BoxRec

gary young takes a massive step up in class when he takes on colin mcneil at meadowbank on saturday,young claims mcneil keeps harking back to their amateur fight when mcneil beat him but mcneil dismisses that fight as a poor performance as he did not take gary serious at the time given that he was going for his 5th scottish title win and gary had won nothing,their subsequent careers since the fight led to mcneil boxing all over the world,and gary boxing all over edinburgh,both entered the pro game and were fed the usual diet of no hopers, all that can be deduced from their efforts so far are that gary appears to have been fed even worse no hopers than mcneil,and mcneils bouts with duran and taz jones establish that he is no easy opponent mcneil has spent his last nine fights learning the pro game as dilligently as he learned the amateur one and looks to be on line for a spectacular win

Its a good looking match up this one. I hope ITV showcase it.

I have been impressed with Young and actually favour him to eek out a close decision. I think the Duran performance vs Bradley Pryce shows that maybe Duran was a tad overated, McNeil could have beaten Duran but didn't have the workrate/desire to do it - and that could be telling vs Young.

Its a real 50:50 one though.

It's a real 50/50 fight.

I make Young a slight favourite, this is on the basis that he looks as if the pro side of boxing suits him more than the amateur would. Gary is a strong, powerful fighter, whereas McNeil is built like an amateur and this is the reason i will pick Young to prevail. McNeil was a very good amatuer, i can imagine him being the type of fighter that hit and moved in the un-paid game.

McNeil didnt look to good against Duran, or against Taz Jones for that matter, he could have done more in both. Young hasn't fought against the same calibre, but given the chance im sure he will shine.

McNeil took some good shots against Duran, but Ossie wasn't really throwing punches in clusters, Gary will. If Gary can cut the ring off and bang to the body he should get the win, but if McNeill manages to get in and out with scoring punches, one see's Gary being frustrated and losing a decision.

Tom Podmore.

i think this is a genuie fight wher both boxer want to win i think young win this as he is more a pro than mcneil apart from taz and duran colin fought nobody when upped in class against duran he lost big time and did not try to win were young will be in his face from the first bell that how he boxes as for his power mcneil must be worried as he wont want to be ko d by young as they are from the same area they boxed in the same distict for years