Lewis Ritson has warmed up for his maiden British title defence with some “serious” sparring.
The unbeaten Newcastle star is counting down to his mouth-watering lightweight match with Joe Murray in Manchester on Sunday, February 25.
Ritson this week has made the short journey down the A19 to Peterlee to train with Glenn Foot, Sunderland’s Commonwealth light-welterweight challenger.
The North-East neighbours share the same manager, Phil Jeffries, and the other thing they share is aggression.
Dave Binns, coach of Foot, had earmarked their six rounds as being a “controlled move around” but he and fellow Dave, Lewis’s dad and trainer, plus this www.punch-lines.co.uk reporter and a number of spectators, were treated to some lively action.
“Serious sparring? It’s always serious when you are in with Glenn,” laughed the champion when asked if the action was supposed to get serious.
“I’d blown off the rust with a couple of sessions with Jordan Ellison the week before.
“Davey Binns said before we started ‘nice and light lads’ but there is no such thing as light with Glenn.
“It was a great spar.
“I’ve had everything in my fist spars, Jordan is good for the speed and on the back foot while Glenn comes for a war, he’s very aggressive.”
Ritson won the title in Manchester last October when he took apart Robbie Barrett, who was making the maiden defence of his belt, referee Steve Gray calling it of in the seventh at the Arena.
The 24-year-old will return to the city to put his title on the line just a few miles away at the Victoria warehouse against the talented Joe Murray in the Matchroom show.
“You never know what Joe’s going to do, come forward or go back?” said the Eddie Hearn-promoted star.
“Murray’s very decent and everyone I’ve spoken to says he can punch a bit.”
Tickets for the JDNXTGEN show, which also features Jordan Gill v Jason Cunningham, plus ex-Olympian Natasha Jonas, are available at
www.matchroomboxing.com/fight-nights/lewis-ritson-vs-joe-murray
Words: Roy Kelly
