Griffiths relishing a brawl at town hall
Ryan Griffiths (right)…fighting on home soil. Pic: Manjit Narotra/BCB
AFTER suffering a narrow points loss on the road, Ryan Griffiths returns home to Dudley for BCB Promotions’ “Brawl At The Hall” on March 28, determined to Build towards another significant fight, writes PAUL WEBB.
The 24-year-old, current Midlands featherweight champion, has made considerable strides since his professional debut at the same venue – Dudley Town Hall - in 2023.
“It’s nice coming back home,” Griffiths said. “Fighting in London last time out was easier in terms of not having to sell tickets or deal with those logistics, but being back at Dudley Town Hall, where I made my debut, will be special for me.”
In January, Griffiths received a shot at the vacant WBC youth featherweight title against the highly touted, unbeaten Umar Khan on just three weeks' notice.
Despite the short preparation time against an experienced opponent with a 10-0 record, the Dudley fighter pushed the bout to the full eight rounds, narrowly losing on Lee Every’s scorecard, 77-75. The fight headlined at the historic York Hall, Bethnal Green, and was broadcast live on BoxNation.
“I’m not going to dwell on the loss,” Griffiths stated. “Everyone turning professional dreams of being like Mayweather, but life happens and someone is always going to be better. I accepted the fight on three weeks’ notice, stepping off a plane from holiday and going straight into the gym, knowing I had limited time to make weight and prepare.
“I could have been more strategic, but opportunities like that are rare. It was an incredible experience headlining at York Hall in the away corner. I was booed at the start but cheered at the end. It was a close fight. Errol (BCB boss Errol Johnson) told me at the end of round seven that I needed to win the eighth clearly, and I just couldn’t quite pull it off.
“The script was for me to lose – Umar’s the Queensbury prospect and I was expected to be beaten. However, I made it difficult for him, and with a 10-week camp, the result might have been different.”
Griffiths began his boxing journey in the white-collar scene and quickly adapted to the professional ranks, winning his first four contests before his career highlight - a victory over Lewis Morris for the Midlands title in a fight-of-the-year contender. While his recent form—the January loss and an October draw against Jordan Ellison—has somewhat stalled his momentum, Griffiths is enthusiastic about the future.
“It has been a crazy ride so far, and I’m enjoying it,” he said. “Going into this, I had no set expectations, but I’ve proven I can deliver exciting fights. This fight will keep me active and then I want to defend my Midlands title and push on to the English title.
“It would be great to get on a big show. Everyone wants that opportunity and I hope to get mine soon. I’m still balancing work and boxing and I hope to attract more sponsors. I’m hugely grateful to my current sponsors and the supporters who buy tickets, especially in these challenging times.”
*Tickets for “Brawl At The Hall” are available now, priced at £45 for general admission and £80 for VIP, directly from the boxers or by emailing info@bcb-promotions.com.