Take note of the name Mark Dunlop. He might not be a household name on this side of the Irish Sea, but he’s a man making waves and that could spell bad news for Lewis Ritson in Newcastle.
Dunlop is the manager and promoter of Paul Hyland Jnr, the unbeaten Northern Irishman who stands in the way of Ritson and winning the Lonsdale Belt outright.
Ritson’s second defence of the British lightweight championship is the co-headline act on Matchroom’s big fight bonanza at the Metro Radio Arena on Saturday, June 16, the Sunderland’s Josh Kelly takes on Kris George for the Australian’s Commonwealth welterweight belt .
The Newcastle fighter, whose last three title bouts have totaled only 10 rounds, is up against not just a Belfast fighter with three more wins than him, but a man with the midas touch in his corner.
Dunlop has brought two of his Kronk stable to England in the last four months to fight unbeaten champions and returned to Northern Ireland with the spoils.
And the charismatic Irishman has warned he plans to do the same on Tyneside. First, he took Ronnie ‘The Shark’ Clark to London in February as the rank outsider to face Zelfa Barrett for the IBF European super-featherweight title.
The Shark felled the unbeaten Manchester prospect en route to a points victory at the York Hall.
That was a sensational win and Dunlop was at it again last month in the UK capital as James Tennyson upset Martin Ward to lift the Commonwealth and European super-featherweight titles.
Tennyson was down early in the fight, only to get up and stop the undefeated Essex fighter in round five, ripping both belts from the defending champion.
Hyland has also won in London, outpointing Peter Cope in an enthralling eight-rounder on his England debut after the Hartlepool southpaw had established an early lead at the York Hall, in March 2017.
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Since then, Hyland has gone on to win the IBF European lightweight crown, defending it in a war with Stephen Ormand in which he fractured his jaw midway through the bout in Belfast.
“Ritson-Hyland is going to be a great fight,” said Dunlop. “These are two kids who have come through the same way, boxing in the small-hall shows to try to make their breakthrough.
“Paul and Lewis both made their breakthroughs on Matchroom shows.
“These are two young up and coming lightweights and, to me, this is a genuine 50-50 fight.
“Paul Hyland has fought everywhere, he’s a four-time national champion, Commonwealth Games gold medalist, even when he’s in the away corner he always finds a way to win.
“Look at Ronnie Clark, he went away and beat and undefeated fighter, Zelfa Barrett, James Tennyson did the same to Martin Ward, I don’t send my kids in for paydays, I send them in to win.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Ian Horrocks/ Matchroom
