Ritson & Bakole: Defeat Shouldn’t Be The End

Ritson & Bakole: Defeat Shouldn’t Be The End

Francesco Patera and Michael Hunter looked good safe opponents for Lewis Ritson and Martin Bakole on paper. Patera and Hunter had decent enough credentials but very few people thought Ritson and Bakole were being overmatched.

Both fights had the look of perfect matchmaking, taking both fighters to the next level. Patera and Hunter were there to serve a purpose, to give their favoured opponents valuable experience on their way to bigger and better things down the road. But they were brought over to the UK to lose, but as we now know, they didn’t.

Despite both losing their unbeaten records on Saturday night, it doesn’t have to be the end of the journey for Ritson and Bakole. However, the defeats will mean ambitions and dreams of world titles, has to at least for now, be put on hold.

Boxing history tells us that a defeat shouldn’t be the end. In the modern-day, too much emphasis is put on unbeaten records, leading to an over protection of a fighter. Boxers need the rounds against a gradual increase in the quality of opposition as they advance through their careers.

As Daniel Dubois found out recently, not every opponent will fall with the first punch. Dubois will have all learned more from the fight with Kevin Johnson than all his previous fights put together.

We saw when Frank Bruno challenged Tim Witherspoon all those year’s ago at Wembley Stadium that ring experience is so valuable, often the difference between winning and losing.

Ritson and Bakole learned that on Saturday, both their opponents just knew a little too much for them. Both ran out of ideas, almost certainly paying the price for blowing away most of their previous recent opponents, and may be expecting to do the same against Patera and Hunter.

Bakole probably faces a longer route back and world title talk looks wide of the mark after his performance against Hunter. It could have been an off night, but Bakole while I wouldn’t say he was exposed, but ambitions may now have to be lowered.

Ritson has looked sensational of late and during the opening few rounds against Patera, defeat and the upset looked extremely remote. As with Bakole, Ritson will need a period of rebuilding and immediate ambitions of challenging for the world title should be forgotten.

Ritson is only 25 and is young enough and good enough to come again. But for the immediate future a return to the domestic scene and fights that prepare him for another European tilt, should be the goal.

The defeats are of course setbacks in the careers of Ritson and Bakole, but they can become temporary setbacks, a mere stumbling block in the long road to achieving what they desire.

If they need inspiration, they only have to look at Rocky Fielding. From being blasted out inside a round by Callum Smith to fighting the biggest name in the sport, Fielding is a prime example that a loss doesn’t necessarily mean the end.