Round-by-Round: Lewis Ritson vs. Jeremias Ponce - 12 June 2021

[TheLeprechaun]

Makes you wonder what Ritsons level is. He can't seem to win beyond British level.

But at lightweight he was lifting blokes off their feet at British title level. Incredible how different his performances are between the two levels.

He basically made his name walking through Cardle, Hyland Jr and Joe Murray.

[maverick23]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fight where a referee refuses the towel, lets it continue and the guy comes back to win. People always mention the Earl/Katsidis fight but ultimately having that fight go on took time off Earl’s career and likely affected his punch resistance post fight.

Are there any times a guy’s come back to win?

Also Ritson’s corner team know him better than anyone including the referee. They know the warning signs and what he’s capable of - the ref should respect that. Has a ref ever been criticised for not accepting a towel/corner retirement? I don’t remember one.

Gray let himself down last night.

[MightyWarrior]

I actually got bored watching the same repeated patterns each round, and to be honest, Ritson looked bored as well. in fact I’d go so far as to say that with his whole disinterested demeanour, he actually seemed depressed dare I say it....I like him a lot, he’s got a lot of heart. But he looked a much older fighter, the new hairstyle didn’t help.

But if he rediscovers his love of the game after a break, move him down a level, put him in some fun fights where the other guys chin ain’t so great, maybe British level European. That Ponce was TOUGH.

Did company Johnny, who obviously I had muted throughout the evening, actually say Josh Taylor should avoid him ? God he is so full of shite. I expect him and Smith share a hotel room during fight week, twin beds, a bit like Morecambe and Wise.

Very eccentric refereeing, but I imagine his argument was it was body shots, which don’t do any lasting damage...but he should’ve waved it earlier. I mean, did he think Lewis was going to come back somehow ? It wasn’t dangerous refereeing though.

[lefthook82]

We all know that Gray would be accepting Ponce's corner retirement first time around, and that's one of the problems with British boxing

[KiwiRider]

Full credit to Ponce.
I haven't seen a light punching guy work that hard for ages. Indomitable.

I'm guessing if Ponce does get to face Taylor, it is going to be very tasty.
Ritson chin checked Ponce a few times and it just made Ponce work harder, you gotta respect that. He's going to be a handful for anyone. Ritson would be mad to ask for a rematch.

[NoScoutingReports]

Ponce v Matias would be a fan friendly fight but too many holes in the defence of Ponce for Matias and he hits too hard, would expect him to get the stoppage. Looks very watchable on paper though.

[Bigdogsnose]

Makes you wonder what Ritsons level is. He can't seem to win beyond British level.

But at lightweight he was lifting blokes off their feet at British title level. Incredible how different his performances are between the two levels.

He basically made his name walking through Cardle, Hyland Jr and Joe Murray.

Loads of times after a first defeat the initial reaction is to move up. Ritson was a decent sized lightweight but no monster. He's looked small at lww. There has to be an appreciation that when you move up the guys you are fighting are making the sacrifices to fight at that weight that you used to make.

For what its worth ritson put together some smart combinations, but if they just bounce of your opponent then your struggling.

[handsofstone]

Ritson has one of the best jabs in the country, barely used it last night, never tried to target the body either, looked clueless truth be told, he kept dipping to his right, leaving himself wide open for Ponce's chopping rights, he's a tough bastard though, can't knock him for that but never has the gap between British and European level been more exposed by a single fighter

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ritson has one of the best jabs in the country, barely used it last night, never tried to target the body either, looked clueless truth be told, he kept dipping to his right, leaving himself wide open for Ponce's chopping rights, he's a tough bastard though, can't knock him for that but never has the gap between British and European level been more exposed by a single fighter

Right from the first round, he was getting battered. Ponce didn’t have an OFF button.

[rd350lc]

Ritson has one of the best jabs in the country, barely used it last night, never tried to target the body either, looked clueless truth be told, he kept dipping to his right, leaving himself wide open for Ponce's chopping rights, he's a tough bastard though, can't knock him for that but never has the gap between British and European level been more exposed by a single fighter

Threw the double jab quite a few times and they were good scoring shots , but I don't think he's ever used the jab with great effect in any fight I've seen of his .
Wouldn't want to see him get a beating like that again tbh and coming up in weight really hasn't worked out for him .

[handsofstone]

Ritson has one of the best jabs in the country, barely used it last night, never tried to target the body either, looked clueless truth be told, he kept dipping to his right, leaving himself wide open for Ponce's chopping rights, he's a tough bastard though, can't knock him for that but never has the gap between British and European level been more exposed by a single fighter

Through the double jab quite a few times and they were good scoring shots , but I don't think he's ever used the jab with great effect in any fight I've seen of his .
Wouldn't want to see him get a beating like that again tbh and coming up in weight really hasn't worked out for him .

I see what you mean he's never been a guy to dominate a fight off the jab, mainly because when he's at his best he's blowing guys away, he does have a hard jab though, its like a backhand

[rd350lc]

Ritson has one of the best jabs in the country, barely used it last night, never tried to target the body either, looked clueless truth be told, he kept dipping to his right, leaving himself wide open for Ponce's chopping rights, he's a tough bastard though, can't knock him for that but never has the gap between British and European level been more exposed by a single fighter

Through the double jab quite a few times and they were good scoring shots , but I don't think he's ever used the jab with great effect in any fight I've seen of his .
Wouldn't want to see him get a beating like that again tbh and coming up in weight really hasn't worked out for him .

I see what you mean he's never been a guy to dominate a fight off the jab, mainly because when he's at his best he's blowing guys away, he does have a hard jab though, its like a backhand

[KiwiRider]

That loss dropped Ritson 27 places on the boxrec SLW list.
Ponce only moved up 2 places.

[Dioufy]

Bad card revived by a one-sided beat down but it was a good scrap. Ponce just did everything a little better than Ritson but you can’t take away the minerals he showed.
I think Taylor’s style might stop a lot of Ponce’s successful work but it would be good to see either way.
Do not know what Steve Gray was doing; you shouldn’t override the corner and I think that rule needs to change. If the corner thinks he’s had enough that’s final.

Savage Babic is not a heavyweight. He’s 30 now. I’d put him in with Okolie in 4/5 fights tbh because with his style he might get lucky a few times but he will get caught out spectacularly in the near future.

[THEBUTCH]

Good fight and good win for the away fighter.

Ponce had too much energy for Ritson, but he beavely battled away until he was finally done.

Perfectly within Gray's remit to let the fight continue. When Mickey Vann did it all those years ago Graham Earl then proceeded to score a knockdown over Michael Katsides moments later.

[margaret thatcher]

ya, and now we have the ritson counter example, of a guy just taking needless punishment, getting dropped 2 more times, and scoring eff all of his own when the towel was thrown out

[THEBUTCH]

He'll be fine. Gray's closest to the action and felt there was more left in him. Indeed Ritson was objecting to the towel coming in.

It's the usual anti-British referee and Board reaction

[margaret thatcher]

ya, he was certainly proved right about ritson having more fight in him, lewis sure stormed back after that

[Dioufy]

I didn’t overly like Grey’s reasoning that he was just taking body shots. Yes, Ponce was going to the body and hurting him but body shots pull your arms down when you get hurt there and leave your head in the air, weak and completely exposed. The draining nature of the fight for Ritson could’ve easily ended up with Ritson being hurt badly by a shot to the head.

Fight should’ve been waved off with the towel... although ironically I thought Grey did a tremendous job in the fight by letting them both work... many a ref would’ve kept breaking them up and it would’ve been a dull, clinch fest.