Melvin looks back on a year of bad breaks

Scott Melvin…back in action in February after hand injury

SCOTT “Terrier” Melvin, gifted and straining at the leash for major titles, will not look back on 2024 with fondness.

It has, in the Chelmsley Wood boxer’s own words, been “disappointing, frustrating, very tough”.

It should’ve been the 24-year-old’s breakthrough year following an epic, all Birmingham September 2023 Midlands lightweight title fight with Mykey Lee Broughton.

Trailing on points, Scott showed a champion’s quality to stop his man in the final round. He has since relinquished the belt to campaign at junior-lightweight (super-feather in modern terminology).

That win should’ve paved the way for mightier things.

Instead, Scott found himself embroiled in an on-off title defence saga with Ameen Khalid which eventually led nowhere. Then a hand injury shunted him to the sidelines for six months.

As a result, Melvin squeezed in only one routine six rounder in a year he’ll want to forget.

Melvin has the tools to reach the top, but this year they became rusty.

“It’s just not good enough,” he told me.

He should’ve been knocking on the door for an English title. Instead, Scott found himself out in the cold, looking in.

He is in danger of becoming Midlands boxing’s sleeping giant. He has tasted defeat only once in 10 outings and that was a fairly meaningless three rounds points loss in a knockout competition.

Fellow vaunted Eastside gym stars Sam Eggington and Kaisee Benjamin also suffered defeats in “last man standing” tournaments and still rose to much greater things.

Melvin has learned the life of a professional boxer can be precarious and painful. A former full-time fighter, the father of a three-year-old boy has been forced to find work as a pipe-layer. “I had to,” he said. “I’ve got bills to pay.”

At least Melvin can now see shafts of light piercing through the darkness. The left hand is healed, and he returns to action on Valentine’s Day – Friday, February 14 – on a show at the Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport.

“I want a warm-up on the show, then go straight for the English (title),” he said. “If a good fight gets offered, I’ll take it, but maybe it would be good to get a fight to take the ring-rust off.”

“It’s been hard, very tough,” he admitted. “There have been times when I’ve thought, ‘why me?’ But I’ll always keeping going, always carry on because I’ve put so much hard work and so many years into this.”

He added: “I want the hard fights. I think I’m good enough, I need to put it to the test. I want hard fights, I want to show to myself how good I am.”

Next year he’ll find out. Next year the Terrier will be snapping at contenders’ ankles.