A belter of a contest between two bantamweights, the likes of which you may never see in a lifetime of boxing, was witnessed by one and all at this great night for the noble art at Dean Park Hotel, Kirkcaldy, on Friday the 3rd of November.

Worth the entrance money on its own was the verdict of quite a few folk and they weren’t wrong.

Cardenden’s Graham “The Mighty Atom” Roxburgh (or Mini as he’s known to the rest of us) and Scott Cunningham (Lochee) put on one hell of a contest, with both lads throwing all the punches in the textbook with venom in this toe to toe manifest.

With blood and guts all around, the two lads still tore into each other at each and every opportunity with hooks - jabs - uppercuts - you name the shots they were all thrown here. And all with the bout swinging one way with one taking the initiative, then the other as the other lad took it by the scruff of the neck.

The crowd were on their feet with every punch they threw.

Both lads deserve an enormous amount of credit for their astonishing effort as neither lad wanted to lose this humdinger judging by the amount of leather thrown. It deservedly won best bout of the evening with young Mini Roxburgh edging this very closely contested bout 23-16 (all thought it was closer). He did finish the stronger albeit out on his feet alongside young Cunningham at the final bell.

And no wonder. Both fell into each others arms at the end of this grueling contest and received rapturous applause for what seemed like an eternity.

What is so extraordinary about this game we all claim to adore is that after two extremely talented and game lads battered and bruised each other to a standstill, they then sat together the rest of the night laughing and joking. Great sportsmanship and what all this should be about. Expect a BIG REMATCH which let me tell you no-one should miss. God, what a bout.

There was also some controversy on the night.

The Middleweight bout between Steve Petrie (Lochee) and George Thomson (Stirling) was turning into another toe to toe slugging match until it was astonishingly called off by the doctor at the end of the second round - much to the surprise of each and every one of us including the referee and officials - for apparently too many head blows.

At the end of the first, Thomson was ahead by being first off all the time and on top of Petrie throughout, but the Lochee boxer kept firing back and in the second he came more into the bout and was starting to peg Thomson with a few shots of his own. Then came the surprise stoppage, but doc knows best as they say.

Darren Scott (Cardenden) proved a bit of a handful for his opponent Graham McAndie (Dunfermline). His strong right crosses, connecting repeatedly after solid left leads, were telling in the first round as a standing count was administered early doors, but McAndie was still there and firing back in close quarters.

The Dunfermline lad could still not get to grips with Scott in the second and turned face on to try to suck his opponent into a brawl, but Scott kept on leading solidly with his left hand and hurting McAndie with his right. After referee Frank McLaughlin administered another count he rightly called the bout off.

Ramsay McDonald (Cardenden) boxed competently behind his jab after a nervy first round to edge home victorious against the slick Willie Skea of Lochee.

The first round saw a lot of slapping from McDonald and he was rightly cautioned by referee Alan Nicol before standing back and looking at what and how he was throwing his punches. Big Ramsay edged in front in the second and was working behind his jab with Skea using counter punching as his mainstay.

In the third, Skea came back into it and caught McDonald with a few strong right hands, but the Cardenden boy got on his bike and kept protruding that left hand of his to effect and ran out a 11-5 victor.

A rematch between youths Chris Inglis (Cardenden) and Sam McLeod (Zetland) ended up reversing the previous victory for young Inglis.

The rounds were tight going into the last before young McLeod finished with the stronger combinations to body and head - something Inglis had done in their first contest. McLeod edged this close one 12-8.

Another rematch saw Brett Sharp of Dunfermline reverse a decision against the hard hitting Jamie McComiskie of Fauldhouse. This turned into a tactical dour affair really, with neither wanting to take the initiative and with Sharpo edging the first slightly with the cleaner shots.

McComiskie came into the second round trying to offload his bombs, but young Sharp was having none of it and back pedaled through most of the second with the occasional counter.

In the third, both guys were trying to gain the advantage, and with Sharp ending the slicker and cleaner of the two, he tiptoed home 9-7.

A heavyweight contest between James McAvoy (Stirling) and John Allan (Lochee) became interesting as Allan tried to overcome the height advantage he was giving away to McAvoy, and in doing so produced a cracking contest with both guys throwing heavy leather in the first two rounds.

But McAvoy’s height and long range shots started to edge him in front and he eventually prodded home 16-11.

a 4x2 contest between John Thain (Gilmerton) and Sean Watson (Fauldhouse) seemed like the thinker against the solver as young Thain took to the front with his sharp boxing and countering, keeping Watson at arm’s length for the first two rounds.

A few sharp words in round three from coach Pat Toner saw Watson have a much stronger third round and he came out forcing Thain onto the back foot in the fourth as well. Thain kept producing his sharp lefts and right crosses on the retreat, but Watson was back in the bout and he eventually won narrowly 19-15.

Young Thain was obviously disappointed - and to a few rightly so - but it goes to show you don’t take the foot of the gas thinking you’re coasting home as most people thought young John did on the night.

Big Darren Reid (Alloa) let Meadowbank’s Gary Collins bully him for four rounds and never got out of first gear. He tried the arm punching with no force behind it technique to try and keep Collins at bay, but the Meadowbank boxer tore down the armoury and pounded the head and body for four rounds before coasting home 22-16. Reid only has himself to blame, but that takes nothing away from Collins who knew what he had to do and stuck to his task well.

92 - 92 - 44KG
SAM McLEOD (ZETLAND) BT CHRIS INGLIS (CARDENDEN) 12-8

HEAVYWEIGHT
JAMES McAVOY (STIRLING) BT JOHN ALLAN (LOCHEE BOYS) 16-11

MIDDLEWEIGHT
DARREN SCOTT (CARDENDEN) BT GRAHAM McANDIE (DUNFERMLINE) RSC2

MIDDLEWEIGHT
RAMSAY McDONALD (CARDENDEN) BT WILLIE SKEA (LOCHEE BOYS) 11-5

MIDDLEWEIGHT
GEORGE THOMSON (STIRLING) BT STEVIE PETRIE (LOCHEE BOYS) RSC2

BANTAMWEIGHT
GRAHAM ROXBURGH (CARDENDEN) BT SCOTT CUNNINGHAM (LOCHEE BOYS) 23-16

MIDDLEWEIGHT
BRETT SHARP (DUNFERMLINE) BT JAMIE McCOMISKIE (FAULDHOUSE) 9-7

LIGHTWEIGHT
SEAN WATSON (GILMERTON) BT JOHN THAIN (GILMERTON) 19-15

MIDDLEWEIGHT
GARY COLLINS (MEADOWBANK) BT DARREN REID (ALLOA) 22-16

BEST BOUT
GRAHAM ROXBURGH (CARDENDEN) V SCOTT CUNNINGHAM (LOCHEE BOYS)

Pete Munn