THERE IS a rather odd relationship between Steve Collins' challenger, Craig Cummings and the Collins who first fought for the world title against Mike McCallum in Boston in 1985.

At that time Collins still carried the tools of his electrician's trade in the boot of his car and now Cummings has come to Glasgow to challenge Collins for the WBO super middleweight title while on a holiday break from his job as a fireman in Kansas City.

Both have known hard times and both have had the dedication to get them thus far.

It has emerged also that Cummings has a grandfather who hails from Dun Laoghaire although this claim has yet to be investigated fully.

Cummings also claims ancestry from the American-Indian side of his family but these ethnic considerations were dismissed yesterday by Collins, the man who proclaims himself to be the Celtic Warrior and who intends to go into the ring here in Glasgow wearing a tartan kilt.

There was tension when Collins met Cummings for the first time in Glasgow. Cummings tried to be his usual friendly self but Collins had already taken on his steely countenance and even refused to shake hands of take part in the usual "head to head" photo opportunity.

"I told him that when he comes up against me he is facing a stone wall," said Collins. "I have climbed over many walls in my job as a fireman. This is just another wall as far as I am concerned," retorted Cummings.

As we all know by now much of this verbal sparring is intended to raise the temperature of the contest and in doing so sell more tickets. Yet, in spite of his devotion to Celtic FC, Collins has invited one of his most respected soccer heroes, Ally McCoist to be at the ringside with a number of Glasgow Rangers fans.

"I have always admired McCoist as a player and I am pleased that he wants to be at the fight," says Collins. "I am not really trying to hype up the Celtic-Rangers aspect of Glasgow soccer but the more people who come to watch the more I will enjoy it".

Cummings is five years younger than Collins at 29. He has had 34 fights, losing only two and winning 28 inside the distance.

Collins has beaten the two best European super middleweight champions, Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, twice and gives no hint that he intends to surrender his title readily.