Rematch is on the cards

Published on Monday 16 November 2009 09:05

BITTER Edinburgh rivals Gary Young and Gary McMillan were supposed to settle their differences in the ring at Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre last night when they contested the vacant Scottish welterweight title.

However, as far as 22-year-old McMillan is concerned, there is unfinished business to take care of after he and his corner protested loudly that referee Paul Graham made a wrong call when he gave the verdict to Young by 96 points to 95.

McMillan – who had lost only once in 11 fights previously – and trainer Terry McCormack expressed fury at the outcome of was, in truth, an untidy contest lacking in flair and imagination.

It was in the main an ill-tempered affair overshadowed by a nasty cut to McMillan's right eye which bled freely for most of the ten-round contest in the first-ever live boxing show to be staged at the 105-year-old venue.

But McMillan, who sustained the injury in the second round following an accidental clash of heads, contributed to his downfall by failing to box cleverly after spending a fortnight preparing at Freddie Roach's world-renowned Los Angeles gym.

Instead, McMillan tried to frustrate his 26-year-old opponent by repeatedly holding, and in spite of his camp's protests about Graham's handling of the fight and his decision to award it to Young, I felt the referee called it correctly.

Perhaps not surprisingly, so, too, did Young's trainer, former world flyweight champion Paul Weir.

Weir said: "Styles make fights and McMillan sat on top of Gary and he found it difficult to get away from him. But I thought that Gary landed the cleaner punches.

"I also think the cut unsettled McMillan and caused him to lose the plot and his concentration to an extent. But Gary adapted to the demands and I think he could now go on to fight for the British title."

Young, who has also spent time in the States, added: "I tried to stick to my game plan but he made it awkward the way he was gripping. I also had to beware of his head and I allowed that to affect my concentration.

"I think there could be a rematch because he wants more so let's go for it. But I'll say this for Gary, he's a great advert for his sponsor, a scaffolding company, the way he stayed up!"

Although the pair were brought up just five miles apart, there is clearly no love lost. But it is Young, in action for the first time since September 2007 when he broke his right hand in a six-round contest against David Kirk, who earned the bragging rights after chalking up his 18th win in 19 contests.

Meanwhile, former WBU lightweight champion Willie Limond, from Glasgow, scored an impressive 80-72 points win over Duncan Cottier from Essex.

And lightweight Santino Caruana was taken to hospital as a precaution after being knocked cold by Englishman Tamao Dwyer 27 seconds into the fourth round of the opening contest.

Doctors and paramedics administered oxygen after the Cambuslang boxer was unconscious for more than a minute.