RICKY BURNS TO PERFORM PUBLIC WORK OUT ON THURSDAY

Fans can watch the lightweight World champ prepare for May 11 defence

Ricky Burns will perform a public work out at the St. Enoch Centre in Glasgow at midday on Thursday May 2 ahead of his WBO lightweight title defence against Jose Gonzalez at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow on May 11 live on Sky Sports in Betfair’s ‘Fighting Pride of Scotland’.

Burns clashes with the Puerto Rican challenger in his third defence of the belt, returning to the ring for the first time since his superb fourth round stoppage win over Kevin Mitchell in September at the SECC in Glasgow.

The Coatbridge star will perform a work out with trainer Billy Nelson before meeting fans for pictures and autographs. The work out is located outside Boots on the ground floor.

St Andrews Sporting Club

Est 1973

April 22nd 2013

For those of you who have never experienced a night at the club I would encapsulate the night by saying the patrons are treated to a feast of fine food, two guest speakers, a guest of honour and a night of boxing after which you may meet and greet the guests at the top table. The Guest of Honour was Amateur Boxing Scotland Chairman Richard Thomas who is a very charismatic man and it was lovely to speak to him.

Just before the boxing is due to start there is preamble fervour of excitement in anticipation amongst the crowd of gentlemen in attendance that is totally unique to the St Andrews Sporting Club.

The first boxers made their way to the ring ‘Gangnam Style’ a song made famous by South Korean musician PSY. It was a 6 x 2 minute round Welterweight contest between debutant Daniel Brady, Motherwell and Jason Nesbitt, Birmingham. Brady made a bright start to the bout working straight punches to the head and body of his opponent, but all of a sudden a solid right staggered him towards the ropes, he recovered well and came back with a good shot of his own. Nesbitt landed a Hefty right to the body and looked more content with taking his man out with one shot. Not long after the bell sounded for round 2 Brady had his man on the canvas with a combination that ended with a thunderous right hand and Nesbitt received the count of eight, he then unleashed a furious variety of punches to which Nesbitt replied with wild swinging hooks where one did rock back the head of Brady. However, Brady was the man in charge by sticking to boxing and trapping his man in the corner and against the ropes. As the bell sounded for the end of the 3rd Nesbitt walked back to his corner grimacing and shaking his head, his right glove was removed and he was gesturing towards his thumb. The referee was left with no alternative but to stop the fight at the end of round 3 and award the contest to Daniel Brady.

Next two boxers to enter the ring were Daniel’s brother and fellow debutant Gerard Brady, Motherwell and Andrew ‘Paddy’ Patterson, Birmingham, in a 6 x 2 minute round Welterweight contest. Southpaw Brady came out working behind a neat right hand jab throwing the more accurate punches, Patterson got through with straight one-two’s and the boxers were mixing it up in the middle of the ring with Brady landing a clean right uppercut that jolted Patterson’s head before the bell rang to end the 1st. Brady worked harder than Patterson in the early stages of the fight but by the 3rd Patterson began to stalk his man bursting Brady’s nose and by the end of the round Brady’s face was reminiscent to that of Henry Cooper when he fought Muhammad Ali due to the amount of blood. Brady boldly fought on landing some good shots but Patterson took the initiative, moving forward like an armoured tank landing some good punches of his own and a hard left hook to finish. Patterson hardly touched his stool and was back on his feet well before the bell rang for the 5th, Brady came out throwing a combination of punches and stuck to boxing his man, Patterson looked very strong landing big shots to the head and body. Patterson piled it on in the last round but there was no way Gerard Brady was going anywhere, he was still landing accurately and there was a good exchange of punches from both boxers before the bell. The referee awarded the contest 59-55 in favour of Andrew Patterson. It was a hard debut fight for Brady who showed great courage to fight on while his vision was impaired. 

