Scott Harrison's former cell mate targets British title

He fell in with the ‘wrong crowd’, had death threats, ended up serving two years in prison for a ‘serious assault and causing permanent disfigurement’ and did time inside alongside Scottish boxing legend, Scott Harrison. It is fair to say, that Craig Windsor Jr’s life before turning pro has been eventful.

In this feature interview, the Scottish light-middleweight (6-1) tells Boxrec News how he turned his life around and is now beating a path towards major boxing honours - targeting a British title shot in the new season.

Windsor Jr hails from a strong boxing family. His father, Craig Windsor Sr was a professional boxer and as Craig Jr proudly points out “was the only fighter to win three Scottish titles at three different weights as a professional – featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight – and he did it all in one year. He also fought Paul Hodgkinson and a couple of other British champions”.

Windsor Jr’s late enrolment in the paid ranks at the age of 26, was both delayed and inspired by his two year stint in a Scottish prison, where he did time alongside former world champion Scott Harrison and Kenny Anderson’s older brother, Bernie.

The beginnings

As a kid Craig boxed out of Barn Amateur Club – he laced up his first pair of gloves at the age of six and when he turned eleven, he had his first amateur fight and win, in Glasgow. Windsor went on to have 54 amateur fights and picked up a couple of Scottish Junior Western District titles.

Windsor’s boxing idols were Nigel Benn, Julio Cesar Chavez and Mike Tyson. “I liked the come forward body shots of Chavez and the aggressiveness and power of Tyson and Benn was just brilliant.”

Windsor boxed out of the same amateur gym as current WBO champion Ricky Burns. “I boxed Ricky Burns in an exhibition fight and sparred with him every day. I sparred with him for the Michael Gomez fight as well.”

Craig spent a lot of time in the gym and when he reached the age of 16, he joined the army and spent three years in the armed forces, based in England. “I boxed and destroyed people in the Army Championships. When I came out of the army at the age of 19 I became involved in security and had a couple more amateur bouts again. But, then I started to hang about with the wrong people.”

Troubled Times and Prison

It was at this juncture that Windsor Jr's life spun out of control leading to a stint in prison.

“I got four years in jail for ‘serious assault and permanent disfigurement’. I done my time and I got out.

"When I got into trouble, I was involved in security firms on building sites in Coatbridge, Glasgow. I was basically in with the wrong crowd and it got out of hand, guys would come and threaten your life. And the police were actually coming to tell you that there was a threat on your life at that time, back then.”

Several weeks after committing the serious assault the police came to Windsor Jr’s door with a warrant for his arrest and it was at that time he decided to go on the run. Windsor Jr fled to Spain for around nine months, where he continued to train and spar, and even had a couple of unlicensed fights. Eventually, Windsor Jr decided that he wanted to put everything behind him and returned home to Scotland to hand himself into the authorities. Windsor got sentenced to four years in prison, of which he served two years.

During Windsor’s time inside he had plenty of time to reflect on his boxing career and whilst inside he spent time with Scott Harrison. Windsor Jr says: “They give you a job in prison and I worked in the medical centre and Scott Harrison came in and I got talking with him and we got on good. Then we went training. We went to the gym, and would go on running machine together and shared Boxing News magazines.

“Scott has always been an idol of mine because he is probably the best fighter at his weight division to ever come out of Scotland.”

Although, Windsor Jr had always intended to join the pro ranks after serving his time inside, he was also buoyed by the encouragement that he received from his boxing idol, Harrison.

“I also trained in prison with Kenny Anderson’s old brother (Bernie), who wasn’t a boxer, but he keep fit and a strong guy. When I came out of prison I went to Scott’s father (trainer Peter Harrison) and trained with Peter and signed with Alex Morrison.

Windsor Jr recalls the harrowing experience of life behind bars: “I hated it. It was just full of junkies and people carrying knives all the time. People were stabbing people all the time and people were carrying books inside their jeans so that they couldn’t get stabbed. This is what they would do in the exercise yard.

“You used to get locked up for 23 hours and you get one hour a day exercise. And they put you in an exercise yard with about 100-150 other people and they would walk around in a circle, and guys would have books tucked in their jacket so they couldn’t get stabbed, because the stabbing was really bad. But that is what they do, because they can’t fight, they just carry knives, but they knew not to come near me because they knew I could batter them no bother with one punch. You have got to be careful, because it is a very paranoid place. I am glad to get out of it and I will never, ever go back, I have been squeaky clean for years now.”

