Saturday night is fight night for Elgin Amateur Boxing Club products Andrew Smart and Fraser Wilkinson who are aiming to maintain their 100 per cent professional records at Inverness Ice Centre and set up a possible Scottish title shot
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TWO Moray boxers will be punching it out to preserve their perfect professional records in the ‘Thriller in the Chiller’ fight night in Inverness this weekend.
Elgin welterweight Andrew Smart takes on Northern Sporting Club colleague Paul Deas as part of a ‘Last Man Standing’ competition involving four undefeated fighters battling it out for a possible shot at a Scottish title.
Another product of Elgin Amateur Boxing Club to enter the pro scene, Fraser Wilkinson (21) steps up two weight divisions to take on Latvian Krystaps Zulgis in a super middleweight scrap on the same Inverness Ice Centre bill.
Both will have Elgin ABC head coach Paul ‘Ratch’ Gordon in their corner for the first time in a pro bout, with Gordon recently passing his professional qualification.
Smart has called Saturday’s bout as the most important of his career so far. Having won his first five fights since turning pro in 2018, he says he is in the best possible condition.
"It was December since I had my last fight," he said. "It was meant to be May, then June but we’re finally getting there.
"I’m definitely in great shape. It’s definitely the type of fight I want. There’s only so many learning fights you can have against the journeyman types.
"Last one was good, the boy was making his debut. This one is an undefeated fighter, albeit 1-0 but he’s had a long time in the game. He’s fought at amateur level and he’s in the pro game now.
"I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in.
“It’s a tournament that they’ve dubbed it Last Man Standing.” he revealed. “I’m fighting Paul Deas from my stable on Saturday and two fighters from the Kynoch Boxing stable are fighting on October 1. The winners of those two fights will fight each other in a final over eight rounds and a cash prize.
“It’s also being billed as the winner getting a shot at the Scottish title. There’s no better incentive than that.
“It depends if the Scottish title is vacant at the time then we might even try and make the final of this tournament for the Scottish title.”
Smart has been working out at the CrossFit Moray gym in Lossiemouth to add some new dimensions to his preparations.
He has trained for many years with Elgin colleague Wilkinson, who is confident of making it five wins out of five against his heavier opponent on Saturday.
‘Wilko’ was scheduled to take on Paddy Pollock in an eliminator for the Scottish title but Pollock pulled out, meaning a last-minute dash to find an alternative opponent came up with super middleweight Gulbis.
“The change in weight is going to pose a different threat that I’ve not had before,” he said. “I’ll have to think it up a bit more by stepping up the weights."
It will be the third different Inverness venue where Wilkinson has fought professionally, but he has a 'have gloves, will travel' philosophy when it comes to taking his career as far as he possibly can.
"It’s going to be a big night of boxing with the talent that’s on this show," he said. "Andrew Smart is on it and we are training together and it's the first time Ratch has been in the corner. That will help us, one hundred per cent.
"I’ve been upping the rounds and sparring. After this fight I’ll be ready to fight anyone.
"I would easily go down to England on to a big show and fight somebody, I’m not scared to do that. That could work out for me as I might be seen as easy by somebody down there.
"Sam (promoter Kynoch) and I have spoken about it and he said if I get the shout and I feel I’m more than happy that I can beat them, just to do it. It’s all about getting that shout."
Wilkinson, who comes from Hopeman and now lives in Forres, is also eager for a title fight. His difficulty is finding opponents at his own weight who are suitable to line up a shot at the national super welterweight belt.
"What poses the problem is the ability of most lads my weight in Scotland, there aren’t many super welters that are worthy of fighting for a Scottish title. We will see what the plan is.
"I’m desperate to get a title, I know I’m at the level where I’m a lot better than most of these pros domestically. I would easy fight two weights above me if I had to, even if it was for a title."
