Aberdeen boxer Dean Sutherland has landed a dream bout as he will fight for a major title at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.
The 26-year-old will face Callum Walsh for the WBC Continental Americas super-welterweight title on Sunday, March 16.
Sutherland’s title shot is top of the bill at the world boxing mecca in the Big Apple, and the fight will be streamed live worldwide on UFC Fight Pass.
Madison Square Garden has hosted era-defining title fights by ring greats, including Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Rocky Marciano.
Ali’s world heavyweight title loss to defending champion Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in March 1971, is known as “The Fight of the Century”.
Undefeated Walsh, with a pro record of 12 wins from 12 fights (10 by stoppage), trains with ring great Freddie Roach in Los Angeles.
Roach trained eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.
He also trained three-time world champion James Toney, and four-division world title winner Miguel Cotto.
Walsh, 23, has a long-standing relationship with UFC president and CEO Dana White, who has supported the super-welterweight’s career.
Title defence knockouts by Walsh
Irishman Walsh initially won the WBC Continental Americas title with a ninth-round stoppage of Dauren Yeleussinov (Kazakhstan) at Madison Square Garden in March 2024.
Walsh has since made two successful title defences.
The first was against Carlos Ortiz Cervantes (Mexico) and most recently Przemyslaw Runowski (Poland)– both second-round stoppage wins.
Southpaw Sutherland recently retained the BBBofC Celtic super-welterweight title with a fourth-round stoppage of Fraser Wilkinson at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen.
That fight also doubled as an eliminator for a British and Commonwealth title shot.
Commonwealth champion Sam Gilley and Louis Greene are both set to fight for the belts early this year, with Sutherland in line to face the winner.
However, the major title shot in New York has propelled Sutherland to the big time.
Sutherland boasts a professional record of 19 wins (seven by stoppage) and one loss.
A belt previously held by boxing greats
The WBC Continental Americas super-welterweight has previously been held by boxing great Julio Cesar Chavez.
Chavez was a multiple world champion in three weight divisions, and was listed by The Ring magazine as the world’s best boxer, pound for pound, from 1990 to 1993.
The belt was also previously held by former undisputed world light-middleweight champion Jermell Charlo.
Charlo held the WBO, WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and The Ring light-middleweight titles at the same time until September last year.
Promoter Tom Loeffler said: “We’re very excited to promote another huge Irish boxing card at Madison Square Garden.
“This fight provides Callum another opportunity to prove that he is the best and most marketable young fighter in boxing as he headlines this famed venue for the third time.”
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