Boxing

Scott Harrison regains WBO title 2003

© SNSpix

The above coincidence underlines that Scott Harrison has solid boxing genes. His dad Peter was a top class amateur with the Glasgow Transport Club off Glasgow's London Road, in the 1960s and '70s, before fighting in the pro ranks where he won a Scottish lightweight title by outpointing Airdrie's Willie Booth in the early 1980s.

Dad Peter went on to work with Tommy Gilmour stable of boxers such as WBO mini-flyweight champion Paul Weir, Edinburgh flyweight Danny Flynn, Tranent middleweight Willie 'Mighty' Quinn and many others before eventually striking out on his own as a much respected boxing coach, both amateur and professional.

Meanwhile, while it does not automatically follow that offspring of famous boxers can imitate their celebrated boxing dads, Scott Harrison clearly did, even exceeding his father's amateur achievements by winning a gold medal for Scotland in Hungary in a European tournament in 1993. Equally, as a pro boxer Scott Harrison has made a habit of breaking Scottish boxing records.

When Scott blew away American-based Samuel Kebede on 29 October 2004 at Braehead Arena in less than a minute, he broke the 61-year-old record set up by Glasgow-based Ayrshire flyweight world champion Jackie Paterson. In June 1943 Paterson knocked out England's Peter Kane in only 90 seconds.

Equally, in 29 November 2003, by beating previous ring conqueror, Mexican Manuel Medina by stoppage in 11 rounds in the same Braehead ring where Medina had suprisingly defeated him and grabbed his WBO featherweight title, Harrison became the only Scottish boxer to regain a world title which he had previously lost.

Similarly, the 20-year-old record established by Glasgow's Jim Watt of making the most successful world title defences by a Caledonian fighter (four) was also exceeded by Scott Harrison.

Harrison's highly controversial and disputed points win over Colombian Victor Polo on 28 January 2005 at Braehead Arena, when Cambuslang fighter was adjudged a points victor over Polo to notch up a record sixth world title fight win by a Scottish boxer, meant he had beaten Jim Watt's prior title defence record by one bout.