GLENROTHES boxing coach Steve McGuire firmly believes that his son,also Steve, has the punch power to lift the British super-middleweight title and lay to rest a jinx that has plagued East Coast boxers since 1995.
McGuire junior faces Belfast's Brian Magee in England next week for the British super- middleweight title and follows in the footsteps of Wallyford's Steve Wilson and Tranent's Willie Quinn who lost against Welsh legend Joe Calzaghe and Suffolk's D
avid Starey respectively in attempts to lift the British 12-stone crown.
McGuire senior is confident, though, of breaking the hoodoo, saying yesterday: "My son Steve has the punch to defeat Belfast's Brian Magee when the pair clash next week for the British super-middleweight title.
"Steve and I spent several weeks in Cyprus doing hard training and sparring and was easily the hardest that I've ever driven my son.
"Brian Magee will be no push-over and he'll come looking for Steve.
"Steve knows this could be the gateway to other big money fights for even bigger titles and he's hungry for success and he is determined not to blow it.''
McGuire junior, unbeaten as a professional in 15 bouts, agreed with his father, saying: "I've never trained as hard for any fight as I've trained for this one.
"Magee has had lots of hard fights while I'm comparatively fresh and he won't beat me on fitness or desire.''
The full article contains 245 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
