Joel Ryan ready for first title fight

Walsall's Joel Ryan has vowed to relax and show "how good" he is when he goes to Gloucester looking to upset hometown fighter Chris Higgs in the main event.

Ryan and Higgs will contest the vacant British Masters welterweight title at the top of the bill at the GL1 Leisure Centre tomorrow night.

It's Ryan who is likely to get the brunt end from the pro-Higgs fans but the 22-year-old has already boxed four times away from home.

In the ring, unbeaten Higgs steps through the ropes with 10 straight wins on his record, while Ryan has recorded four victories and two defeats.

On paper, Higgs has the advatage of experience and a winning streak but Ryan insists reputations will count for nothing when they go toe-to-toe.

With the fight being both combatants first over a 10-round distance, the 'away' fighter is looking to set a pace his opponent can't match.

He said: "I am really looking forward to it, I have trained hard and I am treating this like any other fight, so I will enjoy it.

"I will take it round-by-round but I don't want know anything about him, to be honest, so I can concentrate on me.

"I have got an idea of how to fight him, so I will get in there and see if I can put it all together now, it's all down to me.

"I know he's fast and he puts his punches together well but, if I can set a good work-rate for 10 rounds, I could impress.

"I want to show how good I am, I have fought people at his level and the better the lads are, the better I do.

"I aim not bothered about people booing me, either, I have had that boxing away in the amateurs."