Dean Byrne plans to drop weight after early Prizefighter exit

DEAN Byrne went back to the drawing board after exiting Prizefighter The Welterweights at the first hurdle and has devised a weight loss plan.

‘Irish Lightening’ has elected to drop back down to light welterweight, a weight he has yet to be beaten at after a period of mixed welterweight fortune eventually ended in defeat to Mark Douglas in Prizefighter earlier this month.

The always positive Byrne is adamant he can will be stronger and more competitive at the lower weight.

I am going to move back to my old weight, Byrne told Irish-boxing.com.

“I have never lost at light welterweight and I won titles in that division so that will most likely be my next move. I know I will be much stronger at light welter and I make welter easy. I am willing to that extra bit so I have give all the 140 pounders a run for their money.”

Byrne was highlighted as one to watch ahead of the latest instalment of Prizefighter, but failed to make the semi finals.

He feel victim to a fired up Mark Douglas, who was stopped in the semi final by Belfast’s Paddy Gallagher.

While Byrne stressed he was well off his best he does believe that if he had a round or two more he would stopped the English fighter before Gallagher got a chance to lay a glove on him.

“It wasn’t my best performance to be honest. I didn’t get going until the third round and I lost the fight. I have no doubt I would have finished him if the fight went on for one or two more rounds.

“Fair play to him he won his dog fight. It was hard to get involved in as he swung me on the floor. It was a tear up, but that’s Prizefighter everyone just going for it.

“I knew Paddy would stop him straight away as he was still shuck up from our fight. The first shots Paddy landed clean and he was gone. Paddy did very well too. He had a real hard fight to open with, a fight where they both put it all on the line. That what Prizefighter is all about and things just didn’t go for me or Paddy this time,” Byrne added before praising the winner Johnny Coyle.

“My man Johnny fair play! It is  just how it always works out in Prizefighter the underdog becomes top dog.”