“Flying” Lewis Ritson has finally landed a maiden defence of his WBA inter-continental light-welterweight title.
The Newcastle hero will put his World Boxing Association belt on the line in Liverpool in a mouth-watering domestic dust-up with Joe Hughes on Friday, August 2.
Ritson had been due to box in Manchester on July 6, only for Matchroom to scrap the show.
‘The Sandman’ lifted the title in London back in March against rugged Argentionian German Argentino Benitez. That 98-92 (twice), 99-91 triumph marked a fine return following his first career defeat, to Francesco Patera, in the European Championship fight of the year last October.
Hughes is what you would probably describe as clear and present danger.
The 28-year-old, from Wiltshire, is a recent European light-welterweight champion with a record of 17 wins and a draw and just four defeats. All four losses have been at the top level, including a points reverse last time out to 10-stone rival Robbie Davies Jnr in a European and British unification battle.
Speculation was rife of Ritson v Davies happening in 2019 but Lewis’s coach rates the Exhibition Centre showdown with Joe next month as a harder proposition.
“There was talk of us fighting the winner of Davies against Hughes and, in my view, we are,” Fannan told punch-lines.
“I thought Joe won that fight and I’m not alone in thinking that. I was more than a bit surprised by the result.”
Fannan concedes it won’t be an easy night for Ritson but he has been impressed with the 25-year-old’s progress since his switch to his Hartlepool gym this year.
And he is confident he will see that progress mirrored in the ring on the JD NXTGEN event.
“Lewis has been with me full-time for over six months now and he’s starting to look the part,” Fannan explained “This is a good contest – a good one for him to put into practice what we’ve been doing in the gym.
“He’s flying at the moment – I’ve had him through Middlesbrough doing some fitness tests and his recovery time was unbelievable compared to how it was before.
“He’s trained hard, he’s fit and he’s ready for a fight.
“I’m over the moon with how he’s trained and I think we’ll see the improvements he has made.
“I know there is more to come from Lewis Ritson – I said when he began training here that it could take a year before you see the difference.
“I believe that come the end of this year he will be a different fighter – my words will be right, guaranteed.”
There was some negativity, from outside Team Ritson it has to be stated, after his 10-round battle with Benitez.
The Phil Jeffries-managed Forest Hall puncher had, to a degree, become a victim of his own success, sweeping aside four British lightweight title opponents in a total of 11 rounds.
He lost in a split decision to Patera in his first 12-rounder and then went the distance in his debut bout at light-welter against a man whose only stoppage defeat had been due to a cut.
“In parts against Benitez, he showed some of the things we’d worked on,” said Fannan. “He showed an improvement then and I expect another improvement now.”
Ritson-Hughes will be the chief support to a Lancashire affair as Liverpool’s Anthony Fowler headlines against Blackpool’s former World title challenger Brian Rose .
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Jennifer Charlton
