Benny Lynch, the boxer, died in 1946 of starvation and alcoholism in the Southern General, Glasgow, eleven years after winning the World Flyweight title. He held his title for three years before having it removed because he couldn’t make the weight. (Flyweight = 108-112lbs. It has been said that the welfare state killed off the flyweights.)
This picture represents Benny’s eighty-fourth victory. (In his professional career he had eighty-three.) His win over alcohol.
He is in a place where his incredible efforts during his life have taken him. Away from the good-time “friends” and conditioned responses of his environment where everybody wanted to have a drink with the champ he at last achieves freedom from his addiction. He is revealed as the supreme fighter he was. Lynch was a phenomenon in terms of talent, but the astounding work he had to do is often overlooked.
This is represented in the picture by the precarious steep staircase leading to his present level. The last few steps each symbolize title defences. The top step represents his two great battles with Peter Kane (40,000people crammed into Shawfield Stadium to see Lynch beat Kane).
The next step shows a piece of paper torn into the exact shape of the US state of Montana. The title defence before Kane was against an American called “Small Montana”.
Below this is the step representing his 8^th round ko of Pat Palmer.
The step under that symbolises his second round knock-out of Jackie Brown in Manchester in 1935 to win the World Title.
Lynch is a Glasgow fighter and this is shown by the obvious Glasgow symbolism of the fish, the bird, the ring, the tree, and, of course the bell that never rang. (Pisces is the star constellation, the cranes on the banks of the city far below, the boxing ring, the stunted tree, and the time-keeper’s bell.) The thirteen empty chairs at ringside represent the thirteen defeats that Lynch had in his pro career. The wooden window behind him represents his background in the boxing booths and his hard childhood in the Gorbals.
Overall this large colourful painting is intended to show that the over-riding sentimental view of  Benny’s “tragic” death (as represented by the large sunset) is more than balanced by his indomitable spirit and humour (as represented by that left hook and the grin!).