Scottish amateur heavyweight champion Steve Simmons is convinced his new fitness regime was behind his selection for the British squad for the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Milan.

The Leith Victoria boxer will be part of the elite squad which will head to Italy for the tournament which gets underway on August 31.

But Simmons is only too aware that being Scottish champion will mean nothing when he steps through the ropes to take on the best the world has to offer.

“I’m chuffed to bits,” said Simmons. "But I head out to Bourget, France, next week to spar with some of Cuba's top heavyweights which will let me see first-hand just how tough the opposition in Milan will be.

“I had to come through a tough training and assessment camp in Dublin last week where I had to spar with the Irish heavyweight champion Kevin McBride and guys from Azerbaijan and France.

“A great deal of the credit for my selection must go to my uncle, Kenny Simmons, whose weight training programme, aimed at restoring my hitting power, worked a treat as I was visibly hurting some of the guys with whom I was sparring.”