The final bout of the night was another Welterweight contest between Craig Kelly, Paisley and Kevin McCauley, Brighton who entered the ring to the Marvin Gaye classic ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ in an 8 x 2 minute contest. Referee Kenny Pringle beckoned the boxers to the middle of the ring to touch gloves, told them to protect themselves at all times, listen to his instructions and come out fighting. McCauley looked solid in the 1st round landing to the body and head while Kelly doubled up the jab and edged his way into the fight. There was a good exchange of punches at the start of the 2nd but Kelly was by far the busier man notably catching McCauley with a strong right to the head. Kelly persevered with picking his punches by moving in and out of range while covering up; McCauley landed a strong combination of blows and was using good body movement. McCauley made good headway at the start of the 4th but Kelly came back into it and finished the round well. Kelly was following his man like a shadow but McCauley worked well off the back foot catching Kelly on more than a few occasions. Round 6 was a quiet one for McCauley, Kelly was by far the more active working harder throwing straight punches. It’s only fair to say that from the 7th round onwards both men were getting through equally, it was a tough fight and a hard one to score but Referee Kenny Pringle scored the contest 77-75 in favour of Craig Kelly.

It was another great night at the Home of Scottish Boxing; I had a wee chat with Peter Harrison about Scott’s fight at the weekend and he went on to tell me that they already have a date in mind for another fight.

By Raymond Fraser Buchanan

Buchanan Boxing will be attending this event on Friday and Saturday. 
I would just like to take this opportunity to say best wishes to all the boys taking part.

I made the journey west to the Grand Hall Palace Theatre in the heart of the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire for an evening of professional boxing on Saturday 13th April 2013 courtesy of Alex Morrison. In the past week I’d done more travelling than The Bay City Rollers and after a polite exchange of words with the door staff I was ushered to the main hall where the boxing was to take place upon which I met the lovely Christine Morrison who showed me to my ringside seat, if I were a couple of foot closer I would almost be sitting in the ring.

The people of Kilmarnock were so courteous and friendly, l felt right at home and they procured a sense of belonging that I will never forget.

I had a wee chat with Promoter Alex Morrison, he’s such a nice man, he looks in great shape for a man of his age and it was a pleasure talking to him. I took my seat next to top journalist Jim Black; he gave me a lot of encouragement and a few tips, he’s been in the game longer than Bernard Hopkins. The lights in the hall dimmed to darkness as the lights surrounding the ring lit up like the floodlights of a football stadium. A song by The Who ‘Baba O Riley’ belted out from the sound system and an older man with a chequered bonnet stood up in the balcony and started dancing, punching the air and giving it yahoo as the first boxers made their way to the ring.

It was a 4 x 3 minute contest at Light-Welterweight between Hugh Gray, Glasgow and southpaw Vaclav Skromach, Newark. Gray came out his corner to an arousing applause and was anxious to make his mark in the early stages of the fight by staggering his opponent early doors and following up with a blistering volley of punches, this kid tried to end it in the 1st round. Gray relentlessly came forward throwing a barrage of punches without a reply. In the 3rd round Gray began to pick his punches with less haste and the referee had to ask his opponent if he wanted to continue, he pummelled his man and threw him about like a rag doll, landing a neat left hook on the bell. The boxers touched gloves at the beginning of the last round, a hard right hand left a really tired and bewildered looking Skromach yearning for the final bell. Gray put on an impressive, comprehensive display and this reflected in the referees scoring of 40-35 in favour of Hugh Gray.

 South Ayrshire man Sammy ‘The Bull’ Hill came in to a reception worthy of a king to face a worthy opponent in the shape of Richard Bitner, Halifax in a Welterweight contest over 4x3 minute rounds. Hill came out jabbing and landed a big right hand to the head of Bitner, Bitner fought back but heavy handed Hill landed a few more of the same to put his opponent in his place. The referee had a word with both boxers; Hill looked very strong. The crowd were chanting his name in harmony and stamping their feet. The fight began to look a bit more even then Hill unleashed another solid right to Bitners head and he looked in trouble, however, remarkably Bitner unleashed a venomous combination of punches that never budged 'The Bull' who worked his way back in and jolted the head of Bitner with a left hook. The 3rd round was a hard round to score as each man made a move to up their game, Hill finishing the round with his trademark straight right and the crowd were singing like a choir to the tune of Sammy Hill. The start of the last round saw the two boxers giving their all but Hill finished the round the stronger man, it was a good fight and both boxers sportingly embraced. The referee scored the contest 39-37 in favour of Sammy ‘The Bull’ Hill.

