Scottish boxing monthly review, March 2022
Scottish boxing hosted the pinnacle of the sport in February as fifteen thousand Scots sang, shouted, and argued over an undisputed world championship. The glare of the world was on our country, under the Hydro’s bright lights and for weeks after, debating one of the most significant bouts of the year, with comments from the tabloids to parliament. In contrast, March was an altogether quieter affair, with the focus on fighter development and getting hot prospects, young fighters, and debutants ring time.
The development of a boxer is a perfect science. The quality of a fighter’s opposition is enhanced incrementally in relation to their own maturity. Overly ambitious plans can derail progress, and unnecessarily cautious and repetitive bouts can halt growth and switch fans off. Kynoch Promotions and Denis Hobson’s Fight Academy have done a stellar job with Dean Sutherland, the highly promising Aberdonian welterweight. He wiped the floor with an opponent with a winning record in his fourth fight; out-fought a decorated Irish amateur in seventh; cruised to victory against an ambitious prospect in 10th; and stopped two solid foreign opponents in a row, collecting WBO and WBC titles in the process, in front of packed crowds. Not a bad start for a fighter with no amateur pedigree. But the 13th fight proved trickier to plan as appropriate opposition could not be found in time for the penned date; a promoter’s headache for a rising prospect gaining national attention.
Respect to Arbroath’s Corey McCulloch, a friend and sparring partner, who stepped in at late notice to fight Dean Sutherland on Friday 11 March. The Arbroath man earned praise from spectators for his tenacity, remaining competitive despite losing the majority of rounds against a superior Sutherland. The analysis of Dean’s performance has been in some ways harsh. In front of a sold out home crowd, he cruised to a 98-90 points victory, showcased flashes of brilliance, and floored McCulloch with a peach of a shot in the fifth round. But the contest lacked the usual intensity from Sutherland, which is often the case when sparring partners step under the lights together. The usual mix of fluid movement, sharp combinations and aggression appeared in cameos rather than the permanent fixture that we’ve become accustomed to in a Sutherland fight. And, as Dean is quickly learning, as a fighter with real promise and star quality, expectations are already very high. In a post-match interview, Sutherland rated his performance as a 3 out of 10, which is wildly self critical, but at least reassuring that he understands the standards he has set and improvements needed. McCulloch will certainly come again, aiming for a Scottish title this year, and a ranked British or international opponent would bring out a much better version of Sutherland in his next bout. It was nevertheless encouraging that this was Sutherland’s second headlining show in Aberdeen, selling out the Beach Ballroom, and he appears to be developing a real buzz in a region that’s been without boxing for some years. With continued success, and more considered risks, Sutherland could make Aberdeen a force in British boxing.
A man with less fanfare but undoubted talent is Calvin McCord who stretched his record to 10-0 with a points win over Rustem Fatkhullin. It was only the Ayrshireman’s second fight in over two years, but he demonstrated his solid fundamentals and class, chalking up a 60-55 points win to shake off some rust. Already a Scottish champion, McCord could have a good run towards British level if kept busy this year. Ryan Gall had some difficult moments against Alexey Tukhtarov but grinded out a tight but deserved win. ‘Learning fight’ is something of a cliché, often used as coded language for borefest, but it is a true descriptor in this case as the muscular Russian was busy, aggressive, and demanded Gall’s full attention across the entertaining six rounds. The Dundondian left with an improved 4-1 record, lots to reflect and improve upon, and can take some comfort in that Tukhtarov beat the highly popular Joe Laws only weeks later in Newcastle.
The following evening, Saturday 12 March, Regan Glackin dealt with Cristian Narvaez with ease, scoring a 59-55 points victory, in a disciplined performance at the Crowne Plaza, Glasgow. Glackin (now 7-0) has always looked impressive, even against journeymen, in these early stages. And, in terms of development, as a fighter with potential and decent following, now would be the time for Glackin to have a step up against solid domestic opposition. It may be fruitless to have another half a dozen of these contests. Right on time, it’s been announced that Glackin will fight former Scottish title challenger, Martin Taylor (7-1), in May, which looks like an ideal bout for the Glaswegian, where the journey can really begin. Liam Philip (3-0) defeated Lewis Van Poetsch, Kyle Boyd had a successful debut against Seamus Devlin, and Xander Savage squeezed past Gary McGuire to move to 3-0.
Kynoch Promotions continued their development of boxing across the country, holding a show in Inverness, their first time in the Highlands, on Saturday 19 March. It was good to see The Highlander, Gary Cornish, still in the sport as he helped organise the event. Fraser Wilkinson had looked very good against wily journeymen in his first two fights in 2021. There was the feeling that he would punish more ambitious fighters who came to win, leaving themselves open at times. And that was the case up north as Wilkinson battered a game Jordan Latimer, flooring him three times and stopping him in the first round. Wilkinson may be one to keep an eye on. Luca Micheletti, the 6’2 super middleweight, extended his record to 5-0 with a 60-54 points win over Seamus Devlin, who must be the busiest fighter on the circuit. Luca should be nearing the end of his apprenticeship in professional boxing this year and has demonstrated he has the attributes to step up.
St Andrews Sporting Club have been developing Scottish boxers for decades, and of course had recent success with Kash Farooq, supporting his journey from exciting prospect to British champion. But, with Farooq’s early retirement and established pro’s such as Scott Allan traveling across the UK for title opportunities, a new crop of boxers are being introduced to the stable. On Friday 25 March, it was the turn of Josh Sandford to showcase his potential, headlining the card in only his second appearance. Sandford, now 26, won four national titles as an amateur, and the East Kilbride man also owns a popular boxing and personal training gym. There are signs of potential there - that combination of skill, dedication and popularity, which may translate into a successful professional career. Sandford did the business on the night, cruising to a points win over Mark Butler, a game, undefeated fighter. Bobby Morrell, a former amateur champion, graduate of The Barn and now fighting out of Noble Art BC, kicked off his career with a 40-35 points win over Mohamed Cherif Benchadi, dropping him twice in the final round. And fellow Noble Art fighter, and the impressively conditioned, Michael McCrone also had a successful debut, winning each of the four rounds against Alejandro Torres. It’s too early to predict where these prospects can go, but given their solid amateur pedigree and experience, and opportunities to fight regularly, there could be some real potential and exciting fights along the way.
It would be incredible to have world title fights every month, true spectacles that capture the world’s attention, bringing eyes and energy and money to Scotland. But these events can only really be achieved with rising stars who learn their trade away from the spotlight. The development of these prospects is a delicate experiment that infuses so many variables - skill, timing, popularity, bravery. These shows reveal where each fighter is, who needs time to improve, and who is ready to take a step into the unknown; perhaps a less glamourous but invaluable part of the sport.
