What’s next for Lewis Ritson? An obvious question though perhaps without an obvious answer.
‘The Sandman’ is currently enjoying a rest and some well-earned time with his beautiful family. And rightly so.
Ritson’s build up to his WBA world light-welterweight final eliminator with Ohara Davies at the Utilita Arena seemed to last forever with dates changing on more than one occasion.
And when it finally arrived on the first Saturday in March it was not all right on the night as the 29-year-old came up against a very good and ruthless opponent, Davies knocking out the Forest Hall hero in round nine with a sickening left hook to the body.
It was the third world title eliminator of his career with stoppage defeats to Davies (WBA) and Jeremias Ponce (IBF) preceded with an October 2019 win over Robbie Davies Jnr (WBA).
You would probably have to say that Covid’s arrival the following spring probably did not help his ambitions after that great ‘Bad Blood’ triumph.
Punch-lines caught up with Lewis in the aftermath of his defeat to Ohara, not for an interview, just a chat, with the Geordie favourite admitting his hopes at world level were probably over, but his days as a boxer were not.
That was confirmed later that weekend when he put out a post on social media to say “there are still a few big nights left in me, I’m no-where near finished.”
Already an owner of a Lonsdale Belt, courtesy of a whirlwind rise to British lightweight champion when he blew away Robbie Barrett, Joe Murray, Scott Cardle and Paul Hyland in a total 11 rounds, he could target becoming a two-weight champ.
The brilliant Dalton Smith holds the light-welterweight title or super-lightweight if that is your cup of tea.
Following two successful defences, you suspect Eddie Hearn might have plans for the 26-year-old so Smith v Ritson is unlikely to happen, but the British championship is a possibility.
But what about the European light-welterweight title? Ritson is rated at eight in the EBU rankings
It is in the hands of unbeaten Danish fighter Enock Poulsen, whose record is 12-0, and who is due to contest a re-match with Frenchman Franck Petitjean next month.
Ritson had a crack at the European lightweight crown in October 2018, when he lost to Francesco Patera on a split in Newcastle, though some context needs to be placed against that defeat given it was his fifth fight in seven months.
A European championship belt would look beautiful, whether it would hang in his home or his dad’s.
There is much for Lewis, manager Phil Jeffries, dad and coach Davy and his fellow coach, Owen Reay to ponder where the future is concerned.
But the great thing is there is a future and plenty of time to add to his 23 career wins – 10 of which have come in title bouts.
Lewis Ritson is a championship fighter and one of the North East’s greatest. The skill and power are there for more.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture Jennifer Charlton
