Don’t rule out an early night, but don’t dismiss the long haul.
Lewis Ritson takes on Argentina’s German Argentino Benitez for the WBA Inter-continental light-welterweight belt in London on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old has made rapid stoppages his speciality until Francesco Patera came along and defeated him over 12 rounds to leave Newcastle with the vacant European title last October.
That split decision (all three judges scored it 116-112, bizarrely) was Ritson’s first ‘L’ in 18 contests and his first full fight since signing for manager, Phil Jeffries.
‘The Sandman’ did everything he could to shift the Belgian and make it nine stoppage wins on the spin but Patera had other ideas.
Now, he says we will see not only a heavier Lewis Ritson but a better Lewis Ritson at the Copper Box Arena.
Under coach Neil Fannan, there has been more running, a better diet and no last minute crisis to shed those last few pounds and ounces.
And because of all those factors, Ritson is confident he can box his way to WBA success and that we’ll get to see the best jab in the business, something which disappeared against Patera in that desperate struggle to remove him early.
“I knew in myself that because I’d not done things as I was told that I had to try to get Patera out of there as soon as I could,” Lewis told punch-lines.
“But the harder I tried the harder it became.
“Apart from, I think it was the 11th, when I wobbled him a little, I don’t think I landed with one good, clean shot.
“You look back at the Paul Hyland Jnr fight last summer I didn’t go looking for it, it just came naturally.
“That’s what I think I’ll have to do here.
“But we’ll be approaching the fight the right way. Against Patera, I was just looking to stop him, here we’ll be fighting off the jab.
“There will be a game-plan and it will be stuck to.”
Those last five words will be music to the ears of Fannan, who will want to see the basics right – a forceful jab and good defence before taking things to another level.
Benitez looks no pushover, given he has only three defeats in 24 appearances and just one stoppage loss.
Like Ritson, he has stepped up from lightweight where he was the interim World Boxing Organisation Latino lightweight belt holder.
Since then, the 27-year-old has won the WBO Latino crown at light-welter and looks a decent performer.
Ritson is part of a big night of boxing on the Matchroom event.
The headline bout sees Charlie Edwards make the first defence of his WBC flyweight world title against Spain’s Angel Moreno, while there are two tasty domestic matches.
Rio Olympian Joshua Buatsi takes on Barrow’s former English champion Liam Conroy for the vacant British title, while there is an all-London affair at cruiserweight as Lawrence Okolie meets Wadi Camacho with the British and Commonwealth titles on the line.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
