The action last night in the UK took place on two shows north of the border at Glasgow and Aberdeen.

At Glasgow's Bellahouston Sports Centre, Coatbridge stylist Ricky Burns retained his Commonwealth crown with a convincing victory over Belfast's Kevin O'Hara.

The 26 year old sharpshooter improved to 27-2 (7), by posting a 117-110, 116-111 and 115-113 UD over O'Hara, 16-5 (5), and retained the Commonwealth for the third time.

Former WBO super feather titlist Alex Arthur, 27-2 (20), was also on the bill, making the return from a title loss to Nicky Cook a good one by rubbing out Mohamed Benbiou, 15-15 (8), in the first round. More...

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© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

Saturday night saw some great under-card action on the Hennessy bill from Robin Park Arena in Wigan, England, headlined by the John Murray vs. Lee McAllister British Lightweight title fight.

"Lightening" Lenny Daws faced Latvian boxer Sergejs Savrinovics in a ten round light welterweight contest.

Originally, Daws was scheduled to face Scott Haywood but Haywood relinquished the title so Daws then was to face Dean Harrison. Having suffered with the flu virus, Daws was unable to make the light welterweight limit so Harrison pulled out of the contest and late opponent Savrinovics stepped in.

A fairly even matched first round sees the only real notable punch being a body-shot from Savrinovics, which gained some applause from his corner. Unlike his opponent - Daws kept up a high defence, which shielded him from most of the Latvian's punches. More...

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© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

Last night at the Robin Park Arena in Wigan, England, Hennessy Sports hosted a fight night which saw Manchester's John Murray successfully defend his British Lightweight title for the first time in a gruelling contest against ‘Aberdeen Assassin’ Lee McAllister.

A sea of yellow t-shirts awaited McAllister, as the Sex Pistols rang out around the arena followed by the Proclaimers. Entering the ring alongside trainer Dave Coldwell and British Light Middleweight Champion Ryan Rhodes, a grinning McAllister was clearly enjoying the support from the many Aberdeen fans who had made the trip to Wigan.

Champion Murray entered the ring to the sounds of ‘Johnny Be Goode’ alongside trainer Joe Gallagher and John's brother Joe Murray, who carried the British Championship belt aloft. More...

Click for larger image © Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

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Yesterday at the Wrightington Hotal and Country Club in Wrightington, Wigan, England, Hennessy Promotions staged the official weigh-in for this evening's fight night, headlined by the British Lightweight title clash between John Murray and Lee McAllister.

A smiling Lee McAllister, 27-1 (5), was first up to the scales and weighed in at 9 stone 8 lb and 4 ounces/134.25 lb.

Champion John Murray, 25-0 (13), tipped the scales at 9 stone 8 lb and 12 ounces/134.75 lb.

Both men looked relaxed and smiling as they posed for the face-to-face shots. More...

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© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

Yesterday at the Wrightington Hotel and Country Club in Wigan, England, Hennessy Sports hosted a press conference ahead of Saturday's fight night headlined by John Murray vs. Lee "The Aberdeen Assassin" McAllister for Murray's British Lightweight title.

Sitting at top table were heavyweight prospect Tyson Fury, Team Murray members Kerry Kayes, Joe Gallagher, John Murray and Mick Hennessy along with Lee McAllister and Dave Coldwell.

Press: John, there were a few hiccups and the fight [initial contest between Murray and McCallister] was called off. More...

© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

Tyson Fury, British boxing’s biggest new star, has taken on a risky second professional fight at the Robin Park Arena in Wigan on Saturday, 17th January against an opponent who has won 20 of his 21 wins by stoppage with only three losses.

Former ABA champion Fury (Manchester) made an excellent debut when he stopped Bela Gyongyosi with a body shot in the first round in Nottingham last month. More...

John Murray is getting ready to make Lee McAllister pay for calling him a ‘cry baby’ when they fight for the Hennessy Sports boxer’s British Lightweight title on Saturday, January 17.

