Interview: Matt and Lee McAllister, boxers

By MARTIN HANNAN
Published on Sunday 19 February 2012 02:08

THE Fighting McAllisters of Aberdeen have long been something of a legend in the city by the sea. Two generations of boxers, four brothers in each, have made the McAllister name synonymous with the sport in the Granite City.

The current four boxing brothers – European title contender Lee, David, Matthew and Steven – have all followed their scrap merchant father David and uncles into the ring with varying degrees of success.

A predilection for fisticuffs suggests that there might have been the odd barney at home, something Matt McAllister quickly denies. “We never fought with each other, well not much,” he said, “but we fought with a’body else.

“We all get on well and we always support each other. Always.”

On Saturday the McAllisters face their biggest night of boxing yet. Welterweight Matt “Hawk” McAllister will face Lanarkshire-based Maltese fighter Daniel Micallef on the undercard of brother Lee’s European light-welterweight title contest against Denis Shafikov of Russia.

It’s a huge bout for Lee against the champion who won his title against the highly-rated Italian Giuseppe Lauri in Finland last September. It is Shafikov’s first defence, and he will be Lee’s toughest opponent to date, with the fight at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre a sell-out due to the local fans’ desire to see 29-year-old McAllister crowned king of Europe.

At 23, Matt will be having his third professional contest and is confident of remaining unbeaten. He is no shrinking violet even if he is content to stay in the shadows and let his quick-witted big brother do most of the speaking.

“He could talk for Scotland,” said Matt, “and of course he is an inspiration to me with all he’s achieved, as I want to gain the titles he has won, which is why I’ve told my manager Tommy Gilmour that I don’t want to fight journeymen. But I’m better looking than he is. And could you tell the ladies out there I am single at the moment?” Job done, Matt.

On the walls of the Granite City Boxing Club where they train are posters and pictures showing the family’s ring history, including one of the brothers’ father David as an eight-year-old starting out on his distinguished amateur career. He and his three brothers were all better than decent amateurs, with James McAllister winning a silver medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

Lee, pictured right, has gone much further in his career as a professional, with 34 wins and just two defeats in his career, and the Aberdeen Assassin is raring to go again.

“It’s the biggest fight of my life and I can’t wait for it,” said Lee. “The whole city is buzzing and getting behind me, and it’s the biggest sporting event here since Alex Ferguson took Aberdeen to the Cup-Winners Cup in 1983. For a single sportsman, it’s the biggest event in Aberdeen’s history.

“Once I beat this Russian kid it will be my night, my time to shine, and my time to go forward, because I see it as the start of something big. I am in the prime of my career now and I’m looking for bigger things. The European title is a massive step along the way, it’s the belt I have always wanted, and now I am getting the chance to get that belt by fighting against one of the best fighters in the world.

“Shafikov is undefeated, he was a top Russian amateur, he’s rated in the top ten by all the governing bodies, so once I beat him we’ll be looking at very big things.

“My focus is on him just now. I know I need to do a job on him before I can look at anything in the future, but once I get him out of the road I will sit down with my father and with [manager] Tommy Gilmour and hopefully plan my debut in Las Vegas against Erik Morales – that would be nice and I’d get a free holiday out of the fight, too.”

Humour is a big McAllister quality but those words were spoken only half in jest, and the main ambition of Lee and all the family is to make Aberdeen a boxing city like never before. Lee said: “I am the most successful fighter to come out of Aberdeen.

“My dad and I have put Aberdeen on the boxing map along with my brother David who is also my coach and cornerman. It’s a strong gym my Dad has built up here. We’ve got a serious prospect of having lots of pro fighters coming through in time.”

Brother Matthew is “the best prospect to keep Aberdeen going once my career has come and gone and he knows more at 23 than I did” said Lee, who also cited young Darren Traynor as a prospect: “They will both be looking for British title fights in future.”

On a serious note, Lee knows that if it had not been for boxing, he might have well have gone to the bad.

“My father and mother have been a massive influence on my life. If it wasn’t for them I would probably be in jail or dead. If I hadn’t had the structure, my dad coaching and training me and my mum looking after me, getting my diets right and making sure everything has been right for my fights, I am sure I would have ended up on drugs or worse.”

The Fighting McAllisters therefore owe a lot to boxing, but in Aberdeen especially, boxing owes a lot to them.

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Jack B

Monday, February 27, 2012 at 03:15 AM

result of the fights lost is not the word for what happened ,his bottle crashed in the eighth after seven rounds of punishment from Denis Shafikov,the boy pure schooledassassinated him no joke,and he embarrassed AberdeenScotland in the process,during the break before the start of the 8Th round his brother came over to his corner and suggested to him that his hand was broken,it was all really mortifying and so amateurish to watch,his corner and Barry mgwiggen and co all knew as did the whole of the country he was getting ko'd in 1 more round for sure and that there was naff all wrong with his hand,people would of had more respect if he'd of taking the beating like a man,he's always thought he was better than he is in my opinion,living of the back of a once upon a time well known family name, i just hope now he retires quietly and quickly so we don't get any more red faces, Aberdeen assassin my ****,feel sorry for the ticket buyers PS his brother done well though

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