CALVIN McCORD will step into the ring by himself at London’s O2 Arena this evening but knowing there are hundreds of others just as invested in the outcome as he is.
The undefeated Ayrshireman (12-0) takes on Sam Noakes in the biggest fight of his career, with the Commonwealth and WBC international silver belts the prizes on offer should he emerge victorious.
Like many in his position, McCord has had to work hard to get to this point, fitting in his training and sparring commitments around his day job as an electrician.
Beating the dangerous Noakes, whose nine wins have all been by stoppage, would make those sacrifices worthwhile but not only for himself.
The 25-year-old appreciates he wouldn’t have got here without the backing of so many others including his family, friends, training and sparring partners, sponsors, manager Sam Kynoch and trainers Sam Mullen and David McAnally at the Doon Valley club in Dalmellington.
He is also determined to do it for the community of Kincaidston in his hometown of Ayr, still recovering from the gas explosion last year that destroyed four homes and left a family of four in hospital.
Around 80 friends and family have travelled down this weekend to support McCord in person as the lightweight looks to make good on his undoubted potential, with many more watching back home on BT Sport and others beyond that waiting anxiously for updates and hoping for good news.
Boxing may be an individual sport but no champion ever made it to the top without a strong support network around them and McCord knows he is doing this for them as much as for himself.
“It’s been tough to get to this point but nights like this make it all worthwhile,” he says. “I’m really confident. Training has gone really well and this fight has fallen for me at the right time.
“People might look at it and think we’ve come down here as cannon fodder, fighting a guy with nine knock-outs but we’re here to turn him over.
“I’m happy going to his home backyard to fight. As an amateur I always loved going in as the away fighter and this one will be no different.
“I’ll have about 80 noisy folk there to support me too from Ayrshire and I know there’s loads more at home watching on television and wanting me to do well.
“My trainers, Sam and David, don’t get enough credit for all the work they put in, training five nights a week and coming all around the country with me for sparring.
“So this is a big night for me but it’s also for them and so many others who’ve been on this journey with me: my mum and dad, my mates, my girlfriend and everyone else that’s supported me.
“I’ve got mates who’ve never missed a single fight, which is a big commitment. And coming from Kincaidston, a place that’s been through a rough time for the past year or so, you want to give something back to the community as well.”
This is a busy weekend for the Kynoch Boxing stable. David Jamieson is in action tomorrow night also in London when he competes for the British cruiserweight title, while up in Aberdeen tonight it is Dean Sutherland’s time to shine as he looks to get his hands on the Commonwealth super-welterweight belt.
McCord is close to Sutherland in particular and he hopes the night will end with both of them having new belts around their waists.
“It’s a good weekend for the stable and it would be brilliant to have two Commonwealth champions,” adds McCord. “Dean’s a good mate of mine. He’s in Aberdeen so we don’t see each other loads but we chat all the time on Instagram, keeping in touch with how training is going and things like that.
“It’s good to drive each other on as we know what the other one is going through. This is going to be a massive night for both of us but we both deserve to be at this level.”
McCord is determined to make up for the time lost due to the coronavirus. After managing just one fight in three years, this is now his fourth contest of 2022 and one he believes can set him up for plenty more big years to come.
“This is the sort of opportunity I’ve been waiting for for a while,” he admits. “I’ve been screaming out for these kinds of fights for about a year and a half. And now we’ve eventually got one.
“This is hopefully the start of something big for me. Winning this one should only be the beginning for me so I need to make the most of the opportunity.”
