Whelan has to work for his warm-up win

Ryan Whelan prepares for battle in the Excelsior dressing room

TALL light-heavy Ryan Whelan should’ve been fighting for his first professional title last night.

It should’ve been veteran Midlands champ Cliff Henry sharing the ring on a glittering St Patrick’s dinner show at the Excelsior Club, Cannock.

The luck of the Irish was not with Ryan, a member of Nechells’ well-know fight family, the Holts. Serving soldier Henry was forced to pull out through injury and the 27-year-old had to make do with a routine four rounder. 

Such dramatic shifts in direction can make fighter’s lose focus, even trip up.  And in replacement Leon Mitchell, Whelan faced a tough, dogged individual who never comes to coast. The stocky former soldier – originally from Nottingham but now based in Brum – likes a tear-up. He loves a close-quarters dog fight.

And that’s what Mitchell gave Whelan who had to work for his win against a much heavier man. After a decent, fast-paced tussle, Ryan was declared a 39-37 winner on referee Kevin Parker’s card, possibly losing the last round when Mitchell bulled him back and connected with right uppercuts.

I like Mitchell and his bulldog approach. The 31-year-old has now lost three of four, is fighting in the wrong weight class and has technical deficiencies, yet always gives value for money.

He certainly made Whelan (12st 7lbs) work. Henry, at ringside for the bout, assured me the title fight with Ryan will happen: if so, Ryan was given the perfect warm-up.

He jabbed smartly and whipped in hooks to the body, working his fists up and down, as Mitchell trudged forward.

By the second, Mitchell (13st 6lbs) was opening up more and pinning his hopes on left hooks to the body, right uppercuts to the head.

The third was Ryan’s best round. He connected with a flurry of head shots, employed rights to the body and generally let both hands go.

Still Mitchell chugged forward, took some coming in and found the space for a good left hook in the dying moments.

Afterwards, Whelan paid tribute to his Great Uncle Ernie, founder of Nechells ABC, who died on Tuesday. Ernie would’ve been pleased with the lad’s performance.