Westwood boxer David Jamieson won’t be affected by not knowing his opponent ahead of his first fight in two years
The talented fighter is part of the line-up for a blockbuster fight night at Hamilton Accies’ stadium next month.
The event, organised by Jamieson’s promoter Sam Kynoch, was scheduled for Saturday, July 16 but it has been pushed back till Saturday, July 30 due to Covid restrictions.
Scotland is set to move to Level 0 on Monday, July 19 which would allow 2,000 spectators to attend the event under the lights on Accies’ pitch.
Jamieson is yet to discover his opponent but the East Kilbride man insists he doesn’t mind as he’s solely focused on his own performance.
“It’s something that boxers are used to,” Jamieson said. “Especially those who fought in the amateurs when they were coming through.
“Some fighters enjoy reading up on or watching their opponents but I’ve never really been into that.
“You just need to get yourself in the best shape possible and when you step into the ring, it’s about adapting to your opponent.
“Videos can be useful but you could also spend eight weeks studying an opponent then he comes with a different game plan.
“That would ruin your approach so you’re better just adapting to what the fighter throws at you on the night.
“I’ve got all the weight off due to the length of the camp so the delay has just provided me time to put a bit of polish on things.
“I’ve been using the time to just sharpen the tools because my weight is spot on.
When Jamieson steps into the ring at New Douglas Park, it will be over two years since his last fight when he appeared on BT Sport’s Ultimate Boxxer line-up in 2019.
The 29-year-old’s promising career has stalled due to the pandemic but he’s targeting breaking into the UK’s top 10 cruiserweights by the end of the year.
He said: “This is a massive fight because it’s been so long since I was last in the ring. We’d built up some really positive momentum going into the ultimate boxing night.
“I’d only had six professional fights in my career but I was sitting at 14th in Britain so this fight is all about blowing the cobwebs off.
“Sam is hoping to arrange a fight for me in September and possibly another before the end of year.
“Two good fights could have me in the top ten and then I’d target a British title fight next year.”
The ‘Rise of the Champions’ night is set to be a landmark event in the history of Scottish boxing.
It’s set to be the first major fight night in Scotland since the pandemic and the first open-air event in a football stadium.
Jamieson added: “It’s exactly what Scottish boxing needs after the year that everybody associated with the sport has endured.
“It’s coming back with a bang and it says a lot about what Sam is trying to do for his fighters.
“There is a great mix of fighters on the card. Everybody is a brilliant character and they all have their own unique story.
“To have an event like this in a football stadium in Scotland is outstanding and Sam has really pulled it out of the bag.
“I just hope that the weather is decent and the rain stays off. It could be such a brilliant night but it’s in the hands of the gods.”
The event will be broadcast live on new streaming service Fightzone and Jamieson believes independent platforms provide a cheaper alternative to fans.
Jamieson concluded: “It seems to be a popular option for people now especially after the collapse of Sky Sports’ deal with Matchroom.
“Everybody seems to be going to independent streaming platforms and ultimately, the viewer is the winner.
“You pay just five pounds a month and you get all your boxing included in that fee. It would cost you much more to have other subscriptions, I pay around £100 a month and I don’t even watch football!”
Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.
