HEAVY-fisted South Queensferry featherweight Paul Appleby has shot a welcome bolt of electricity through the Scottish boxing scene over the last two years.

Still just 20, the feisty 5ft 9in Tommy Gilmour-managed prospect has already blitzed his way to seven stoppages, whilst compiling a perfect 10-fight card and generating rave reviews from the Sky Sports team. WBO interim super-feather king Alex Arthur, who regularly deploys Appleby as a spar hand, declares: "Paul already gets nine out of 10 from me for both speed and power. If he gets hit hard, he simply wants to hit you back a lot harder. He reminds me a lot of Erik Morales in that.

"As a featherweight he's knocking out lightweights. His chin and desire are also first class. And I can testify Paul's got a terrific engine. We spar 10 rounds straight off, each averaging 80 to a 100 punches a round, no bother. He's a definite future champion." Born in the Scottish capital in July 1987, young Appleby was always likely to gravitate towards the Noble Art. "All my family boxed," states Appleby, who first entered the Meadowbank gym at eight, and later passed through the Sparta, Leith Victoria and Zetland clubs.

"My grandad John Appleby won Scottish titles and vests. Dad only had a few bouts but trained for years and my uncle Billy had 150 amateur bouts, was a Scottish champion and international, and twice beat Ken Buchanan. "My elder brother David was a Scottish international. We used to have very heated spars. Today he's a joiner. "I went round all the clubs to pick the best bits from every trainer. All told, I won about 44 of 50 bouts and won about six Scottish junior titles - every time I went in it. I also won the British Boys Clubs and a Four Nations [Cadets] gold in Wales." Regrettably, his amateur aspirations were curtailed when he copped a ban for alleged ‘misbehaviour' whilst on international service at a multi-nations meet in Austria.

He recalls: "After knocking out a Hungarian in sparring, his teammates came after me with hockey sticks, in the toilets. They broke my nose and blackened my eyes - I still beat my Irish opponent a couple of days later. But that incident, plus other stuff I was grassed up for which I didn't do, saw me banned. I never boxed for Scotland again. After that the Scottish amateur scene had nothing for me.

"My style was always going to suit the pros anyway. I can box but prefer going forward. Whereas I wanted to fight, my opponents just ran away and got points for anything. I got robbed a few times."

Just six months after his 18th birthday, Appleby committed his talent to Glaswegian guru Gilmour MBE. After cutting his teeth with four routine stoppages during his initial six months, Paul logged hard yards in consecutive distance wins over circuit yardsticks Mickey Coveney, Rakhim Mingaleev, and Buster Dennis.

"Coveney was tough, but if it hadn't been in London it would have been stopped. Dennis was a lot bigger than me on the night. I knew I'd not get rid of him," claims the Scottish terrier who, in addition to working with Arthur has supplemented his education with extensive spars against Michael Hunter, Argie Ward and the rising talents at Freddie Roach's Wild Card gym in Los Angeles. More recently Appleby has re-established his assassin's reputation by halting Istvan Nagy (in five), Riaz Durgahed (three) and Ben Odamattey (six) in his last three. Sustained, scything, short-armed volleys, both above and below, serve as his signature. "Outside the ring, I'm like Ricky Hatton, dead normal, but it helps when you've got a wee bit of a dig," claims "Chuckles", who is now trained by Steve McGuire Snr at the Glenrothes ABC gym.

"Every fight, I try to hurt my opponent straight away so they don't want to know. I was really pleased to stop Odamattey. Neither Ricky Burns nor Lee McAllister managed that, and they're heavier than me." Appleby's rampage through the ranks has been such that he fights undefeated Martin Lindsay in a British title eliminator in Glasgow on February 29.

"Paul's a very impressive little man who wants to push himself. He'll not be prepared to wait another year. I'm confident he'd rise to the occasion," says Tommy.

His starlet adds: "[British champ] John [Simpson] has really improved lately but so have I. I feel really strong at feather, much bigger than John. I know from sparring Alex I can last the distance at pace.

"With Alex's guidance, I'm confident I could beat him; keep it long and break his heart. By this time next year I expect to have won and defended the British title or won the Commonwealth if Jackson Asiku vacates.

"Ultimately, I want to win the British outright, the Commonwealth, European and any version of a world title. Loads of respected people like Alex and Mickey Hunter say I'm capable and that gives me confidence."