Beattie back in the ring next month after winning bow

The 24-year-old lightweight got his pro career off to a winning start with a points win over Nuneaton’s Kris Laight on Saturday.

And Beattie, who trains five nights a week at the Golden Gloves gym in Kilsyth, took just a couple of days off before getting back in the gym to prepare for contest number two, against an as yet unnamed opponent at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Glasgow on April 21.

Beattie prepared prepared for his professional bow with a training stint in Los Angeles at the Wildcard gym run by Freddie Roach, coach to the legendary Manny Pacquiao.

And his hard work over Christmas and New Year paid off with his maiden victory over four rounds in front of a vociferous support who travelled through to Glasgow from Falkirk and Lanarkshire to support him.

Beattie said afterwards: “I’m happy with the win obviously. It’s been a big build-up since I signed in October so it’s good to get the first one out of the way and I can’t wait for the next one.

“It went to plan to be honest. We knew what we were up against because I have seen him first hand so I knew I was really going to have to work him if I wanted to make a fight of it and I think I’ve done that. He definitely didn’t want too much of that.”

At one point Laight appeared to be resorting to gamesmanship by pointingout that Beattie wasn’t catching him with his combination, but Beattie said he just comcentrated on the job in hand.

He said: “It didn’t bother me. I had about 240 fans drowning him out so I didn’t pay much attention. I was just sticking to the plan and keeping my cool, I know anything can happen in boxing so I had to keep my guard up and keep my wits about me, even though I thought I was winning it quite handily. Right to the last bell I had to keep my concentration up.

“The fans were brilliant and I appreciate every single one of the fans coming.”

Beattie believes he reaped the rewards of his decision to forego the traditional Christmas celebrations in LA.

He said: “I’m not going to lie, it was tough going.

“But that’s the kind of sacrifice I’m willing to make to make it to the top and not just for this fight.Hopefully that will stand me in good stead for my full career with the boys I was mixing it with.

“It wasn’t an enjoyable holiday but this is my job now.

“I’d like to do the same again, just lock myself away over Christmas and New Year. You don’t feel you’re missing out. You see boys 10 years older than me still grinding as hard as me. It’s something to aspire to.”