Boxing champion Dean Sutherland has revealed his Celtic title defence could be the last time he fights at the iconic Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen.
The legendary venue has long been the spiritual home of boxing in the Granite City.
Sutherland has fought five times at the Beach Ballroom and claimed two belts there – the Celtic title and WBC International belt.
Aberdeen ring stars Lee McAllister, Darren Traynor and Matthew McAllister have all won titles on the city’s beachfront.
Sutherland will defend his Celtic super-welterweight title against Fraser Wilkinson at the Beach Ballroom on Saturday, November 30.
The bout will also double as a Commonwealth title eliminator and is expected to also be confirmed as a British title eliminator.
Sutherland, aka “Deadly”, says the fight will be his farewell to the Beach Ballroom as he targets future major title shots elsewhere.
However, the 25-year-old ultimately aims to fight in the Granite City again with a massive bout at the P&J Live arena or Pittodrie.
He said: “In my mind this will be the last time I will fight at the Beach Ballroom as I’ll be moving on to bigger and better things.
“It could also be the last time I fight in Aberdeen for a wee while as my target will be bigger shows down south – big fights such as British and Commonwealth, and then on to the European side of things.
“Then I can come back and do P&J Live or Pittodrie.
“That is my vision and what I can see happening.
“Fighting in the biggest and best venues in Aberdeen will always be my target.”
Commonwealth and British titles
Boasting a pro-record of 18 wins and just one loss, Sutherland secured the Celtic title with a stoppage win against holder Sion Yaxley at the Beach Ballroom in May.
But Sutherland’s Celtic belt defence comes with the added bonus of it doubling up as a Commonwealth, and likely, British title eliminator.
The British and Commonwealth super-welterweight titles are both up for grabs when Sam Gilley faces Louis Greene in a rematch at York Hall, London on October 18.
Gilley currently holds the Commonwealth belt and the British title is vacant.
Greene won the Commonwealth title when stopping Sutherland at the Beach Ballroom in November 2022 – the only defeat of the southpaw’s career.
However, Greene subsequently lost that Commonwealth belt to Gilley in October last year.
Sutherland said: “If it is Greene or Gilley, whoever wins, that is my next fight after this.
“I will be keeping my eye on come October 18.
“However, I have the fight against Fraser to deal with first and then I can look at that.
“All I have to do is fully focus on November 30 and produce the goods then.
“And when there is the best version of me and the best version of Fraser, there is only one winner – and that’s me.”
‘A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter’
Two-weight Scottish champion Wilkinson, of Hopeman, Moray, trains in Aberdeen and is a former sparring partner of Sutherland.
Wilkinson boasts a pro-record of nine wins and one defeat.
Earlier this year, Sutherland changed training base.
Sutherland previously trained with Barry Healy at Churchill gym in London, but has returned to Scotland to work with trainer Joe Ham Sr in Glasgow.
He said: “This is the best I have ever felt and I’m getting better all the time.
“Being in the new gym in Glasgow is the perfect environment for me.
“From the coaching side of things with Joe and the sparring in the last camp, I’m producing the goods.
“The fact it is in Scotland, and just two-and-a-half hours away from Aberdeen, is great as I can see my family.
“I’m very, very happy – and a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter.
“It is such a competitive gym where everyone is striving to move on the next step and hungry to push on to higher levels in the career.
“I aim to do that with the fight against Fraser in November.”
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