Keep June free in your diary.
Eddie Hearn is bringing big-time boxing to Newcastle, starring the city’s British champion, Lewis Ritson, and the man tipped to be Sunderland’s first world champ, Josh Kelly.
No date has been announced yet by the Matchroom supremo, though he mentioned June when he spoke to Sky Sports after Ritson had taken only one minute, 55 seconds to demolish Joe Hughes in his maiden defence of his British lightweight title in Manchester.
June 16 at the Metro Radio Arena has become a strong whisper and no one in the North-East of England will be complaining, with the prospect of the Forest Hall hero taking on the winner of Sean ‘Masher’ Dodd and Tommy Coyle in a unification clash.
“In June he will be in Newcastle with Josh Kelly,” declared Hearn. “We have to take Lewis back to the North-East, that’s where we are going to build him as a big star.”
There is no doubting his star quality or his appetite.
Given his early night at the Victoria Warehouse, he’d love to be out again in between Manchester and Newcastle.
How does March 31 in Cardiff sound for Ritson v Scotty Cardle? Or March 24 at the 02 Arena?
Cardle was at ringside in Manchester on Sunday when he told Sky that he was ready to “make it happen as soon as possible”.
A mouth-watering battle between present and past British champions appealed to the promoter.
“It’s a good fight to make next,” added Hearn. “Lewis obviously wants to fight the winner of Dodd v Coyle [who meet in a Commonwealth confrontation on April 21].
“The lightweight division has a big problem with Lewis Ritson, not just domestically, but at world level. That was just his 14th fight.
“There is so much to come from Lewis Ritson.
“Now he’s got to do what all good pros should do, stay in the gym, no beers, no pizzas, wait for the call because the call might come sooner than you think.
“I’d like to get him out as soon as possible, possibly March, Scotty Cardle is ready to go, he’s hard at it in his training camp at the moment.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Lawrence Lustig/ Matchroom