The next up were two debutants Darin Reid, Alloa and Alistair Gonsales, Dunfermline in a Light-Middleweight contest over 4x3 minute rounds. The boys came out to a dance song by Flo Rida ‘Good Feeling’ and the crowd were bouncing. It was an impetuous start to the fight by Gonsales, Darin Reid was throwing the more accurate punches where Gonsales was mainly throwing wild punches to the body and Reid clearly knocked his opponents head back midway through the round. Gonzales retaliated but Reid finished the round landing solid three punch combinations. A hefty right hand from Reid knocked Gonsales through the ropes at the start of the 2nd although he did come back for more but Reid rocked his man’s head again with a big right, a four punch combination followed by a connecting right uppercut and finishing with a two punch straight left and right to the head that jolted Gonsales backwards where he sat stunned, tangled, and powerless between the ropes for what seemed like 20 seconds before they managed to get him to his stool, the referee did not even start a count,  after 2 min 36 sec of the 2nd round the fight was stopped and Darin Reid made a winning debut.

Unbeaten Irvine Boxer Ryan Collins made his way to the ring with The White Stripes ‘Seven Nation Army’ song vibrating round the hall pulsating the building, his fans raised to their feet with the rhythm, stamping and cheering. His opponent was Englishman Danny Wallace from Leeds, in a 4x3 minute round Super-featherweight contest. Wallace was a much more experienced boxer but Collins was all over him like a rash catching his man against the ropes unloading a lot of leather, switching his attack from head to body and catching his man in the corner at the end of the 1st throwing a variety of punches as Wallace covered up. Collins was working behind the jab trying to find his range and the crowd were singing ‘The flower of Scotland’. But the 2nd round was more even with Wallace gaining success to the head and Collins to the body. By the 3rd Wallace’s face was beginning to mark up, he was mixing it with Collins to begin with but Collins went on to unleash some heavy punches to the head and body and by the end of the round Wallace had a huge, black and blue swelling under his left eye. Ryan Collins out worked his opponent and by the look of Wallace he was clearly getting through, finishing off with rapid three punch combinations before the bell rang. The Referee scored the contest 39-37 in favour of Ryan Collins.

Edinburgh Southpaw Craig McEwan and Alister Warren, Huddersfield, entered the ring to a song by Whitesnake called ‘Here I Go Again’ in a 6x3 minute round Middleweight contest. Craig McEwan worked behind a nice straight jab while Warren went to the body. McEwan looked in command using tidy footwork and good body movement, twisting and turning his hips to open up combinations to the head and body, he switched to orthodox and connected with a cracking left hook, after another three punch combination the referee stepped in on account of two deep cuts above Warren’s eye. There was a bit of confusion before the referee called the boxers together and due to a clash of head the contest was scored as a Technical Draw.

Top of the bill was unbeaten southpaw Jon Slowey Glasgow, and Michael Stupart, Dunfermline, it took a while before this contest started due to the previous fight ending in the first round. Jon Slowey is a slick boxer with good movement drawing blood from the mouth of Stupart as early as the 1st round. Within seconds of the bell sounding for the 2nd Slowey had Stupart down for the count of 8, Stupart got up and let go a combination of punches whilst Slowey was against the ropes but he was quick to let Slowey back in to take charge. By the 3rd both boxers were working inside throwing hooks, Slowey stepped back and threw a lovely left uppercut followed by a good left hook. The fight was going to plan for Slowey and he was working harder than his opponent and throwing more quality punches but Stupart got going at the end of the 5th and left a cut above the right eye of John Slowey. It’s only fair to say Jon Slowey out-boxed his opponent throughout most of the fight and looked the classier fighter, however, Michael Stupart showed great courage getting back up in the 2nd and getting himself back into the fight to an extent, his best round by far was the last but it was a case of too little too late. The referee scored the contest 79-73 in favour of Jon Slowey who takes his record to 13-0.

Alex Morrison put on a great show of professional boxing that had a bit of everything, excitement, suspense, drama and the capacity crowd were fantastic.

