Boxer Jake Limond ready to follow in his dad's footsteps

It is perhaps no surprise that even when he was barely out of nappies, he was a regular in the gym alongside his dad, Willie.

When Limond Jnr was born, his dad was just a few years into his professional career, during which he would become British, Commonwealth and European champion.

Limond remembers well spending much of his formative years by his dad’s side in the gym and while it would be easy to assume that he was destined to become a boxer, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

As he approached his teenage years, Limond confesses to stopping almost all physical activity, with his weight ballooning to over twelve stone.

The realisation slowly dawned that he needed to do something about his fitness and that’s when he made the decision to venture back into the boxing gym.

“I’d become really overweight. I was a quite a wee guy but I weighed about 80kgs,” he says.

“I remember when I was about 13 and I’d get out of breath really easily when I was even just walking so that’s what made me realise I needed to get back into boxing. And I knew I wanted to have at least one fight in my life.”

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Limond’s first performance as an amateur was, he says, “half-decent”, and from there, he had the bug, progressing through the amateur ranks before winning the Scottish title at the start of 2020.

While the plan had been to become professional when he turned 18, the pandemic, and the havoc it’s caused to amateur boxing, caused Limond to reassess his plans and after some discussion with his dad, decided to take the plunge into the pro ranks on his 17th birthday earlier this month.

Limond is now one of the youngest boxers in Britain to have joined the pro ranks but his relative lack of experience does not faze him in the slightest.

“There was absolutely nothing going on in the amateurs and so I talked about it with my dad and we decided the best thing would be to go pro now,” he says.

“I’m really excited – it’s a chance for me to showcase what I can do.

“Although I’ve not had as many competitive fights as some guys, I’ve been boxing since I was young and so I’ve had hundreds of rounds of sparring. I don’t think you necessarily need to spend years in the amateurs – there’s not a set path you need to take to make it to the top.”

Limond came through the ranks at Rob Roy Boxing Club in Glasgow but is now trained by his dad, and has gone pro with St Andrews Boxing Club, in no small part due to the fact Willie spent his pro career in the same stable.

And while Limond insists his relationship with his dad involves so much more than just boxing, he admits having advice on tap from someone who has mixed with the best boxers in the world is invaluable.

“My dad has never pushed me into it, he’s always made sure it was my decision. He’s really supportive but he makes sure I know that boxing isn’t a game, it’s a dangerous sport so I know what I’m going into,” the Glaswegian says.

“Mine and my dad’s relationship isn’t built on boxing. Of course, if it comes up we’ll talk about it but it’s not all we speak about.

“It’s like we’re mates. How I speak to my pals is how I am with my dad so it’s good to have that relationship.

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“It’s great having my dad there to ask questions – there’s nothing he can’t answer because he’s been there himself.

“I feel like I’ve improved so much in the last year and that’s a lot because of his input. I feel like I’ve still got a lot of room for improvement though.”

There is always pressure on the offspring of successful parents and Limond is no different. However, he has a mature head on young shoulders and insists he is entirely undaunted by any expectations of him to follow in his dad’s footsteps.

“If there is any pressure, I’m not feeling it”, he says.

“I’m my own person – I’m not doing this because of who my dad is. I want to show I’m different from him.

“I’ve seen a few comments on social media saying I’m too young and that I’m not ready but that doesn’t bother me, I just want to fight and prove that I am good enough.”

Limond expects to make his professional debut in the summer, or worst case in the autumn. Having not fought since last February, he admits he is champing at the bit to get back into action. And while he is realistic enough to acknowledge that it may be a year or two before he gets his hands on any belts, he is clear in his mind about how far he believes he can go.

“I’m desperate to get fighting again - it’s been long year,” he says.

“I’m not expecting to win a British title within a few fights or anything like that, I know it’ll take time but hopefully within two years I’ll be fighting for a Scottish title and then I’ll work my way up from there.

“But I believe I can go all the way – there’s nothing stopping me. Everyone’s got two arms and two legs so why shouldn’t I make it?”