FLUWEIGHT CHAMP; BOXER LANDS TITLE TWO WEEKS AFTER BATTLING SWINE FLU.

Byline: Ben Spencer

BATTLING Jamie McGuiness has landed a Thai boxing title two weeks after being floored himself - by swine flu.

The 20-year-old student had just two days' of training but still managed to knock out opponent Ross Williams in the first round to become Scottish champion.

He said: "The training was hard but in the fight adrenaline just took over.

"It was set at three rounds of two minutes but I managed to knock him out in 90 seconds. It was either a right hook or a straight.

"The other guy's head was still bobbling about so there was no way he could have fought on.

"I'm still feeling a bit under the weather but winning the Scottish title by a first round knockout is an incredible feeling."

Jamie, of Hamilton, thought his title dream was over after he caught swine flu and a throat infection just a fortnight before the big fight.

But with two days to go until he took on 22-year-old Ross, of Livingston, he stunned his coaches by returning to the gym.

He said: "I'd had my first fight in April and won that. My coach told me I have the heart of a lion and should stick with the sport.

"Then I got the chance to have this title fight but two weeks before it I started to feel ill.

"My whole body was aching and sore and I was constantly coughing.

Worried

"I had been close to someone who had swine flu in the past and that was what convinced me that I had it.

"I rang up NHS 24 the following day and they told me I had it. I also ended up getting a virus infection in my throat. It was the worst two weeks of my life.

"My throat was so bad that it was difficult to eat and drink so I lost weight because of that."

With just days to go to the title decider, Jamie's worried coach Stevie Mair, from Wishaw, Lanarkshire, called to find out if was fit enough to get back in the ring.

Brave Jamie decided to hit the gym rather than miss out on his dream.

He said: "I was still pretty weak and didn't feel too good but I just forced myself.

"I told Stevie, 'Just put me up for the fight and I will manage it.' I went back to training on the Thursday - two days before the fight - and it was so hard as I had been off for two weeks.

"I felt so unfit and ill but I was desperate to make the fight.

"I trained again on the Friday and then on the Saturday I did the fight.

"I'm still over the moon with it. It puts a smile on my face every time I think about it."

Jamie won the Scottish Muay Thai boxing title at his 65kg weight division in last week's clash in Wishaw.

Trainer Stevie was full of praise for the gutsy fighter.

He said: "It's an incredible result. I really didn't know if he was going to be able to fight at all."