Boxing: Dominant Simmons takes Scottish title with stoppage

Published on Saturday 28 March 2009 10:26

LEITH Victoria heavyweight Steve Simmons lived up to his pre-fight prediction by regaining his Scottish title at Lasswade last night, writes BRIAN DONALD.

Simmons posted an easy third-round stoppage win over game but outclassed Hawick opponent Sean Allison.

After forcing several standing counts, Simmons was using Allison for target practice before the referee's intervention in round three.

Holyrood bantamweight Gareth Stemp was also crowned Scottish champion after a tough tussle with aggressive Aberdonian Andrew Cuthbert.

Cuthbert fought toe-to-toe with Stemp in a way that made the lopsided points margin of 11-1 to the Edinburgh man seem absurd-although, overall, Stemp was well worth his victory. There was disappointment in the middleweight division, however, for Lochend's Chris Cowan in the final bout of the night.

He found Alloa fighter Darren Reid's greater ring experience, coupled with a more effective scoring punch rate, just too much to overcome.

And that was reflected in the 10-4 scoreline against capital boxer, Cowan, who was having only his eleventh bout overall.

Featherweight Arron McKelvie's fierce, non-stop attacks suited the cool counter-punching skills of Glasgow Dennistoun's classy Jon Slowey, whose winning performance against the Glenrothes boxer also brought him the President's Cup for best overall boxer in the tournament.

The trophy was presented to Slowey by legendary 1956 Olympic lightweight gold medal winner Dick McTaggart.