Three Inverness City boxers step into the limelight tonight, throwing their first professional punches at a packed Drumossie Hotel in a show labelled “Back to the Future”.
It’s 11 years since the Highland capital venue hosted the club’s first pro show and head coach Laurie Redfern is thrilled to have a trio of fighters who he’s trained since the start facing visitors from Birmingham, all of whom have pro game experience.
This evening, a full house will roar on George Stewart, Adian Williamson and Calum Turnbull, who have all impressed as amateurs under Redfern’s guidance.
Turnbull, 21, and Williamson, 18, will contest six two-minute rounds at 56 and 60 kilos respectively.
Turnbull is a southpaw – left–handed, but leads with the right – and Redfern is confident that aspect can settle his opponents.
He said: “Calum is a really capable southpaw. Most boxers are orthodox and they can often find Calum quite a handful because of his style.
“He’s come through the ranks superbly well and has shown plenty of quality to reach this stage. It will be great to see what he’s capable of as a professional.”
Williamson, according to Redfern, has shown moments of real quality as he embarks on the pro side of the sport.
He said: “Adian is the youngest on show and, although he has less experience than Calum and George, he only lost two of 20 bouts.
“In the Box Cup in Cyprus just before Covid hit, he knocked out the Irish champion, which is no mean feat. To win a contest at that weight with a knock-out punch was unbelievable – I couldn’t believe it.
“Adian has a lot of potential and he will learn well as a professional. I see him having a bright future.”
Front-foot approach from Stewart
Stewart, 19, will fight four three-minute rounds at 60-kilos and Redfern highlighted the relentless nature of his style.
He added: “George is a strong all-round boxer, a real fighter as well. He’s very adaptable and I’ve seen him in some great matches over the years.
“Again, in Cyprus in the Box Cup he overcame a Russian opponent in the final and beat him through sheer pressure. I have high hopes that he’ll do well.”
Redfern’s professional memories
The debuts for the Inverness trio reminds Redfern of his first pro battle some 54 years ago.
He said: “This is a huge night for the boxers – their first professional fights. It takes me back to my first professional fight, which I think was in 1968 and I have just come across programmes from that bout, which I drew over six three-minute rounds.
“It was a great experience and these boys are going on that journey, starting this weekend.
“I am here to advise them of the pitfalls and what to expect. All the visiting boxers arrive knowing the game, so the boys will need to be on their toes from the start.”
Starting young offers best chances
Redfern has produced 86 national champions throughout his time as a coach and he explained getting boxers into the sport at the youngest possible age aids their rise and progression.
The lack of a club in the Highland capital before Redfern established his was something which perhaps hampered some of the north’s best fighters over the past 20 years or so.
Redfern said: “These boys came to the club aged 10-11 and they have done their apprenticeship. Winning or losing at amateur level doesn’t matter too much to me. As long as they learn from their losses.
“It makes them all-round better boxers. If they learn, they can come back stronger for their next bouts.
“In the early days, I had Gary Cornish, Andrew Young and Jasper Chisholm and they came to me at a time when I had just set up the club in Inverness. There had not been a club in Inverness for around 12 years.
“It wasn’t actually my intention to start a club in Inverness. It just happened, having coached and had big shows in Shetland.
“When I moved to Inverness, I was looking just for a place to train myself. Someone heard I had boxed and coached and asked me to set up a club in the Cameron Boys’ Club and it began from there.
“Gary, Andrew and Jasper, at that stage as young boys, hadn’t had the experience of trying boxing.
“But we soon became well known at Inverness Boxing Club for having success from the start.
“The professional side of the sport really has to start earlier than that. You just wonder how much further they could have gone as boxers had they started earlier – but there was no club for them.
“Andrew Young was probably the youngest, at 14, and he went on to win Commonwealth Games bronze in 2002.”
When the dust settles on the action at the Drumossie Hotel, Redfern will get down to working on a sporting club night in the Highland capital, most likely to be staged in June.