East Kilbride boxer Josh Sandford was crowned Scottish Super Lightweight champion on home soil but says inspiring youngsters from his own club is his biggest achievement from the ‘Gladiators Fight Night’.
The 29-year-old, from Calderwood, headlined an action-packed card at the Playsport Arena on October 4 and inflicted a first pro defeat on rival Aidan Williamson, winning by two rounds, to take his first title in front of a strong home contingent from East Kilbride Boxing Academy.
And now he hopes he has inspired some of the youngsters he teaches on a weekly basis.
He said: “I have my boxing club just down the road so it was great to have all the members from there come along and support me.
“That was probably more enjoyable than the fight itself because it is good inspiration for all the kids at the gym. That was, ultimately, the reason I turned professional, to inspire others.
“Some of our amatuer boxers were there and it was a brilliant night for them to see that they can maybe go on and do the same thing down the line.
“Aidan was 9-0 going into it and was 7-1-1 so it was both our 10th fight.
“He was a brilliant opponent and it was a close fight. I won it by two rounds so there wasn’t a lot in the bout, but I think it was an entertaining one.
“The whole night went pretty well and it was a good event to have in East Kilbride.”
The night, which was hosted by St Andrew’s Sporting Club, also saw Wishaw fighter Scott Allan announce his retirement after a win on points over Yin Caicedo.
However, the two main bouts had to be called off. Sandford explained: “Two fights ended up getting cancelled so we ended up headlining the event which was a good experience as well.
“Matty McHale was meant to be fighting to defend the Commonwealth title and Dylan Arbuckle, who is Scottish and Celtic champion, didn’t feature either because their opponents had to pull out.
“But it was still a good night and great to have in East Kilbride. I actually enjoy the weeks after the fight because the build-up is just stress and chaos, so I’m glad we’ve got it done.”
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