Argentine Jeremias Ponce hopes to seal a world title fight against undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor by stopping Geordie favourite Lewis Ritson in their final eliminator for the IBF belt at the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle on Saturday evening.
Ponce, who already has road wins in Germany and Italy, says he will draw energy from Ritson’s passionate home support.
“I go all out for the win,” said Ponce (27-0, 17 KOs). “I try and leave nothing to chance. I always look for the knockout. This is a huge opportunity for me, if not the biggest in my career. I’ve trained with that mindset, thinking about this being the biggest moment in my career.
“I think it’s a dream for any boxer to go on and win a world title, and to face a fighter like Josh Taylor would be a dream come true. I’m 100% confident that I can add myself to the list of South Americans who have caused upsets in the UK. I’m going to go all out to win.
“I think Lewis Ritson is a very good boxer. He’s very quick and he has a very high output. We’ve worked hard looking for ways to counter that. I think we’ll be able to do that. Both styles will definitely clash which will mean it will be a great fight.
“Having a crowd in the arena will motivate me even more. I’m used to these types of fights and being the away fighter. I’ve been the away fighter in Germany when the whole of the crowd was against me. I was the away fighter in Naples, Italy, when all the fans were against me. I’m used to that and it really will spur me on even more.”
Main image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing.