrashing their little showbiz party. I'm a journalist, I write about them not fight about them."

But maybe it's that professional distance that allowed Paulie not to take himself too seriously.

It has allowed him to become the self-styled villain in the piece that has kept us so fabulously entertained over the last week. Paulie has a theory: "Some people get it, some people don't. Ray Shah for instance - the whole point of the show went completely over his head. He took it all far too seriously.

"But then Maclean Burke was such good fun. He actually came up to me the other day and told me I had carried the whole show. Coming from someone who makes a living from TV, I took that as a real compliment. I went in to give them a show, that's what I was there for. People say I'm arrogant. I'm not.

NEW KID

"I just knew that it wasn't good enough to turn up and show my face."

And why don't the other lads, particularly Ray Shah, not like our Paulie? Paul nods: "Basically, they don't like the new kid on the celebrity block coming in and doing all this posturing and posing - and worse still making it to the final."

So there you have it, although it would be rude not to pay tribute to the real brains behind the Martin camp - the gorgeous Mrs Martin.

Paulie pauses, his eyes soften. "She's been amazing. That was the hardest bit - being away from my wonderful wife and children."

THE final of Charity Lords of the Ring is on RTE One tonight at 9.35pm.

WHAT I THINK OF THE OTHER CONTESTANTS

LEE SHARPE

I hit it off with the former Man United ace straight away. He kept me entertained for hours on end with his fascinating tales of life behind the scenes in the Premiership. A great guy and I'll be heading over to his gaff in Leeds soon for a wild reunion.

RAY SHAH

He didn't take his beating by me like a man. After I beat the former Big Brother star he accused me of being a cheat on his radio show and then told my pal Michelle Heaton not to be cheering for me in my big fights. Big brother? More like big baby!

ROB ROSS

Tough, determined and a terrier in the ring. I may have beaten Rob in my first fight but he was as determined as they came. A great guy outside the ring too with a good sense of humour.

MACLEAN BURKE

The Fair City star is one of the funniest and kindest people you could meet. He had us all in hysterics with his hilarious impressions and was a real boost to boot camp moral. He always looks on the bright side of life. A top man.

JOHN MAGUIRE

My biggest rival for the "baddie" role on the show. John was determined to win at all costs and put everything into his preparation in the build up to the big launch. He was a menacing prospect in the ring but a true gent outside it.

BEN CLARKE

I have a soft spot for Ben despite his big ego and desperation for fame. He was more worried about what girl he was being photographed with next than his boxing. He wouldn''t have lasted more than a round had he got in the ring with me.

JACK SHEEDY

A gentle giant with a huge heart. Jack brought a real professionalism to the camp and even had top GAA physios and coaches on hand 24/7 to help us when we picked up bumps and bruises. He''s a real team player.

ALAN SHORT

He had me in stitches with his funny takes on all the contestants and cheekily nicknamed me Paul "Not The Face" Martin after I went through my first two fights without picking up any serious digs to the head.

SEAN GALLAGHER

I couldn''t help but admire the Dragons Den star when he bounced back from defeat to make it into the final. Quiet and mannerly but hilarious when he got going at the dinner table and has an eye for the ladies.

JOE O'SHEA

Quieter than I had expected and it was clear he was finding the isolation in boot camp very tough. He went out with a bang by winning his first fight - but never returned after fracturing his hand.

CAPTION(S):

BIG HITTER Martin sends Sean Gallagher to the canvas FIST OF FURY Our man Paul is force to be reckoned with on RTE show TIME OUT Paul and Sean after final RIGHT ON Mirror man throws a hook