By Raymond Fraser Buchanan

On Saturday I travelled north to the Granite City of Aberdeen to watch a boxing show that featured the comeback of The Aberdeen Assassin Lee McAllister. After a long journey I made my way to the venue where I was met by two very polite gentlemen dressed in suits at the front doors and I asked them when the boxing was due to start, they asked me if I was press and at that very moment the thought run through my head, ‘I'm standing with a leather, reporters notepad in one hand, a camera strapped over  the other shoulder, a tracksuit with my boxing website emblazoned front and back and talking in an Edinburgh accent, thinking to myself, do they think it’s just by chance or a coincidence that I’ve turned up here ’. My partner in crime was one step ahead and had photocopied an e-mail stating the obvious and I showed it to them, they kindly let me in to take shelter from the snow until the press were allocated their seats. I was three quarters of an hour early, one of the few occasions I’ve been early in my life. I could hear a vibrant, echoing, rejoice full of laughter, bellowing from the hall below. I made my way to the press seats inside the barriers where you could easily lay your hand on the canvas of the boxing ring, and chose a seat right next to one of the boxer’s corners where I thought it would be easier to get my camera out after the final bell of the night, this proved not to be such a great idea in the end. 

 It was party time and the people of Aberdeen were so friendly I felt gratified how welcome they made you feel, it was an honour and a privilege to be amongst such worthy hosts. The hall was shaped like a thrupenny bit with a balcony all around and the noise level started to crank up, the atmosphere was tremendous and a joy to behold, the Beach Ballroom was certainly the place to be if you were in Aberdeen on Saturday night.  The announcer belted out “Welcome to the cauldron”.

The first boxers to make their way to the ring were local Polish man Marek Laskowski and Tamworth’s Matt Seawright in a Light-Welterweight contest set at 10st 4lbs over 6 x 2 min rounds. Seawright looked pumped up, bouncing around and raring to go whereas Laskowski looked more cool, calm and relaxed. At the start of the fight both boxers looked a bit tentative, Seawright throwing haymakers without any joy and southpaw Laskowski worked his way in behind the straight right jab. Laskowski started to put punches together noticeably landing some big left hands, Seawright’s work was looking untidy by the 3rd while Laskowski was really warming to the task and finding his range, getting through with some solid punches, apart from a brief exchange in the last round he was in cruise control and it was an easy decision for the referee to make. The contest was scored 60-54 in favour of Marek Laskowski.

Next up was a 6 x 2 min round Welterweight contest set at 10st 9lbs over between Brighton boxer Kevin McCauley and The Assassin’s little brother Mathew ‘The Hawk’ McAllister who came in to a rapturous applause with the hall erupting and singing along to ‘The bonnie banks of Loch Lomond’. While stretching off McAllister was as much as sitting on the canvas before the bell rang then launched himself at McCauley who let go a combination of punches, McAllister threw a straight right then mostly delivered left hooks to the body and head, smiling throughout. After an even exchange of punches McCauley was grinning tenaciously at his man, McAllister returned the gesture in kind with nice left hand work and the crowd began to chant songs in tune to the tempo of the fight. McCauley wrestled his man to the ground but it did not affect the work rate of McAllister, he merely tapped his man on the break smiling while like a Cheshire cat, he frustrated McCauley with almost everything he done but his opponent was not for budging. McCauley had put up a fight but in the latter stages ‘The Hawk’ was bossing the fight landing accurate shots to the head, the crowd were singing in harmony like a choir and due to the seat I chose to sit in I got sprayed in the face with water and accidentally got spat on. The referee scored the contest 59-55 in favour of Mathew McAllister who remains unbeaten.

The following fight was a super-Featherweight contest at 9st 6lbs where Aberdeen’s Darren Traynor was up against Sid Razak over 6 x 2 minute rounds. Traynor had been out of action for a year due to a hand injury but came out throwing multiple combinations that led on to finishing with double left hook's to the head, the sheer volume of punches were outstanding using fast hands and tidy footwork. As the rounds progressed Traynor was relentless with his work rate, Sid Razak had little resolve and threw nothing of notability, however, he did start to stalk his man round the ring in the 5th but the mobility and class of Traynor gave him very little opportunity to land any telling shots. Traynor’s pace slowed down a touch as the fight came to a climax in the last round and Razak had his best round of the fight but it was too little too late, Traynor easily out boxed his man and made it look like a stroll in the park, he worked hard throughout the fight and kept his unbeaten status as the referee scored the contest 60-54 in favour of Darren Traynor.

