Paul Weir: Scotland’s Two-Division WBO Boxing Champion

Paul Weir, known as “The Mighty Atom,” is a Scottish former boxer who became a two-division WBO world champion. Born in Glasgow and raised in Irvine, he won world titles at mini-flyweight and light-flyweight before retiring from professional boxing in 2000.

Amateur Career

Weir started boxing as a child and competed for Springside and Croy Miners amateur clubs. In a 2021 interview with Boxing News, he recalled having around 200 amateur bouts, winning Scottish championships in 1989, 1990, and 1991, and taking bronze at the 1991 European Championships. He also represented Scotland at the 1990 Commonwealth Games and the 1991 World Championships.

Professional Career

Weir turned professional in 1992 under trainer Tommy Gilmour. In his sixth pro bout, on May 15, 1993, he stopped Fernando Martínez to win the vacant WBO mini-flyweight (now called minimumweight) title. After one successful defense, he moved up a division. BoxRec lists his Irvine hometown and the dates of both title reigns in its champion profile.

On November 23, 1994, Weir defeated Paul Oulden by unanimous decision in Irvine to win the vacant WBO light-flyweight title. He defended it against Ric Magramo in April 1995. In November that year, Jacob Matlala won a technical decision after an accidental head clash caused a cut; Matlala then stopped Weir in their April 1996 rematch. The WBO title-fight record lists the results and title chronology.

Weir boxed through 2000, finishing with 14 wins and six losses. In 2001, he told Boxing247 that he had retired after a pair of final fights the previous year.

Coaching After Competition

Weir returned to boxing as a trainer in 2009 and later worked with British fighters including Derry Mathews and John Simpson. He moved to Dubai in 2015. His ProBox profile identifies him as a boxing coach based in Dubai, where he offers personal training and coaching services.

Sources

Career records and reporting: boxrec.com.

Tags

Boxing, Boxing History