East Kilbride boxer David Jamieson admits he can’t wipe the smile off his face after being crowned IBO Intercontinental champion on Friday night.
The Westwood star beat Swedish champion Samo Jangirov at Trump Turnberry in Ayrshire. Jangirov took it to the 10 rounds, but Jamieson was scored 98-92, 98-92 and 97-93, by the three judges to take a convincing win.
That has put Jamieson 11th in Britain and into the top 100 in the world.
The 30-year-old doesn’t have much time to reflect on his title win at the FightZone event, however, because he will now be defending it on April 23.
Jamieson was at least able to celebrate with a pint of Guinness and a takeaway.
And he said: “You can’t wipe the smile off my face. That’s me sitting at 11th in Britain, it’s given me a top-100 ranking in the world as well, so the sky is the limit.
“It opens up doors to a world of opportunities down the line.
“He [Jangirov] was a very tough guy. I fully expected to stop him, I set a serious pace and fully expected to get him out of there, but full credit to Samo.
“He’s a very tough lad and went the 10 rounds, but it was some pummelling. It was brilliant to realise I had done it. I went back to the hotel room and just sat there with a pint of Guinness, looking at that belt – it was lovely.”
Jamieson hasn’t yet learned who his challenger is, but says he’s back in action very quickly.
“We’ll be back out very shortly, on April 23 at Braehead Arena, so it really doesn’t leave much time at all for a rest,” said Jamieson.
“It will likely be a defence of the belt.
“You’ve got to strike while the iron’s hot, I suppose, and keep the momentum up.
“I had a takeaway and a pint at the weekend, so that’s me had my break, and I’ll be back in the gym!”
Jamieson, who trains at Priestfield Boxing Club in Blantyre, says he has worked hard to get where he is, and hopes that can inspire a new generation of fighters.
He said: “It’s the culmination of 16 years of hard work.
“I think how hard I’ve worked makes it all the sweeter, and that was the thing as well with the fight.
“I could have gone in there and knocked out Samo in the second round, and that would have been great, but I think that’s what made it all the better.
“Boxing is blood and guts, and it was a hard-fought, hard-earned victory over the 10 rounds, so that’s pretty much translating to what this is now.
“It has been 16 years of graft, lots of sore faces, but it’s all coming right now.
“I think it will be good to get back down the gym and tell all the young boys to just apply themselves, because it does come right.
“Put the hard work in, because you’ll start getting the rewards down the line.
“I can say to them ‘this is what you can do if you work hard enough’.”
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