Boxing: McHale tipped for senior Scottish title honours

QUEENSFERRY'S four-times Scottish youth middleweight champion Chris McHale outpointed Lochee club rival Willie Ramsay with a dazzling display of rapid movement and smart counter-punching at the Leith Victoria Spring show, writes BRIAN DONALD.

And McHale also received a ringing endorsement from five-time Scottish amateur middleweight champion Craig McEwan. Guest of honour McEwan, on holiday from Los Angeles where he is unbeaten in 18 pro fights, said: "I believe McHale can follow in my shoes as Scottish amateur middleweight champion."

McEwan's father Rab – the Clovenstone coach – was forced to throw in the towel as Lochend heavyweight Steve Nicol forced Kevin Nicol to take an eight count in the first round, before another blistering barrage of punches in the second prompted surrender.

Craigmillar welterweight, Usman Ahmed, was very unlucky to drop a points decision to Leith Victoria's Chris Given while Livingston welterweight, Mark Brown, capitalised on Leith Vics' ring debutant Scott Luby tiring in the last round to notch up a points win.

Similarly, revenge was sweet for Lochend welterweight Tommy Philbin, who battered Keith Guthrie's ribs, his previous ring conqueror from Fife, for three fast and furious rounds to secure a merited points victory in the top-of-the-bill encounter. Queensferry's Lewis Benson, a former Scottish lightweight champion, moved up effortlessly to light-welter to outpoint the host club's Sean White.