Ryan: this time title fight won’t be close
Griffiths on the attack against Morris. Picture: Manjit Narotra/BCB
A LOT has happened since Ryan Griffiths defeated Lewis Morris in a Fight of the Year contender last March, writes PAUL WEBB.
But Griffiths is confident of a repeat victory when the two meet in a highly anticipated rematch. The bout will take place on October 24 at the WV Active Aldersley, Wolverhampton, headlining BCB Promotions' “Unfinished Business”.
The 24-year-old claimed the vacant Midlands featherweight title after ten pulsating rounds, with referee Chris Dean scoring the contest 96-94 in favour of the Dudley man. It was the first time either fighter had gone that distance.
An immediate rematch seemed likely, yet the two men headed down different paths. Morris pushed hot prospect Peter McGrail close in his first televised bout and has won two fights on the spin since. Griffiths has had mixed results, but some excellent performances that have seen him retain his title. Now, however, the timing feels right for them to face each other once more.
"It was all new to me last time," said Griffiths. "Making the weight, it being my first title fight, but I have made a lot of improvements since then and so has Lewis. He started slow against McGrail but came back into it and if it had gone 12 rounds, who knows? He might have got the decision. This fight feels like round 11, not round one. I know he is adamant that he won the first fight. If I don't beat Lewis, there is nowhere to go - this is all or nothing for me."
Following a close points decision loss to Umar Khan—a fight Griffiths took on just three weeks' notice—the Midlands Board put forward the unbeaten Jack Dillingham to challenge for his title. The two put on a memorable clash that resulted in a blood-soaked, disputed draw.
"Normally when I watch my fights back, I'm very pessimistic when scoring rounds, but after watching it again and again, I felt I won by one or two," Griffiths explained.
"He started well, which I expected given his amateur background. I knew I'd come on strong in the middle rounds, but the cut had a big impact on the fight. It was a weird and new experience for me - that side of my face felt cold. Every time I went into the clinch, I could see the blood on his shoulder and he was rubbing his shoulder into it. The main thing was making sure the fight wasn't stopped. With just one round to go, I was able to keep out of the way and prevent the referee or the doctor from stopping the fight."
While Griffiths is happy to be known for exciting fights, he knows he has to use his brain as well as his bravery against Morris and show that he can really box. For this camp, he has made a key change, linking up with strength and conditioning coach Brett Smith, who already works alongside gym mate and former European champion Tyler Denny, among many others.
He said: "Errol jokingly told me the reason I'm in so many Fight of the Year contenders is because I don't knock anyone out. If you look at my record, you could think that, so I've joined up with Brett and I'm putting a lot more into my strength work. I'm not saying I'm going to go out and just have a war again. I plan to box smartly and be clever - you will definitely see the changes and this time it won't be so close."
The stacked card also features home city favourite Brandon Bethell, unbeaten talents Bradley Thompson, Paige Goodyear, Mia Holland, Callum Seedhouse, Regan Williams Conor Baker and James Griffiths alongside the returning Jacob Lloyd.
*Remaining tickets are available now, priced at £45 for general admission and £80 for VIP. They can be purchased from the boxers directly or by emailing info@bcb-promotions.com.