Shotts boxer Scott Allan is hoping that a worrying moment on the scales for his opponent Kash Farooq is a sign of complacency ahead of tonight’s rematch between the fighters in Glasgow.
Farooq weighted in just over the eight stone six lbs. limit, before a comfort break helped him to sneak back under the bantamweight mark, and Allan says it may be an indication that his opponent has taken the fight lightly.
Allan was defeated by Farooq when they fought earlier this year having admitted to cutting corners in his own camp, but he insists no stone has been left unturned on this occasion as he looks to avenge that defeat at the Radisson Blu this evening.
“I’ve never struggled to make the weight, and I made it for this fight again no problem,” said Allan.
“Possibly that means he has been taking this a bit lightly. I had a wee smirk over at my trainer Lawrence to say, ‘well, we’ve not had any issues.’ And we never do.
“I’m looking forward to it, and without saying too much, I’m excited by it.
“It’s been my life and soul the last eight or nine weeks. The hard work has been done, it’s just down to fun-time now.
“Having my wee baby daughter has pushed me on so much more. Everything I’ve done is for her, and it’s just about putting it all together on Thursday night.
“This is the most prepared I’ve been with the sparring I’ve had, and against sparring partners who have been giving lessons to Kash. That would never have happened before.
“I’m a massive underdog going into this fight because of how much I underprepared the last time. That’s something people don’t see, what I’ve done this time compared to what I did the last time.
“I know where I’m at right now, and where I’m going to go.”
Farooq himself played down the significance of the hiccup on the scales, and insisted that the company he has been sparring against has made sure he is razor sharp for the bout.
“Everything was alright, I had a wee bit to eat this morning, but I’ve made the weight comfortably,” said Farooq.
“You never want to be too under the weight, you want to just about bang on, so I just had to go to the toilet and that was that.
“It’s been one of my best camps. I’ve been sparring the likes of Joe Ham and Paddy Barnes, and that’s top-quality sparring. You can’t ask for anything better.
“There’s a lot of people saying I’m the favourite, but there’s others doubting me as well and saying that Scott had an off-night last time.
“This fight will prove who is the best, and I’m going to show everybody that it wasn’t a fluke.”
Farooq isn’t concerned about the new-found motivation of Allan since he became a father, saying that he has plenty of incentive to do the business himself.
“I’m only 21, but I’ve got a life to look forward to,” he said. “I know he’s got a family to feed, but I’ve got my mum. My dad, my brothers and that as well.
“I’m a family man, and I’m fighting to look after them as well. And I want to get married one day too, so I need to build my own empire.
“I’m willing to sacrifice a lot in my life to get to where I want to be.
“I’m representing my friends, my family, Scotland and Pakistan. These are the things that are important to me.”
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