On a warm sunny day in the east end of Glasgow, three men are watching a pale-skinned, chisel-faced boxer going through his shadow boxing routine in a new gym. The Scott Harrison School of Boxing is two floors up in a sparse, industrial building just 100 yards away from where the eponymous former world featherweight champion learned his trade in his father Peter's Phoenix gym that is now, quite literally, a pile of rubble making way for the rejuvenation of Dalmarnock. Thoughts of his son, still imprisoned in Spain for police assault, are never far from Peter Harrison's mind, but today he is concentrating on preparing Willie Limond for his toughest ever fight. It is the WBU lightweight champion's final workout before he flies west. Next Saturday night in Mexico City's Plaza Del Toros, Limond, a 31-year-old joiner from Glasgow, will face Erik Morales, superstar of boxing, for the WBC Diamond light-welterweight title. Boxing aficionados may pinch themselves at this point - our Willie from Glasgow versus the truly great Erik "El Teribile" Morales in the Mexican's home city? Surely it's lamb to the slaughter stuff. Not if you listen to Limond and his camp. The three men who are watching Limond are Harrison, assistant trainer Steve Williams, and Glasgow University sports scientist Dr Niall MacFarlane. Harrison is the most experienced and most successful professional trainer in Scotland, Williams is fluent in Spanish and has huge knowledge of South American boxers, while MacFarlane has advised Limond on coping with the conditions he will face. "The big problem would have been the altitude had he been fighting at 7,800 feet without good preparation for that," says Dr McFarlane. "So for the past eight weeks Willie has been sleeping in a hypoxia chamber. He's also been walking about the house in an face mask to acclimatise himself to conditions of just over 8,000 feet, but then he's still been able to train at sea level so he keeps his speed and sharpness. "His body has actually adapted to the altitude conditions. We checked his blood before he started training and now after his eight weeks his red blood cell count has doubled. "If you're at 7,800 feet you lose a third of the oxygen that you breathe in but his red blood cell count is up 100 per cent so he will be carrying more oxygen all the time. http://sport.scotsman.com/boxing/Mexican-brave-Willie-Limond-is.6513577.jp
Maybe i am just on a high from last night but i've got a sneaky feeling Morales is done and Willie is going to at least take this to decision! The fact that Morales has picked a Scot to fight in Mexico at altitude makes me think he is looking for any advantages possible. Will this be on any English speaking channels??
Is this a WW contest for the International title or a JWW one for the Diamond belt?? seems to be different everytime I read about it! Good luck to Willie, if he wins I think this could be a brilliant couple fo weeks for Scottish boxers!