Tennyson will bounce back and win major titles says Dunlop

picture courtesy of www.fightingirish.ie 

He has dropped the ‘baby face’ before his ‘assassin’ ring moniker and sprouted some facial hair, but at just 22 James Tennyson remains a relative baby in boxing terms.

Indeed if you look at where some of our top performers were at that age challenging for the British title before you reach 23 is a massive achievement in itself.

That is the view point ‘Tenny’ coach Tony Dunlop expressed post his charges British featherweight title reverse to Liam Walsh on Saturday night.

Amid a somber atmosphere in the post fight dressing room the Belfast Kronk coach was keen to extenuate the positives.

While he admits he was confident they would have too much for experienced domestic campaigner Walsh and that he was disappointed with the outcome Dunlop wasn’t too down.

The coach is adamant his young charge will return all the better for the experience and will claim major titles.

“We were expecting to win the title, but he is only 22,” Dunlop said post fight.

“I could sense he wasn’t right. He done ok for a while, but he wasn’t right on the night.

“But he is just a kid there is no doubt he will be back. James Tennyson will become British and European champ, he will definitely be back.”

Manager Mark Dunlop will be responsible for plotting the route back to the top for the Belfast fighter and post fight he indicated that the former Irish super featherweight champion may return to that weight, indicating he may have out grown the division below.