Top of the bill was an International Welterweight contest at 10st 7lbs over 6 x 3 minute rounds featuring Lee ‘The Aberdeen Assassin’ McAllister and Slovakian opponent Ivan ‘The Little Dragon’ Godor. McAllister made his way to the ring with a medley of songs including The A Team theme song, Let’s get ready to rumble and The Proclaimer’s 500 Miles, the crowd were in great spirit, everyone was standing, dancing, cheering and singing along. The atmosphere was electric and the people in attendance were having a ball. Lee McAllister had been out of action for 14 months and this was his homecoming. After the formal announcements the opening bell rang, it was a tentative start to the contest where both boxers were reluctant to fully commit themselves. McAllister was content with finding his range with the jab, he connected with a good left hook, back on the jab and continued to work to the head. Godor tried to touch gloves at the start of the 2nd but McAllister rightly refused and just laughed with contempt. Godor did little to improve his slow start and McAllister landed a banging left hook that rocked his man back a few shaky steps but never went in for the kill. He was following Godor like a shadow as if he was looking to take his man out with a single shot. By the 3rd round McAllister was totally in command of a barely existent Godor, after another solid shot to the body, once again he let his man off the hook. At the end of the round Godor tried to tie up McAllister but was thrown to the canvas by a shrug of the shoulder. McAllister was winning the fight comfortably, smiling throughout at Godor who was nodding back and pawing out a jab. The fight was pretty much one way traffic, McAllister looked very strong in the last round, Godor came forward before the final bell where the boxers did engage in an exchange of punches after which McAllister jolted his man again then the bell rang. Referee Kenny Pringle gave every round to Lee McAllister and scored the contest 60-54.

It was a great night in Aberdeen, the people in attendance were both courteous and well mannered and it was a pleasure to experience a night in the cauldron of the Beach Ballroom.

After such a long time out the boxing ring it was nice to see Lee get six rounds under his belt, so I surmise the message McAllister put out was that ‘The Assassin is Back’.  

By Raymond Fraser Buchanan     

Photography by George Mackie  

Ryan Collin's is definitely a man to watch out for, he is a rising star and intends to play a big part in the future of Scottish Professional Boxing.

If you want to see this young man in action the phone number is on the poster, call Ryan for tickets.

I did an interview recently with Ryan's trainer 'Unsung Hero Alec Mullen'.

Irvine boxer Ryan Collins dedicates his life to the sport and with Big Alec in his corner the sky's the limit.

The St Andrew’s Sporting Club 

Est 1973




Monday 18th of March 2013, sitting in The St Andrew’s Sporting Club, breathing in the aroma of fine food and listening to the sound of hearty laughter, this was not just any club; this was more like a brotherhood of man rejoicing in the pleasantries that the club had to offer. There was Guest of Honour, Jackie McNamara, the new manager of Dundee United, Guest Chairman, Journalist Jim Black and the Guest Speaker was Former Criminal Defence Lawyer, Bill Copeland who had the place in tears of laughter.

I could not take my eyes off the ring, the venue may have changed but the tradition of the club and its members have remained the same. I could envisage my dad and Jim Watt gracefully treading the canvas, trading blows in the opening night of this famous, historical club, a night that would go down in Scottish folklore as possibly the greatest fight ever to take place in Scotland. I was truly in the hotbed of Scottish boxing and rubbing shoulders with some of the most esteemed gentlemen in Scotland.

The evening’s entertainment was followed by the boxing, the opening bell rang to the tune of a Lightweight contest at 9st 12lbs over 6 x 2min rounds  between Barry Craig from Airdrie and Sid Razak, Birmingham. Barry Craig was by far the busier man in the opening rounds coming out throwing double jabs and an array of combinations working to the head and body followed by nice straight one-two- left hook- right screw shots to the head, Sid Razak having a wealth of experience with 39 contests under his belt went about his business mainly throwing single shots to the head progressing to straight left-rights, however, it was in the latter stages of the fight that Razak produced his best work switching his attack from body to head, he really started to get going in the 5th round. Craig went straight back onto the trusty left jab at the beginning of the 6th round followed by a left screw shot to the head and working in a nice one-two-left hook but thereafter it was all the man from Birmingham finishing off the round mostly landing right hands to the body and head, Razak looked like he wanted more but it was a case of too little too late and referee Kenny Pringle scored the contest 58-57 in favour of the man from Airdrie who remains unbeaten.

