ANNAN teen boxing star Kyle McGregor is officially the best in the country.
It comes after the 15-year-old defeated Callum Bell in three rounds in the Golden Gloves Championship (the Scottish Open) final last Saturday at Ravenscraig, Motherwell.
It was Kyle’s first Golden Gloves Championship and there was a lot at stake for both boxers as the winner would represent Scotland in the Tri-Nations later this year against England and Wales, as well as becoming the best in the country at their age and weight category.
Kyle, who trains at Solway Spartans’ gym in Annan, had already beaten his experienced opponent in the semi finals of the Western District Championship, but he knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
He trained hard on certain drills to execute during the bout, which proved vital during the contest as he emerged the stronger and more aggressive boxer , boxing to instruction well.
After three hard rounds, Kyle’s hand was raised and the youngster couldn’t hide his delight.
He said: “It feels amazing, the experience is surreal. I love boxing, I train multiple times a week. I put hard work into it just so I can get as much out of it as I can.
“I hope I can get into the Scotland team either this year or next and go on from there.”
Kyle has trained hard the last couple of years and never misses training with three to four sessions a week.
Head coach Terry Bruton says the youngsters always makes himself available for sparring days and club shows, which have been so valuable in his development.
Terry hopes the victory is the just the start of a successful career for Kyle and said: “It’s a fantastic achievement for Kyle and club, especially as he’s a homegrown boxer and has been with Spartans from the beginning.
“We are hoping to enter Kyle in a couple of box cups due this season too.
“We are all super proud of Kyle’s boxing journey so far. This is a fantastic achievement for Kyle and we’re expecting a lot more from him as he is a real talent.
“We hope this achievement can lead Kyle to inspire and influence others at the club that dreams can come true with hard work and commitment.
“Our next boxer up will be Aaron Mckinnel boxing on the Dumfries show in April.”
