British welterweight champion Kevin McIntyre has reinvented himself as a top-class boxer, according to his manager Barry Hughes.

The 29-year-old Paisley postman had five losses on his CV and was thought to be little more than a journeyman before he took Kevin Anderson's title last November at Irvine's Magnum Centre with a shock points win.

The re-match at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on Friday night was even more enthralling, McIntyre dispelling any suggestions that he was a one-fight wonder by earning another unanimous decision over 12 rounds.

Hughes, who took McIntyre to his Braveheart Promotions organisation last year, insists his man is reborn and vowed to help him make his next defence in his home town of Paisley.

"There is a new Kevin McIntyre," Hughes said.

"There is a new lease of life in his fighting and he has a new inner belief in himself.

"We want to keep it there and continue with his progress.

"Kell Brook is the mandatory challenger although there are other fighters on the horizon.

"We would like to promote the next defence of his title in Paisley Lagoon Centre, that is our plan.

"It would be good to get Kevin a fight in front of the Paisley public for the first time and I am confident that we can do that."

Hughes insists McIntyre fought exactly to plan against the durable Fifer who, despite showing undoubted courage, came up short for the second time.

Hughes said: "It panned out exactly how I called it. I knew Anderson would come out like a steam train for the first four rounds and he did.

"Anderson showed that he is far from a finished fighter, but there are bigger and better fights ahead for Kevin McIntyre and I will be concentrating on him.

"He fought exactly the way we wanted him to. I would like to have seen him busier in certain parts of the fight but at the end of the day I can't criticise a winner and he won it fairly.

"He was always well ahead and so we are delighted."

Anderson's manager Tommy Gilmour admits it could be a long way back for his fighter.

Gilmour said: "Kevin McIntyre has a mandatory (defence) to make, then there are other fighters waiting in the wings, so it could be well over a year before Kevin Anderson gets another chance.

More news from SportingLife.com