'I felt as if I hurt him multiple times' - Newarthill boxer Martin Crossan makes it three professional wins out of three

Glasgow's Radisson Blu Hotel was the venue for a four-round contest being held as part of a testimonial fight night billed as a celebration of Kash Farooq, an ex-British bantamweight champion who retired from boxing in January.

“I thought I boxed well,” Crossan, 20, said. “I never really got caught by any clean shots at all.

"It was a good performance. I dropped him in the second round with a left hook.

"I felt as if I hurt him multiple times, especially with my body shots.

"I kept it nice and tidy but I maybe could have been a bit busier and got rid of him if I’d put it on him a bit more.

"But it was good to get the rounds in anyway. It’s early in my career so I need to get as many rounds as possible.”

Crossan, who is coached by Willie Limond and expects to fight again on June 2, wants three more fights in 2022.

"I’m getting more confident in the ring all the time,” he said. “I’m only nervous until I get in the ring and then all my nerves just go away and it just feels natural.

"My career is going well. I just want to try and keep the ball rolling and try and get as many fights as I can this year.

"I was out for a long time during lockdown so I’m trying to make up for lost time.”

Despite his tender years, Crossan already has a decade of boxing experience as he started going to a Newarthill gym aged 10 before having his first fight two months later.

"I packed in football to do boxing,” he added. “It’s just a different buzz. When you go into the ring it’s only you.

"You get all the glory if you win but get all the criticism when you get beat.

"My ultimate ambition in boxing is just to try and go as far as I can.

"Kash Farooq is a good pal of mine and has always given me good advice. And my coach Willie won the British, Commonwealth and European titles, he dropped Amir Khan, he’s done it all.

"And speaking to people who have been there and done it can tell you what to do and what not to do.

"I’d like to go full-time and get a British title. I still work in a job as an engineer with Advance Construction on the building sites.”