Lee McAllister wants belt back from Willie Limond

LEE McAllister has warned Willie Limond not to get too attached to the Commonwealth light-welterweight belt he won in style late on Monday night with a first-round stoppage of Eddie Doyle in Glasgow.

The Aberdonian fighter relinquished the title due to an elbow injury but was at ringside at the Radisson Blu hotel to see Limond, 33, demolish his fellow Glaswegian, whose inexperience at that level was cruelly exposed.

The St Andrew’s Sporting Club, celebrating its 40th anniversary, was packed to its 600 capacity to see Doyle, unbeaten in his first 12 fights as professional, thumped to the canvas twice before referee Victor Loughlin stepped in with only one minute and 56 seconds gone.

The club’s owner, Tommy Gilmour, who manages both Limond and McAllister, wants the fighters to have warm-up bouts before they meet each other later in the year.

However, the 30-year-old from the Granite City is adamant that he will be champion again as soon as the title fight does take place.

“I want my belt back,” said McAllister. “Willie is only keeping that for a short period.

“Don’t be mistaken. He isn’t going to do that to me. I have exactly the same experience and he isn’t going to shock me and show me anything that I haven’t seen before.

“I will speak to Tommy, whether he wants a warm-up fight or for me to fight him straight away, I am easy.

“To be honest, it was an impressive win for Willie but it showed that Eddie Doyle wasn’t ready for that step up in class. He is a good fighter but he was like a rabbit caught in the headlights and Willie capitalised on the fact that it was his first big event.”

Limond’s future in the sport was questioned even by his friends and family after he was comprehensively beaten by Manchester lightweight Anthony Crolla when the pair fought for the vacant British crown at Motherwell 15 months ago.

However, he looked powerful in his new category of light-welterweight and insists there is plenty of mileage left in him.

“Tommy says that maybe I will get a defence first and then fight Lee but I will return the favour,” he said. “Lee did me a heavy favour by relinquishing this belt to allow me and Eddie to fight for it so 
whatever Tommy wants to do, we will do.

“This belt means the world to me and now I have a belt, I have something to get up in the morning to train for.

“I still feel young and I still feel fresh. I know a lot of boxers say that but I genuinely do.”

Gilmour, who also manages Doyle, believes Limond’s experience was key on the night.

He said: “What Willie gained over his 39 previous fights he showed.

“He jumped on top of the boy right away and knocked him 
out of his stride and he showed that at ten stone he has a lot to look forward to.

“Lee is not back in training yet so I don’t think he would like to fight for a title right away.

“I would envisage Lee would have one fight, maybe an eight-rounder and we will do something at the Kelvin Hall with Willie.

“Eddie will feel gutted and feel that he let the world down.

“You can’t say that. It has happened to better fighters than Eddie Doyle in the past and it will happen to better fighters than Eddie Doyle in the future and he should learn from it.”