Berry faces his first big test in pro ranks

Nyall Berry…bids for IBF European super-bantam title on June 29

FOR Nyall Berry, a super-bantam with wrecking ball power, the frustrating wait for titles is over.

On GBM’s major June 29 show at Coventry’s Skydome, Berry will face Francesco De Rosa for the IBF version of the European title.

And it’s certainly not a case of the 24-year-old being handed his first belt on a plate.

Make no mistake, after 10 wins, this is the Chelmsley Wood fighter’s acid test. De Rosa is live and dangerous. What’s more, he, too, can “bang”.

The 26-year-old is unbeaten in eight – and five of those wins have come early.

Berry’s manager Jon Pegg admits the fight is a risk, but told me: “You can’t go round telling everyone how good a lad is then swerve fights like this. If you have a good lad these are the fights you want.”

Berry is tipped for big things – and promotional group GBM’s decision to sign him up appears a very shrewd one.

It’s now down to Berry to deliver when he takes the first step on the journey to top titles plotted by GBM.

To date, he’s done everything asked. Tough Mexican Hector Garcia Dolores gave him his toughest test in March, but Berry, taking part in his first eight rounder, took a clear points decision.

Getting Nyall meaningful matches has proved difficult. Pegg simply couldn’t find an opponent who’d face his boxer for the Midlands belt and attempts to secure an English title eliminator proved equally frustrating.

To a degree, now it’s GBM’s headache and they have very ambitious plans. “Win the title, defend two or three times, then push Nyall into the big stuff,” Pegg explained, “but I’d like him to do 10 rounds at least twice.”

Of De Rosa, Pegg said: “He starts fast and lets his hands go very early on. He keeps his chin in the air a little bit and appears to fade.”

The bottom line is he carries power – and Berry cannot become reckless.

Nyall will enter the ring in tip-top condition. “He’s done his personal best for Edgbaston Reservoir (running round the watercourse) and we’ve actually had to give him a couple of days off – that’s how far he is ahead of schedule.”

On June 29, Nyall Berry and his team take their first gamble. If he comes through, much bigger jackpots lay ahead.