Southpaw Darren Johnstone's first shot at a title has been KO'd before he had the chance to get into the ring.
Johnstone, of Larkhall in Lanarkshire, had been scheduled to meet Kevin O'Hara of Northern Ireland for the vacant Celtic Super featherweight title on the St Andrews Sporting Club show on the 8th of October.
The Larkhall boxer who has a ten-fight slate without blemish was doing his road work in preparation for the bout when he was attacked by two men whilst the third looked on from the safety of his car (brave or what?). Johnstone claims to know the names of the assailants, and suspects the assault is the result of an argument over land purchased by his father.
Johnstone will however, get his reward of a title shot in due course, as for the “louts” I trust they will get theirs likewise.
Tommy Gilmour, promoter of the Larkhall boxer, has lined up a replacement title fight in the shape of the vacant British Masters middleweight title between Graham Delehedy of Liverpool who can bang a bit with seven stoppages in nine wins, and who featured in a cracker in June of this year in Motherwell with Jamie Coyle, which could have gone either way before Kenny Pringle stepped in to stop it in the fourth of six rounds, and Nobby Nobbs' Birmingham boxer Tony Randell.
I fancy Delehedy to pick up this particular belt via the short route, but nonetheless it should be fierce while it lasts.