Murray, of Manchester, will make the first defence of his title at the Robin Park Arena in Wigan and ITV4 will show the action live on the first event from Hennessy Sports in 2009.

The unbeaten star is looking forward to showing his continuing progression and is now even more determined to do a job on McAllister, of Aberdeen, after the Scot’s comments earlier this week.

McAllister claimed he would ‘smash up’ Murray and criticised the champion for twice pulling out of their British title showdown. But Murray claims McAllister has a 'padded record' and is going to pay for his remarks in the ring.

“I pulled out before Christmas because of a cut on my head and I didn’t want to go into the fight unless I was 100 per cent,” Murray hit back. More...

Lenny Daws will now challenge Dean Harrison for the vacant English Light Welterweight title and is confident that a late change in opponent will not throw him off course in his ambition to become British champion again in 2009.

The Morden boxer was supposed to box Scott Haywood but he has relinquished the title so Daws will now face Harrison, of Wolverhampton, for the English crown instead at the Robin Park Centre in Wigan on Saturday, January 17, 2009. More...

Lee McAllister believes boxing away from his home in Aberdeen will bring out the best in him when he challenges John Murray for the British Lightweight title at the Robin Park Centre in Wigan on Saturday, January 17, 2009.

In a fight that will be shown live on ITV4, Murray, of Manchester, makes the first defence of his British title since beating fellow Hennessy Sports boxer Lee Meager in July. More...

British Lightweight Champion John Murray is aiming to make an early impression in 2009 and he believes he will become one of Britain’s new boxing stars this year.

The Manchester lightweight defends his British crown against Lee McAllister at the Robin Park Centre in Wigan on Saturday, January 17, 2009, in a fight that will be shown live on ITV4. More...

John Murray has long been a favorite among the English boxing fraternity and the Manchester man delivered the goods against Lee Meager during a hard-nosed scrap in July, winning the British title. But keeping the belt could prove harder than winning it.

Just 24, Murray has racked up a 25-0 (13) record since joining the paid ranks over five years ago and saved his best performance for his most recent bout, a thrilling back and forth war against Salford's former British titlist Meager, who took too much punishment for referee Howard Foster to let continue past five rounds at Robin Park Centre in Wigan.

Murray will return to the same venue on January 17 when the Mancunian defends his belt for the first time by meeting the challenge of Scotland's "Aberdeen Assassin", Lee McAllister, trained by the famed Ingle family of Sheffield.

McAllister, 25-1 (5), doesn't have the same sterling reputation as the British champion but does bring a 20 bout win streak to Wigan, along with the WBU belts at both lightweight and light welter.

The 26 year old Scot has boxed above the welterweight limit on six occasions and will be the biggest man that Murray has ever faced as a professional. But that won't mean anything if McAllister can't nullify the edge in handspeed and footwork that Murray will likely enjoy in the pairing.

Despite losing in five rounds, Meager exposed a few weaknesses in Murray, who he found without any difficulty with bodyshots and a lead right hand but Meager's poor defense led to his downfall and McAllister must avoid the combination punching ability of Murray or he too will fail.

There were two good cards last night in Scotland with several of the top men in the country in action. At the Scottish Exhibition Centre in Glasgow, ex-Commonwealth Lightweight king and European Union Super Feather titlist Willie Limond returned to the ring for the first time since losing to Amir Khan last July.

Local hero Limond, 29-2 (8), took on the always tough Martin Watson, 14-5-1 (6), of Coatbridge and outfoxed the former Celtic Champ to win a wide points verdict 119-109, 119-111 and 118-110 and capture the vacant IBO Intercontinental Lightweight belt.

At the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen, Lee McAllister, 26-1 (5), won his 19th straight and retained the WBU Lightweight strap with a decision victory over steel chinned Romanian Mihaita Mutu, 22-12-2 (9), after twelve rounds. More...