The following fight was contested at 10st 12lbs over 6 x 2minute rounds in the Welterweight division featuring debutant Michael Towell from Dundee and Sedley’s Tom Bowen. Bowen moved straight in doubling up the jab, whereas Towell was aiming left hooks to the body and head; Bowen landed a big right hand before the bell signalled the end of the first round. Bowen stepped up the pace in the 2nd managing a four punch combination and everything he did was off the jab, Towell resorted to left and right hooks, Bowen stuck to jabs, one-two’s and left hooks, Towell persevered with left-right hooks to the head and by the 4th round Towell was throwing a lot of leather catching Bowen with  three big left hooks, Bowen looked like he was tiring near the end of the 4th round. Before the bell went for the 5th round Towell sat in his corner like a raging bull looking eager to engage with his opponent. Bowen came out throwing a straight one-two and a left hook to the head but Towell was going for it big time, left to the body, double left to the body, occasionally doubling up his hooks to the head. In the 6th round it was a bit untidy but Towell was the stronger man by far, Bowen came back with very little resolve. Referee Kenny Pringle scored the contest 58-56 in favour of Towell.

The main event of the evening was a 6 x 3 minute Lightweight contest between Scottish Light-Welterweight Champion Stuart Green who hails from Glenrothes in the Kingdom of Fife and Dougie Curran from Newcastle. Stuart Green came out the blocks slowly behind the jab throwing the more accurate punches, however, Dougie Curran threw everything but the kitchen sink. There must have been a clash of heads somewhere because Curran returned to his corner with a concerning cut above his left eye, high on the forehead. Curran came out doubling up the jab and throwing one-two’s to the head and body, Green moved into gear switching from head to body, finishing the round with a straight jab followed by a big right hand and the cut on Curran’s head looked a lot worse. The 3rd round started with the boxers going at it toe to toe working inside and it looked a more even round as both boxers got through with combinations of their own. In the 4th round Green was back behind a good jab, Curran was throwing straight one-two’s with a right to the body, Green returned a good left hook-right uppercut and a combination of punches aimed at the body and head, Curran landed a big right hand body shot before the bell rang. Curran came out in the 5th throwing straight left hands, green upped the tempo operating to the head and body, at one point in the round the boxers were trading blows against the ropes and Green knocked Currans head back and a splatter of blood hit me in the left eye. The bell sounded for the last round and it was green that was in command throwing basic two-three punch combinations that worked a treat, he worked much harder than Curran and it was obvious that Stuart Green wanted it the most. Referee Kenny Pringle scored the contest 58-56 in favour of Green.

I spoke with each of the three guests at the top table; they were very pleasant to talk to and were more than obliged to accommodate anyone who approached them.

I had a chat with the host Tommy Gilmour and he turned; pointing to a draped banner about 30ft in height with a large picture of my dad and in as many words explained the name Buchanan is embedded in the clubs history and embraced the legacy of the club.

By Raymond Fraser Buchanan

Steelmen do The Full Monty

On Friday the 8th of March 2013, courtesy of Chris Gilmour Boxing and Prospect Boxing, The Steelmen Return boxing show was held at the Ravenscraig Sports Facility in Motherwell. The name Gilmour and boxing are Synonymous with fight fans not just in Scotland but all over Britain and you know you’re in for a treat.

The first fighters to enter the ring were George Thomson and Martyn King; it was a 6 x 2 minute welterweight contest. Moments after the opening bell sounded Thomson relentlessly pressured King with wave after wave of combinations, King did look like the slicker boxer at the start of the fight throwing good straight one-two’s catching Thomson with some solid punches. However, Thomson’s sheer work rate throughout the fight not only wore King down but he drew blood from Kings nose in the 5th, there was a good exchange of punches at the end of the 6th round but Thomson went on to win the fight 58-56 and remains still undefeated.

