THIS is fighting talk.

It does not come from this observer whose only pugilistic venture was to lose an admittedly tight decision over 15 rounds with a wet paper poke. It is uttered instead by Amir Khan, world champion, Tommy Gilmour, manager and promoter, and Brian Donald, the Scottish boxing historian.

The subject is Glasgow and boxing: why is the city besotted with boxing and what are the best fights it has hosted?

Khan, a light welterweight world champion who fought in Braehead in 2007, was back on the Clyde this week to watch bouts at the Comnmonwealth Games and simply said of the city: "I love Glasgow. Every time I come here, I get a great welcome. I have had nothing but love here. I fought here a long time ago and I have good friends here."

But what are the great fights in a city renowned for the odd skirmish? Gilmour scatters a selection of glittering items like a scramble at a wedding.

"There have been so many," he says. "But what about Peter Keenan v Jake Tuli at Cathkin Park in 1955 when Peter knocked him out in the 14th round? There is, of course, my personal favourite of Pat Clinton, who I managed, winning the world flyweight title at Kelvin Hall [against Isidor Perez in 1992]. There was also the promotion that had three world title fights on the same card in the SECC in 1992 with Chris Eubank beating Tony Thornton [WBO super middleweight], Pat Clinton beating Danny Porter [flyweight] and Paul Weir winning."

He adds that a Jim Watt fight must be included, favouring the Scot's winning of the world lightweight title against Afredo Pitalua in the Kelvin Hall in 1979. The St Andrew's Sporting Club also hosted the historic Watt v Ken Buchanan fight.

"Walter McGowan against Jackie Brown was also a great fight but I have an unusual choice. It is Andrew Wyper against Don McMillan in a welterweight contest back in 1965. Wyper won after eight rounds of a fantastic battle.

"They just knocked the bells out of one another. Incredible stuff."

Donald, who holds both memories and statistics in a formidable mind, rattles off his choices.

"October, 1937, Shawfield Park, Benny Lynch v Peter Kane world flyweight championship. W Barrington Dalby, the top referee and commentator, said it was the greatest fight he ever refereed at the top level. Victor McLaglen, the Hollywood actor, was at ringside and said it was the greatest flyweight bout he had seen. Kane was knocked out in the 13th round in front of 46,000 people.

"For sheer destructiveness, it has to be when Jackie Paterson knocked out Peter Kane at Hampden Park in 90 seconds, June 1943.

"For sheer drama Jim Watt and Sean O'Grady with the cuts and Watt having to get on his bike. And, of course, June 7, 1980, at Ibrox when Watt beat Howard Davies."

The facts and figures tumble from Donald but he is alive to the colour. "Davies was insulting to Watt calling him: 'Jim who?' This was a great Watt performance."

So why is Glasgow such a great boxing town? "Glasgow is a great city full stop," says Gilmour. "But I believe the boxing history may have something to do all that heavy industry and the economic struggles of the depression and the aftermath of the Second World War. People had to do something to feed their families so there was no shortage of boxers."

Donald makes another point. "There is an irony to Glasgow as a great boxing city," he says. "Edinburgh was the main professional boxing city in the 1920s because the Glasgow magistrates would not allow a licence for boxing.

"They may have been fearful of large numbers of working-class men congregating in a public place. Remember, this was the time of the General Strike and tanks in George Square.

"The first place in Scotland to stage a British and Empire title fight was Edinburgh in 1922."

Edinburgh as Scotland's first city of boxing? Now that is fighting talk.