Young can act champion after win at Pavilion Theatre

Alex Morrison demonstrated that public boxing shows have their place in Glasgow with a ground breaking promotion in the 105 year old Pavilion Theatre in Renfield Street on Sunday evening. His show had almost 1,000 paying customers in this venerable old venue where Charlie Chaplin has appeared, but there were no comedians on this show.

Two Edinburgh boxers fought for the vacant Scottish welterweight title, admittedly not the most prestigious of belts, but with a certain cachet in bragging rights in Scotland’s capital city. Gary Young beat Gary McMillan by the closest of margins, a single point. McMillan rightly demanded a rematch immediately after the bout, since by anyone’s scoring this was a tight affair. It may not have had the style that one would have hoped for, but it did go the distance and when allied to the fact that after an accidental clash of heads in the second round, McMillan had a cut over his eye for almost nine of the ten rounds, it gives the younger Edinburgh man a fair shout for his rematch.

Young himself has been out of action for a considerable time, having badly broken his hand back in 2007 in a bout with David Kirk, and will have been pleased to have picked up this belt in his rehabilitation from the injury. Both boxers looked in superb shape for this bout, McMillan a taller southpaw failed really to capitalise on his advantages, and the stockier Young didn’t really work as he ought to have done on the inside, nevertheless the bout had a certain frisson added to it with there being a distinct lack of “brotherly love” between them.

Referee Paul Graham scored it 96-95, which leaves the rematch a very distinct possibility since both camps will want to clear the issue of the closeness once and for all. 

On the undercard Willie Limond scored a fairly straightforward points victory (80-72) over the ever-ready Duncan Cottier, after Kenyan John Gicharu (his original opponent) pulled out. Limond was never troubled in this one, and out boxed his game opponent throughout.

Santino Caruana was rushed to hospital as a precaution after suffering a very heavy knock out at the hands of Tamao Dwyer. “Sonny” Caruana had already had an eight count in the opener, from a left hook which caught him flush from Dwyer. However, he then proceeded to try to claw back the two point deficit in the subsequent rounds, and fair play to him he did give it a go. The fourth round though was only 27 seconds old when a right cross put the lights well and truly out for the Cambuslang boxer. The need for the paramedics was instantly recognised and although he regained consciousness, he was made to lie prone for what seemed an eternity until the medics were happy enough for him to leave.

Glasgow light-middleweight Craig Windsor continued his unbeaten run of six in a row with a close decision over Surrey man Daryl Setterfield with a margin of 39-38. Though you could have accepted a draw from the two relative novices, but such are the vagaries of scoring.

Kris “Badger” Hughes is a tall southpaw for a bantamweight and he used these attributes wisely to outpoint Ian Bailey comfortably by 39-37. Bailey’s a short strong looking orthodox and there was a clash of styles, but this was a good bout with Bailey coming to fight and Hughes working well on the counter and on occasion he would take the fight to Bailey. This was a good clean bout and probably the best bout of the night.