Lewis Ritson’s trainer would love the European title challenger to get some rounds under his belt in Birmingham but he won’t be changing the fighter’s style.
So says Neil Fannan after the 24-year-old was handed his opponent for his appearance on the Amir Khan undercard at Arena Birmingham on Saturday, September 8, when he has been matched with Oscar Amador over eight rounds
Newcastle and North-East boxing is at fever pitch after it was announced that Ritson will have a crack at the vacant European lightweight title against Belgium’s Francesco Patera at the Metro Radio Arena (pictured above).
However, the Geordie KO specialist has some business to attend to in the Midlands next weekend before he can concentrate on Patera on home turf on Saturday, October 13.
Team Ritson want rounds for the man who has won his last SEVEN contests inside the distance and has completed three British title defences in a mere 593 seconds. If you have been foolish enough to try to take your seat late for the fights against Joe Murray, Scotty Cardle or Paul Hyland Jnr there is every chance you would have missed it.
Matchroom think they have unearthed a rock-solid piece of Central America in the shape of Amador who has a 10-7 record.
Fannan has joked in the build-up to the bout how he’d be happy to take a KO at two minutes, 54 seconds of round eight but the coach is insistent he will let nature take its course on the Sky Sports-screened show.
“Ideally, it would be nice to get a few rounds and Amador we understand is a tough lad,” said Fannan. “But, to tell the truth, trying to alter what he does five weeks before the biggest fight of his career would not be a good idea.
“The first round we’ll be cautious and have a look. If you watch the Hyland bout you will see how controlled Lewis was from the start, it was Paul who turned it into a fight and came off second best.
“Lewis doing the distance is no problem, but I’m not going to send him out for a spar in Birmingham.
“I’d be a fool to take the natural aggression out of him.”
Ritson has been making a daily trek from his Newcastle home to the Fannan HQ in Hartlepool to get ready for his fourtb appearance of 2018. It looks a walk in the park for ‘The Sandman’ but the man who coaches the Forest Hall fighter alongside dad, Davy, says it is being taken ultra-seriously.
“Lewis trained here Thursday, was in today, and will be in Saturday, Sunday and Monday,” Fannan told punch-lines. “We take nothing for granted.
“If it looks easy on paper then we’ll train harder. No-one is going to make fools out of us.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Lawrence Lustig/ Matchroom
