Williams Lake professional boxer Stuart McLellan is now the proud holder of two Canadian titles.
The 27-year-old pugilist captured the National Boxing Authority (NBA) Eastern Canadian Title March 8 at Casino New Brunswick in Moncton, N.B., defeating 28-year-old John Alejandro Gonzalez of Quebec in a six-round middleweight (160 pounds) unanimous decision (60-53, 60-53 and 57-56).
In September McLellan also won the NBA Maritime Title, defeating Quebec’s Francis Lafreniere in a 10-round unanimous decision.
With his most recent win McLellan improves his professional record to 10 wins, no losses and three draws.
“I’m really proud to have these titles,” McLellan said, noting he’s hoping to get back in the ring as soon as possible to defend his Maritime Title.
“I’m looking for some bigger fights — looking to do bigger and better things. I think I’m getting to the point where somebody should be giving me a [major Canadian] title shot, hopefully at welterweight. That’s where I want to campaign eventually if all goes well, so hoping to fight for the NBA Canadian Title in my next fight.”
McLellan, going into the fight with Alejandro Gonzalez, had been told he’d be fighting a 19 year old with 15 amateur fights.
“He was 28 years old and he had 65 amateur fights, instead,” McLellan said. “He was a bigger guy than me — I weighed in light at 155 pounds with a suit and shoes on. He had heavy hands and a big overhand right, so the plan was to stick and move, stay away from him and keep my hands up. We stuck the jab, he came out strong in the first two rounds, but he kind of played out and frustration came in after that.”
In preparation for the fight McLellan landed the tutelage of two-time Canadian Olympic boxer Adam Trupish of Edmonton, who spent time training in January at the Williams Lake Boxing Club.
“That definitely helped [training with Trupish],” McLellan said. “But he had three opponents drop out of a fight with him the week before my fight and a guy came in and meant business, and unfortunately he lost, so that was a little hard for me to swallow mentally going into the fight knowing that was my good sparring. “That’s boxing, though, you never know what’s going to happen and that’s why I take every fight very seriously, and train for a long time.”
McLellan also credited his corner for helping him stick to his game plan in the fight.
“My girlfriend came over and she was a card girl for the fight, my dad [WLBC head coach Gary McLellan] was in my corner, plus my good friend Chris, who comes to all of my fights,” he said. “We had a really good corner which helped in this fight.
“It kept me to the game plan. Sometimes I tend to get wild and brawl.”
