THIS week the Write Hook takes a trip down memory lane for the first part of a new series. Once a month, we’ll be shining the spotlight on some of Ayrshire’s greatest fighters and giving them the recognition they truly deserve.

THIS week the Write Hook takes a trip down memory lane for the first part of a new series. Once a month, we’ll be shining the spotlight on some of Ayrshire’s greatest fighters and giving them the recognition they truly deserve.

IT HAS been over 50 years since the end of undoubtedly Ayrshire’s greatest trilogy.

On April 29, 1965, welterweights Donnie McMillan (of Ardrossan) and Andy Wyper (of Ayr) traded leather for the last time at Glasgow Town Hall.

But their rivalry began on November 28, 1963 at the Paisley Ice Rink where McMillan suffered a fifth round knockout.

Eager for revenge, McMillan challenged Wyper for the vacant Scottish title only two months later on January 21, 1964 at the aforementioned Town Hall.

Despite coming up short for a second time (McMillan was stopped in the seventh) the pair would collide for a final battle.

And their curtain-closing showdown would be the finest of three savage yet scintillating scraps where Wyper won an eight-round points decision.

The fight was so highly regarded that legendary Scottish promoter Tommy Gilmour stated last year that it was possibly the greatest he had witnessed.

These days three devastating losses to a bitter rival would cause a fighter to give up the sport for good.

But Donnie McMillan was no ordinary fighter.

In fact, McMillan’s greatest success came after the Wyper trilogy.

After spending a number of years fighting around the globe in Spain, Denmark and South Africa, McMillan finally captured his first title on May 24, 1971 when defeated Andy Peace for the Scottish middleweight title.

That victory kick-started an incredible winning run (seven in one year) during which McMillan avenged a loss to Londoner Pat Dwyer and stopped future British and European champion Kevin Finnegan.

However, the Ayrshire man came up short in his long-awaited challenge for the British title when he was stopped on cuts in the 11th round by Bunny Sterling on January 17, 1973.

But perhaps McMillan’s finest hour came off the back of that loss in June of that year. Despite being dropped three times during the fight, McMillan remarkably stopped future WBC world champion Alan Minter in eight rounds at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The loss was the first of the Englishman’s career.

But in the cruellest of sports, tragedy is sometimes not far from triumph. On April 2, 1974, McMillan travelled to Zambia to face 3-0 Hugo Chansa. The fight would end in harrowing circumstances after McMillan knocked out Chansa in the fifth round.

Although he bravely rose to his feet, Chansa collapsed in his corner and was rushed to hospital. But he never woke up and was pronounced dead at the age of just 21.

McMillan never fought again and quietly retired afterwards.

He would of undoubtedly found comfort from his seven brothers – all boxers themselves – who would have known how painful the experience was for him.

In 2010, Donnie along with brothers Alex, John, Angus, Freddie, Gerry and Dougie were honoured at the Scottish Boxing Hall of Fame due to their extraordinary contribution to the sport.

Now 76, Donnie still happily resides in Saltcoats where he, like the rest of his fighting family, are rightfully recognised as local legends.