Tennyson eyes ranking boost after Bailey win

Poleglass boxer James Tennyson won his 10th professional contest on Saturday, May 10 at the Devenish venue. The reigning Irish super-featherweight champion outlasted tough Englishman Ian Bailey 80-72 on referee Hugh Russell’s scorecard.

“It was a good test for me because Ian Bailey is a tough guy,” said Tennyson. “I rocked him a few times and he still just kept on coming forward. I landed some lovely shots and wobbled him but he took them well. I wasn’t trying to stop Bailey I was just keeping on the jab and landing a few hooks and uppercuts.”

Headlining Mark Dunlop’s ‘Road to Glory’ promotion James was fighting to atone for a shock loss in the Odyssey Arena last October. Having enjoyed a confidence-boosting win in Hungary recently this was the youngster’s first fight on home soil since the defeat.

“He’s been in with some big guys so I’m proud of myself and it’s a great boost to my confidence. I knew he was going to be coming forward so I just set the pace. I’m not sure when my next fight is but that win has moved me up a good bit in the British rankings,” added Tennyson.