Boxing: McEwan sides with the enemy

That old saying: "If you can't beat them, join them" has taken a new twist after Los Angeles-based middleweight boxer Craig McEwan drafted in the coach of his last victim.

With 18 straight wins in American rings, Edinburgh native McEwan is aiming for victory 19 over Danny Perez in California's Perchanga Hotel this Friday. Perez has knocked out 17 opponents in 37 bouts and McEwan said: "This will be my second ten-rounder and, with talk of me fighting for a title early in 2011, I can't afford any slip-ups. So I grabbed an offer from my last stoppage victim Canadian Kris Andrews's coach, John Tandy, to find me four really tough Canadian sparring partners with whom I've been going hard at it."

Meanwhile, Alex Brown manager of the Bronx amateur boxing club in Tranent, says 20 boxers from his club will be there to cheer McEwan at ringside if he gets a title contest next year.

"Two months ago, 20 Bronx boxers joined a 20 per-week savings scheme with all the money built up plus interest being used to finance their trip to support Craig at that title fight - anywhere in the US. Craig worked out down at our Tranent gym and was a huge influence on all the boxers here."