Craig hopes power will bring glory
Young gun seeks to expand appeal by boxing clever
GLASGOW boxer Craig MacIntyre showed his explosive power with a first-round stoppage of Polish fighter Lukasz Janik just over a week ago, but he reckons the Scottish public haven’t seen anything yet.
The 21-year-old maintained his unbeaten record when he racked up his seventh win as a professional at the Paisley Lagoon Leisure Centre.
The savage body shot that ended the contest gave MacIntyre the second knockout of his pro career, but with a new trainer and a resolve to fight more at his natural weight, there are sure to be more fireworks to come.
“I think I broke more sweat on the pads than I did in the ring,” said MacIntyre. “It was a great victory for me.
“Lukasz Janik had 10lbs on me, and I’ve not been having full training camps. The best training camp I’ve had was for my second fight, when I was in at my right weight and got a first-round knockout.
“Every other fight I’ve had has been against a heavier fighter. With the last guy I fought, there was an 11lb weight difference.
“I’ve only had two fights at my actual weight, which is light-welterweight, and both of them have been first-round knockouts.
“I’ve just had a move to a new trainer and it’s working out, we’re working great together.
“I felt really good in there, and I know I’ve got that power in my locker, I’ve just not been fighting at my weight.
“I feel as if there is a lot more to come from me. It’s a hard game this boxing, and I just want to keep making those improvements.”
MacIntyre is putting everything into achieving his dream of reaching the top spurred on by his supporters – his trainer, friends and family.
“It’s not just for myself, it’s for everybody who supports me and buys tickets,” he said.
“I’m only 21, and all my mates are 21, and some of them don’t have full-time jobs. They still spend all their hard-earned money coming to see me, and it’s good I can reward them with a knockout.
“My family and friends came out to see me in force for this fight, and I just want to keep building on that.
“I still stay at home, and my mum and dad have to deal with me when I’m close to my weight and maybe a wee bit moany.
“My mum still does my washing, and I’d love to repay them all for their support.
“I put in a lot of hard work, but so does everyone else around me. I’ve got a good team and Willie Limond is great too. I want to make them all proud of me.
“That means progressing as much as I can and making sure I keep getting better.”
MacIntyre is hoping to expand his appeal beyond family and friends.
“It’s hard up here because you don’t really get the media coverage, whereas the guys down south get mass followings because they get a lot of exposure,” he said.
“The casual boxing fans will go and watch them. When I fight, it’s more my mates and my family.
“So I’m trying to build a following up here and hopefully if people see performances like that one against Janik then they’ll want to come and see me.”