Windsor’s pro career and the future

In 2008 Windsor Jr got out of prison, he then had his final amateur bout before turning pro under the guidance of Alex Morrison. Windsor Jr is philosophical about his late start to the pro game. “Turning pro at 26 has actually done me a favour as I can now box until I am 36 – because you have got ten years in you. If you turn pro at 18 you usually are finished when you are about 28. So, I am 28, not 38 – so I am still young.

“My old boxing trainer at Barn Amateur Boxing Club told me that he had never seen punching power like it. Even now people are still avoiding me. But it doesn’t matter how good a fighter you are – you need to have good people around to get you there.

“The professional game suits me because I like to wear my opponent down and break them apart and break somebody’s heart. I am a come forward, aggressive fighter, hard puncher and have raw power. But since I have been with Peter Harrison I have been working on my jab and breaking my opponent down.

“I have a good defence and as an amateur and professional I have never been down on the ground in my life, I have never took a count. I have sparred with light-heavyweights and even knocked out a Polish heavyweight in sparring.”

Windsor Jr is a dedicated trainer, and explains a typical training day: “I do my running every morning, then I go to Peter Harrison’s gym at 11am and I train with Peter for two hours. I come back for a bite to eat and then at dinnertime I am at my own wee gym in Coatbridge where I help out amateur boxers and people that want to keep fit. So I am in there with my dad and a couple of others and I am kept busy.”

However, despite Windsor Jr’s title ambitions, he has the one blemish on his pro record and that was loss to Ryan Toms (6-0), whereby Windsor got stopped in the sixth round due to a cut on his left eye. “Toms is not a bad fighter, he is a southpaw, but they caught me off guard, I fought him with one day’s notice because I couldn’t get a fight in Scotland or England. So, I took the fight with one-day notice and I had to lose a bit of weight. I did a ten-mile run and hit the pads and took off ½ stone. I was fit anyway, so I thought I would just go in there and knock him out.

“He was alright the first couple of rounds because he was a southpaw but I was getting to him, I am a come forward fighter and I was wearing him down. It got to about round five and he was ready to go and he put his elbow up and I got a cut on my eye. They wouldn’t let me go on with the cut and I got stopped. I called him out in the Boxing News Magazine for a rematch but he never came back to me. I am willing to fight him again for a rematch and I will fight him for free, because I know I will stop him with four weeks notice.”

Although itching to avenge the loss on his record, Windsor Jr is also philosophical and points to the unfortunate cut eye loss that his boxing idol Scott Harrison suffered in the early part of his career to journeyman Miguel Matthews.

“I am open to a ten round fight with anyone in Britain at light middleweight and with four weeks notice I think I can stop them.

“I fought on Sky Sports when I fought Billy Nelson’s fighter Ben Deghani. I stopped Degani in the third round on Sky Sports. I know when I get the opportunity to fight on Sky Sports again I will take it with both hands and I will win again by knockout. I just need the opportunity.”

Windsor Jr expressed that he is willing to listen to offers from managers and promoters for fights and has set himself a goal to start fighting for domestic titles this season: “I believe I am the best in Scotland at light middle weight right now – there is not one person in Scotland that I don’t think I could stop. I want to have three more fights and then challenge for the British title next year.

“I would fight Ryan Toms tomorrow. I would fight Ciaran Duffy for the Scottish Middleweight title or the Celtic title. I just want the fights and I will win titles. I am a hard puncher; a good ticket seller and I have the best trainer in Scotland.”

A promoter could do a lot worse than giving Craig Windsor Jr a shot at achieving domestic honours. This is another boxer and boxing story to keep an eye on in the new season.

*Windsor Jr is currently training with Peter Harrison and Alex Arthur and is scheduled to fight at the Paisley Lagoon Centre on the 3rd September.

*Windsor Jr has requested that his mobile number is left at the end of this article and invites Ryan Toms to contact him for a rematch after Windsor’s scheduled fight on the 3rd September. Craig Windsor Jr can be contacted on: 07414035734.

Image courtesy James Williamson