Undefeated ring star Billy Stuart aims to use lessons learnt at two of the world’s top boxing gyms in his bid for future title glory.
Super bantamweight Stuart, who will box at the Hilton Treetops hotel on Saturday September 1, recently sparred at the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles, run by legendary trainer Freddie Roach.
Renowned as one of the best trainers ever, Roach trained eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, four-division world title holder Miguel Cotto and three-time world champion James Toney.
During his time at the Hollywood-based gym Stuart went toe to toe with Filipino legend Donnie Nietes, a three-weight world champion.
Undefeated in 18 world title fights, Nietes will bid to land a world belt at a fourth division, super flyweight, when facing Aston Palicte on September 8.
Nietes sparred with Northern Sporting Club’s Stuart, 20, as part of his world title preparations.
Stuart, who trains at the Granite City gym in Aberdeen, then travelled to Las Vegas for more high-level training and sparring at ring great Floyd Mayweather’s gym.
Mayweather was a world champion over five weight classes and has won all 50 of his fights.
Stuart said: “I learnt so much sparring against a world champion in Los Angeles.
“The style out there in America is different and he (Nietes) was very smart with his thinking all the time we were sparring and was trying to work me out.
“However, I was smart boxing wise and strong.
“One thing I learnt was to keep my elbows in during sparring because I did get hit with a body shot.”
Boasting a 100 percent pro record of five wins from five fights, Stuart will fight over eight rounds in a top of the bill bout on September 1. Boxing in an eight rounder will open up the way for potential title shots in the future.
Stuart said: “Freddie Roach was such a nice guy and spoke to me as if he had known me for ages.
“I was a little nervous when I first walked into the Wild Card gym, but everyone was welcoming and I got in some great training.”
Stuart – aka ‘The Butcher’ – has won his last two fights inside the distance and is one of the most exciting young boxers in Scotland.
He said: “I aim to go in there on September 1 and do the business.
“I aim to extend the winning start to my professional career to six fights and finish the year on a high.”
Stuart had originally been scheduled to face former Commonwealth flyweight champion Thomas Essomba on September 1.
However Essomba pulled out of the fight because he had been offered, and accepted, a Commonwealth title fight against Iain Butcher at Bantamweight on September 14.
Stuart’s manager and trainer Davie McAllister Jr said: “We are a bit frustrated that Essomba had to pull out.
“However, we would never stand in a fighter’s way when a chance like the Commonwealth title comes along.
“We are just waiting for confirmation on a new opponent for Billy.”
The Northern Sporting Club show at the Hilton Treetops Hotel will also see Aberdeen’s Kristen Fraser bid to extend her winning professional start to four straight victories.
Fraser is Scotland’s first ever female pro boxer and defeated Claire Ciantar of Malta in her previous fight.
The bill will also mark the first boxing bout in his home city for Aberdeen’s Dean Sutherland.
Super lightweight Sutherland was a multiple weight world title holder in kick-boxing before switching to boxing earlier this year.
Sutherland made an explosive debut in June by stopping Victor Edagha at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley.