Rutherglen boxing coach Archie Durie says his 30th home show at Hampden Park in October is “massive” and will provide much-needed funding for the club.
Durie, 60, has booked out a room at the National Stadium for the event on Saturday, October 15, which will feature 15 bouts in front of what he hopes is a sell-out 350 crowd.
It’s the biggest show Durie has held to date, and is a landmark for himself and Durie’s Boxing Gym, progressing from their first ever event at St Columbkille’s Primary School in the South Lanarkshire town, in front of 150 fans.
Durie said: “This is massive, it’s a big, big thing. This is a special landmark for me, and it’s all coming together.
“This is the reason I went to Hampden, and it’s a lot of money, but it’s worth it.
“We’ve got 35 tables with 10 at each of them, and they’re £40 a ticket, including a table buffet.
“This will be a lot of much-needed funding for the club.”
Durie added: “It’s in the main room at Hampden, it’s the biggest show I’ve ever done, and it’s all booked up, everything is secured, and I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’ve just got another eight boxers carded with Boxing Scotland, we’re all affiliated and insured again, and I’ve got a pool of 20 boxers.
“I’m going to start matching them up this week. There are a few that aren’t ready yet, so I’ll hold them back for the Scottish Novice Championships.
“That’s two weeks after the home show and I’ve got 10 or 12 young boys and girls all going in for that.
“It’s a lot of good boxers from Castlemilk, Cambuslang and places like that.
“I’ve got a young girl, Kayla Lynch from Castlemilk, who is going to be a cracker – she’ll be the next [three-time British champion[ Vicky Glover, and has ‘champion’ all over her.”
Of the eight boxers who recently received their cards from Boxing Scotland, a senior fighter, Rzwan Shirwyth, embarks on his first fight in Bathgate this weekend, but Durie has high hopes for him.
He said: “Rizzo is going in for his first fight through at a club in Bathgate, whoa re holding a show.
“He’s a barber on Rutherglen Main Street, he’s only 20, but he’s very strong.
“He will be boxing at the home show and at the Scottish Novice Championships, and I think he will do well.”
Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.