The next boxers up were Jordan McCrory and Dougie Curran, it was over 6 x 2 minute Super-Featherweight contest. McCrory got off to a slow start but landed the more telling punches in the early rounds with mainly body shots, McCrory then opened the door for Curran to come in with jabs, a good straight right-left-right and combinations. As the fight progressed  McCrory addressed Curran with a good left hook to the head followed by solid one-two’s and a cracking left to the body, Curran had a higher work rate through most of the fight but the stronger more telling punches came from McCrory but the fight was scored as a draw 57-57.

Rhys Pagan and Ireland’s Michael Kelly stepped through the ropes in a 4 x 3 minute Welterweight contest were Pagan delivered a classy jab followed by straight one-two’s and good right hands to the body, he totally outclassed Kelly who had very little answer to Pagan’s craftwork were everything he did came off the jab. Pagan did get warned in the 2nd  round for rabbit punching but this did not take anything away from what could only be described as a boxing lesson given to Kelly whose face was visibly marked by the end of the 4th round. Pagan won every round on the referee’s scorecard with a clear margin of 40-36.

Sean Watson and James Ancliff (A former Scottish amateur Champion) touched gloves in a 4 x 3 minute Super-Featherweight contest. At the start of the bout Watson rocked Ancliff with two good right hand shots followed by two lovely left hooks, he was landing with the jab at will and adding tidy combinations, Ancliff’s punches were falling short of their destination and got warned for rabbit punching in the 2nd round. Ancliff’s continuous spoiling tactics led to the referee issuing a public warning in the 3rd round, Watson continued to throw good, solid shots, he dominated the 4th round with a variety of punches, Ancliff did manage to get through with a couple of one-two’s then wrestled Watson to the canvas, Watson clearly landed stronger and better quality shots throughout the fight, it was no surprise that Watson won by a landslide of 40-36.  

Darren McAdam faced Polish opponent Arek Malek in a 6 x 2 minute Light-Welterweight contest. Southpaw McAdam, began the bout by throwing range finding jabs that soon found the target adding a solid left right to the body, he stayed in charge of the fight by landing good combinations, Malek had little resolve to match the talent of McAdam, a straight left from McAdam clearly knocked Malek’s head back in the 3rd round. The writing was on the wall for Malek, McAdam threw two right screw shots simultaneously with ease, combinations and using a good jab he was still bouncing in the 6th round. Malek resorted to holding on in the last that reflected in the scoring with the referee awarding the contest to McAdam by a margin of 60-54.

Mark Parvin and Richard Bitner were next to take to the ring in a 4 x 3 minute Light-Welterweight contest. Parvin came out catching Bitner with a left hook to the head followed by another of the same, Bitner replied with a combination of punches, Parvin threw a flurry of blistering punches to the body and head of Bitner then a good straight one-two, Bitner then had Parvin against the ropes going for the body and head. In the 2nd round Bitner started to dominate the fight getting threw punches to the head and body, Parvin threw a straight left but Bitner came back with a mass of combinations in one of the neutral corners finishing with a right left to the body, Parvin’s punches were missing the target. Bitner continued to keep Parvin on the ropes throwing combinations, Parvin got through with an uppercut, straight jab and a right hand, Bitner had parvin back on the ropes getting through with a solid one-two. A right hand from Bitner forced Parvin’s gum shield out resulting in Parvin being given a standing count in the last round, the referee scored the contest 39-36 in Bitners favour.

Ryan Scott and Billy Campbell made their way to the ring in a 4 x 3 minute Middleweight contest. Campbell started off quickly throwing straight one-two’s and a one-two-left hook, Scott came back with an onslaught of combinations but resilient Campbell had Scott against the ropes going to the head and body. In the second round Scott was landing clean left hands to the head, he then went on to do what can only described as a two handed frenzied body and head assault that got the fans off their seats in anticipation of the fight being stopped but Campbell refused to go down. At one point Scott just stood there staring at his opponent with his hands down. Campbell refused to go away and throwing regular combinations where Scott could only answer with a one-two. Campbell had the bit between his teeth and dug deep continuing to pepper Scott with an assortment of punches. Scott hit back in the later stages of the fight with a solid right to the body but it wasn’t enough. The referee scored the contest in favour of Campbell by a score of 39-38.

