Edinburgh boxer John McCallum takes on ‘life-changing’ challenge against Olympic champion Evgeny Tishchenko

Edinburgh boxer John McCallum will challenge undefeated Russian Evgeny Tishchenko for the vacant WBO European cruiserweight title next weekend.

John McCallum will fight Evgeny Tishchenko in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg.

The 32-year-old’s (12-1) last bout was at Glenrothes’ Gilvenbank Hotel in February last year, registering a points win over the much-travelled Casey Blair.

But McCallum will take a colossal step into the unknown when he enters the ring at the RCC Boxing Academy, in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg, on Saturday, November 7.

His 6ft 5in opponent, three years his junior, is undefeated after seven professional bouts and won the heavyweight gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

“I wasn’t expecting this offer but I’ve always wanted to fight the best,” said McCallum, who resides in Surrey and trains out of the Camberley Boxing Club. “I want to leave a legacy behind. Common sense tells you he will win this. If you look at his pedigree against mine, which has been stop-start, then you have to back him. But this is what dreams are made of and I know I can do it.

“I’ve been training three or four times a day for quite a while now so this is it. If I can win this fight then the sky is the limit - this is life-changing stuff. You’d never see Eddie Hearn’s guys taking risks like I am. But I've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“Taking Ken Buchanan aside, this would be the biggest upset from a Scottish boxer on foreign soil but I’ll need to knock him out to get the win.”

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