Byron Boxing Club light-middleweight Ross McAllister is targeting a Scotland call-up after winning a prestigious Golden Gloves title.
McAllister triumphed in the final to take the Boxing Scotland Elite title at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell.
The 28-year-old defeated Myles McGhee of Lochee by unanimous decision.
For McAllister, winning the Golden Gloves is the culmination of years of hard graft and commitment.
Now he is focused on pushing for a call up to represent his country.
McAllister said: “Winning the Golden Gloves means so much to me after all the hard work I have put in.
“I do about 10 to 12 hard training sessions per week, with each one ranging from an hour to two hours.
“So it is about 20 hours training per week.
“I mix up my training. In the morning, I will either do weight sessions or a long run.
“Then in the evening I do boxing sessions at Byron Boxing club on a Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
“On Tuesday evening, I use a PT (personal trainer) and on Fridays and Saturday I work with another coach who helps me out.
“Hopefully I will get a call up from Scotland and get involved in some international tournaments with the nation’s vest on.”
Byron producing boxing champions
McAllister is the latest champion to emerge from Byron Boxing Club, based in Aberdeen’s Northfield area.
The club produced John Docherty, who won a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Byron Boxing celebrated double joy at the recent Golden Gloves tournament with McAllister and club-mate Fawaz Aborode both claiming titles.
Aborode won the Golden Gloves lightweight title, beating Saul Sztor of Lochend by unanimous decision.
It continued a successful season for Byron Boxing as the club also secured five titles at the Golden Gloves Junior and Schools Championships.
Veganism helps training recovery
McAllister said: “I have been boxing from a really young age, for as long as I can remember.
“However, it was not until I started at Byron Boxing about three years ago that I began to take it really seriously.
“I joined Byron just before lockdown and seeing the level they were at made me want to put in a lot more effort to get up to that level as well.”
McAllister defeated multiple Scottish champion McGhee in the Golden Gloves final.
McGhee was undefeated in his previous 11 bouts, until meeting the Byron Boxing Club fighter.
McAllister has been a vegan for a decade and is proof of the positive health benefits of that lifestyle.
He said: “I became vegan because I got a wee dog in September 2013.
“I just realised that he is a sentient being with a personality of his own.
“Going vegan is probably one of the best things I have done in my life, I haven’t looked back.
“After turning vegan I noticed my recovery from training and my sleep were a lot better.
“A documentary came out called Cowspiracy in 2014 which shows the impact animal products have on the environment as well.
“So I knew I was also doing the right thing for the environment.”
Granite City ABC’s Jimmy Laing also won the Golden Gloves welterweight title.
Conversation