A SHOT at European lightweight champion Franceso Patera could be next for James Tennyson after he blasted out Gavin Gwynne to win the British title on Saturday night.
In a career-best performance, Tennyson’s profile shot up as he stopped the game Gwynne in the sixth round live on Sky Sports after dominating a competitive and engrossing duel between two fighters who rarely took a step back.
Gwynne gave a good account of himself but lacked the power to keep Tennyson at bay. By the end of the fifth, the Welshman’s face was marked dramatically and a thumping right hook from ‘the Assassin’ sent him down a minute into the sixth.
He took a count and fought on but Tennyson pinned him onto the ropes and finished him off with a ruthless, two-handed barrage.
“It means everything," said Lonsdale belt winner Tennyson.
"I stuck to the plan. I was told to be patient, move around, stick to my shots.”
Tennyson-Gwynne was chief support to the London-Birmingham headline act between Ted Cheeseman and Sam Egginton which Londoner Cheeseman won narrowly on points. It capped a successful first ‘Matchroom Fight Camp’ in the grounds of Eddie Hearns’ Brentwood home and the Matchroom boss now predicts an exciting future for Tony Dunlop-trained Tennyson.
“Hats off to Gwynne, massive respect,” said Hearn.
“This is what we want at Fight Camp, thrilling fights. Tennyson always has the equaliser – he has dynamite in his hands, especially at 135lbs.
"He is so exciting. I want to see him move faster. He’s done at British level. A great fight would be Patera for the European title. I love the Jorge Linares fight. What an entertainer, what a fighter, non-stop action."
Meanwhile, on Friday night Belfast middleweight Caoimhin Agyarko moved to 7-0 with an impressive stoppage win against Jez Smith. Agyarko looked like a man who was going places and had Smith down in the seventh round and the eighth and referee Mark Lyson stepped in early in the ninth with the Londoner taking a hammering on the ropes.
“It was a good learning fight for me, a good step-up and we got through it,” said Agyarko.
