Hutchinson out to be homecoming king in Glasgow
THE self-styled Hutch Train is chugging along nicely. Next stop for Willy Hutchinson, the former world amateur champion, will be the Hydro in Glasgow on May 2 when, all being well, the 21-yearold will look to advance his unbeaten record to 12-0 on the undercard of Josh Taylor’s world title bout.
Trained in Sheffield by Dominic Ingle, managed by legendary American mogul Shelly Finkel and promoted by Frank Warren, the Scottish fighter certainly has plenty of powerful and high-profile people behind him.
Hutchinson may not yet be a household name in his home country but he hopes to change all that soon.
Warren, as promoters tend to do, is already talking about his man as a future threeweight world champion. That may be premature posturing but there is certainly plenty of promise in the former light-heavyweight who now sees his future in the supermiddleweight division.
Should the Taylor card get the go-ahead, Hutchinson is looking forward to showing the Glasgow public what he’s made of, having previously only fought once before on home soil.
“It’s a massive bill and I’m delighted to be back fighting at home,” he said. “This will be one of the biggest shows I’ve been on. I’m working myself down to 12 stone and this is my time to show my skill.
“Maybe I haven’t had the recognition [in Scotland] yet. But it’s about me doing what I’ve got to do and everything will come eventually.
“If it was down to me, I’d fight for a title now. I’ve boxed my whole life and I’d fight anyone, any time, any place.
“I’ve just got to keep focussed and keep my head down and keep listening to my coach and manager and not let anything else into my head. But I’m pleased with the progress I’ve made.
“I had five months between my two previous fights and in that time I got married, moved into a new house, and came to a place I’ve never lived before. I’ll drop my weight now and start with a bang on May 2.”
Self-confidence is vital for any boxer and Hutchinson reveals he was barely a teenager when he first believed he would one day become a world champion.
Having so far achieved all the other things he envisaged, he may yet prove to be a modernday Nostradamus if his final prediction also comes true.
“I’m going to become a world champion,” he boldly proclaimed. “I remember I was with my dad when I was 13 in Switzerland when he used to tarmac the roads.
“I was sitting in his van reading a book given to me at the European Championships in Russia and I wrote on the first page that I was going to become the Scottish, British, European and amateur world champion. And I did all of those.
“Then on the next page I wrote in a big bubble that I would become the WBC world super-middleweight champion. I’ve still got the book at my granddad’s house and this is the next chapter of my journey.
“All I need to do is keep my head down, listen and stay focussed. I’m young but I know what I need to do.”
His accent may suggest otherwise but Hutchinson insists he is Scottish to the core. “My mum and dad were living in Germany so I spent four years living with my grandmother and grandfather in Lanark during my amateur career,” he revealed. “People keep asking me about my accent. My mum’s from Darlington and my dad’s from Newcastle. But I was born in Livingston and Scotland is my home.
“I’ve got massive challenges ahead. But boxing is all I’ve known since I was nine years old. I’ve had bumps along the way, it’s all a learning process. But I believe I’m going all the way to the top.”
Following in the footsteps of Taylor – current proud holder of two world belts – is his next aim. “My dream is to become a world champion,” added Hutchinson. “What I accomplished as an amateur is now in the past. I want to have what this fellow has [Taylor].
“He’s an inspiration. He’s the person all the Scots lads look up to.”