Alex Arthur Jnr hoping to follow in father’s footsteps as elite Scottish boxing champion

The 20-year-old from the AAA Boxing Club in Edinburgh is aiming to become elite champion at the first time of asking.

He hopes to follow in the footsteps of father and coach Alex Arthur Snr, who won the elite title in 1999 before going on to become WBO Super-Featherweight world champion.

Alex Arthur Jnr said: “It would mean everything. I never started boxing for this purpose. I was a wee fat kid and the minute I got in the gym I knew I was talented.

Alex Arthur Jnr (left) lands a left hand on Cleland’s Sam Cane during his elite championship semi-final victory.

“It would be massive for me, I’ve got no doubts it is going to happen.”

Arthus Jnr is one of 30 boxers from across the country who is ready to rumble this weekend at the Ravenscraig sports facility in Motherwell.

The finals of the 2021/22 Boxing Scotland Elite Championship are the most prestigious event on the Boxing Scotland calendar, as boxers look to emulate the likes of unified light-welterweight champion Josh Taylor, who became Scottish elite champion in 2011 and 2014.

This will be the first elite finals held since 2019, after the last two years were cancelled because of the Covid pandemic, with 10 male and five female bouts scheduled.

The 30 boxers have made their way to the showpiece event after boxing their way through preliminary, quarter-final and semi-final bouts over two weekends in March.

Arthur Jnr takes on Robert McNulty of Renfrewshire in the male 80kg light heavyweight final.

Falkirk Phoenix’s Stephanie Kernachan, who was Scotland first ever female representative at the World Championships in 2018, will box Broxburn’s Maggie White in the bantamweight final.

A number of junior and youth national champions from the past few years will also get a crack at the senior national title for the first time.

Win or lose, all of the finalists have already been promised an assessment to join the Boxing Scotland national squad.

The event is sold out but will be live streamed for free on Boxing Scotland’s YouTube channel, with the action starting on Saturday at 8pm.

Boxing Scotland 2021/22 Elite Championship Finals Bouts

Female 50kg Light-Flyweight Final - Frances Heath (Doonhamers) v Megan Gordon (Elgin)

Female 54kg Bantamweight Final - Maggie White (Broxburn) v Stephanie Kernachan (Falkirk Phoenix)

Male 54kg Bantamweight Final - Conor Hynd (Beath) v Steven Ferguson (North Glasgow)

Male 57kg Featherweight Final - Peter Paton (Argo) v Peter Oswald (Glasgow Boxing Academy)

Female 60kg Lightweight Final - Caitlin Greaves (Barrhead) v Shelley MacDonald (Granite City)

Male 60kg Lightweight Final - Dylan Arbuckle (Newarthill) v Kieran McMaster (North West)

Male 63.5kg Light-Welterweight Final - Colin Cairney (Jonsey’s) v Charlie Doig (St Francis)

Female 66kg Welterweight Final - Gardner Moore (Lochend) v Shannon Lawson (Barrhead)

Male 67kg Welterweight Final - Aurel Szilagyi (Lochend) v Matthew McDonald (Irvine Vineburgh)

Male 71kg Light-Middleweight Final - Ross McAllister (Byron) v Harry McGrenra (Rob Roy)

Female 75kg Middleweight Final - Klara Honey Vizma (Glasgow Boxing Academy) v Caitlin Kelly (Antonine)

Male 75kg Middleweight Final - Olivier Kasasula (Renfrewshire) v Arran Devine (Elgin)

Male 80kg Light-Heavyweight Final - Alex Arthur (AAA) v Robert McNulty (Renfrewshire)

Male 86kg Cruiserweight Final - Ronald Devlin (Lochend) v Robert Muir (AAA)

Male 92+kg Super-Heavyweight Final - Ayman Amish (Granite City) v Connal McDonald (Bravehearts)