James Tennyson secures title shot on PPV Lomachenko v Campbell card
James Tennyson [24(20)-3(3)] has been handed a slot on the eagerly anticipated Vasiliy Lomachenko Luke Campbell card this weekend.
The Belfast fighter will challenge for a ranking title on the PPV card set for London on Saturday.
‘The Assassin’ takes on Yorkshire’s Atif Shafiq [21(5)-2(1)] for the WBA International lightweight title, a strap that could provide passage to a world ranking at what is a relatively new weight for the Belfast fighter.
‘Tenny’, who is possibly pound for pound the biggest puncher in Irish boxing, is also on course for a British title eliminator with former Stephen Ormond foe Craig Evans [20(3)-2(1)-2].
Mark Dunlop and Matchroom won the purse bids to promote the British Boxing Board of Control ordered bout – and this weekend’s clash is not expected to derail those plans.
Rather it’s seen as a massive bonus in terms of a trinket, rankings and exposure.
The 25-year-old Shafiq comes to the ring with 21 wins from 23 fights, but he hasn’t fought at the same level as the former European champion and recent world title challenger.
Indeed, he has just two wins over a fighters with a winning records and the Tony Dunlop trained Tennyson will be confident of victory.
The 26-year-old has looked impressive since moving up in weight post his IBF super featherweight title reverse to Tevin Farmer, who also holds a win over Jono Carroll.
Tennyson beat Garry Neale in Belfast in February and followed it up with a victory over Brayan Mairena in two rounds in his home city again in May – and while neither were the toughest of tests the two time Irish champion look destructive on both occasions.
It’s also a chance for the fighter, who has won European and Irish honours at super feather and the BBBofC Celtic title at featherweight to secure a strap at a third weight and do so whilst catching the attention on a high profile Matchroom card.
Interestingly enough Tennyson target Joe Corndina fights on the same card against Welsh opposition in Gavin Gwynne.
The former Team GB start and currently Matchroom starlet defends the British title Tennyson hopes victory over Evans will see him become mandatory for – and a good performance could go a long way to hyping a potential match up between the pair.
