After a five-month hiatus, Williams Lake undefeated professional boxer Stuart McLellan will step back into the ring this Friday, Nov. 21, in Calgary to take on an old friend — Vancouver’s Antonio Dos Santos.
Now completely healed from a shoulder injury McLellan, 28, with a professional boxing record of 11 wins, no losses and three draws, said he’s eager to get his gloves back on to fight his former opponent and training partner in the 42-year-old Dos Santos.
“We fought back in 2007,” McLellan said. “It was my second pro fight and I won a close decision.”
The duo kept in touch and also trained together for two weeks in 2009 at the former Astoria Boxing Club (now Action Boxing) in East Vancouver.
The bout will take place at the 154-pound light middleweight division in Calgary at the Chinese Cultural Centre.
McLellan, the current middleweight Eastern Canadian Champion and the Maritime Champion, said his opponent, who has two wins and eight losses as a pro, fights an unorthodox style.
“He’s tall and lanky, kind of like me, but he’s got a real awkward style,” McLellan said.
“I’m just going to take my time and box for the first few, but I’m looking for the knockout. He’s an old friend so it’ll be a little bit weird.”
Dos Santos, originally from Angola, South Africa, arrived in Vancouver after escaping the war-torn country during its civil war by hopping on a navy ship as a stowaway.
“He’s got quite an interesting story,” McLellan said.
Travelling with McLellan to be in his corner will be his dad, Gary McLellan, Chris Cousineau and Bryan Delaronde — all Williams Lake Boxing Club members.
McLellan added special thanks goes out to his employer, Woodtick Construction Ltd., for giving him time off for the fight.
“I’ve been training hard,” he said.
“I did some one on one training with [former Canadian Olympic boxer] Adam Trupish the past couple of months so looking to try some new things.”