The current British Masters Light-Welterweight Champion Mitch Prince entered the arena to face Bulgarian, Radoslav Mitev, in a 6 x3 minute Lightweight contest. Prince came out fighting looking like a classy, stylish fighter throwing a stunning three punch combination followed by a straight one-two, Mitev responded with a heavy one-two and a big right hand, Mitch was dancing like a prince measuring up his opponent for a lethal strike. Prince threw an accurate left to the body, moved in and threw a straight one-two to the head immediately followed by another big right hand to the head that knocked Mitev to the canvas where he could not get back up to beat the count. Prince wins the fight by way of knockout in the 1st round after one minute and nineteen seconds.

Preceding the main event of the show, Iain Butcher stepped through the ropes to square up to Bulgarian southpaw opponent Galin Paunov in a 6 x 3 minute Flyweight contest. Butcher immediately caught Paunov with an uppercut and left hand to the body, Paunov threw a right to the head, Butcher came straight back with a sharp three punch combination, a left-right to the body and a right hand to the head put Paunov down for the count of eight, another body to head combination put Paunov on the canvas for the second time, a right to the body coupled with a right to the head had his Bulgarian opponent on the deck for the third time and after 1 minute 57 seconds the referee stopped the fight in the 1st round.

The main event of the show was for the Vacant Scottish Middleweight Title over 10 x 3 minute rounds featuring unbeaten Gary McCallum from Castlemilk and Stranraer’s Paul Allison. Gary McCallum came out dancing around the ring showing off great footwork throwing a neat jab followed by nice left-right-left hook to the head, he threw a much greater volume of punches than Allison who himself got through with a few combinations where he teed off using the right hand. McCallum went back on the jab, double jab keeping distance between himself and his opponent; this was to become the trend for McCallum. In the early doors of the fight it was evident Allison was eager to get close to McCallum where he produced his best work at close counter, against the ropes or in the corners. McCallum dropped to the body with his punches and reverted back to up to four punch straight combinations to the head. McCallum started the 3rd round throwing six straight jabs, Allison returned a solid right-left to the body, McCallum’s work off the jab coupled with some tidy footwork was be the key factor for him, however, Allison stepped up his work rate and finished the 4th round the stronger man. McCallum came out in the 5th looking strong, the minute break seemed to have replenished him and he was back on the jab, everything coming off the left jab that led Allison to lead with a right hook to the head. By the sixth round you could see that McCallum’s ring craftsmanship was beginning to frustrate Allison. McCallum was throwing a variety of punches off the jab with ease including two consecutive right hands but a combination of punches from Allison at the end of the 6th round must have given Allison the belief he could turn the fight around. Where McCallum would prod out his left fist Allison would work to the body. By the 8th round McCallum was producing some left hand work that was a joy to behold, rapid one-two’s to the head, Allison doubled up his lefts to the body but the clock was running down in favour of McCallum. In the ninth McCallum started the round well working wonders with the left hand, Allison caught him with two rights to the body, McCallum was back dancing going to the body and the head, Allison caught him with a right-left to the body on the ropes. Alison threw a punch after the referee called them to break but it did not bother McCallum in the slightest, he we back on the jab and double one-two to the head, McCallum was tiring at the end of the ninth so Allison’s only chance was to stop McCallum in the last round. In the 10th and final round Allison came out fighting, pressuring McCallum with shots to the head and body, McCallum looked content with surviving the round, he must have known Allison had to knock him out but the man from Castlemilk had more tricks up his sleeve than David Blaine, his footwork and torso movement were enough to keep him out of trouble, Alison did win the last round hands down but my thoughts are that Allison would have preferred the fight to have took place in a phone box, however, in a 15 ft square ring McCallum proved himself to be the worthy winner and when the belt went round his waist the two boxers sportingly embraced. The official verdict from esteemed boxing referee Victor Loughran was 98-93 in favour of Gary McCallum.  

The huge crowd in attendance certainly got their money’s worth, The Steelmen Return was the full package and it really was the Full Monty.  

By Raymond Fraser Buchanan