Tyrone Nurse is well prepared for anything Tommy Coyle can throw at him in their British title showdown in Leeds.
Huddersfield’s 26-year-old defending champion has had his best training camp ever at Linthwaite in the build-up, and is fully focused on keeping his light-welterweight Lonsdale Belt.
Hull puncher Coyle, stepping up from lightweight for the second time into what is also called the super-lightweight division (10st or 63.5kg), has pledged to upset the odds at the First Direct Arena on a star-studded bill headed by hometown Josh Warrington.
But trainer Chris Aston feels Nurse is in the best shape possible and is ready to underline his world title credentials to a packed crowd and massive Sky TV audience (from 8.30pm on Saturday night).
“You can go in with all the gameplans you want in boxing but, ultimately, they have to play the game as well,” said Aston, confident Coyle will suffer a fourth career defeat to add to those against Luke Campbell, Derry Mathews and Dewsbury’s Gary Sykes.
“You would expect Coyle to come forward throwing hooks, but he might not.
“He might try and outbox Tyrone, he might try and get in his chest, he might run, he might try and do one or two things.
“He might try and use his jab because he’s got a good jab – he has all the fundamentals of boxing to attempt anything.
“But I just think Tyrone is better in each department, it’s as simple as that.”
The bookies certainly agree, marking up Nurse as the 2/7, 1/3 or 4/11 favourite in most cases, while Coyle – nicknamed Boom Boom because of his quick punching – is out at 9/4, 11/4 and 31/10 with similar firms.
Promoters Matchroom believe Nurse could put himself in line to face Ricky Burns for the WBA world title belt with a victory in Leeds.
Burns picked up that vacant title in May in Glasgow, on the same bill as Nurse defeated Willie Limond in his first title defence.
Should Nurse beat Coyle, however, he would need only one more defence of the British title to own the Lonsdale Belt outright – so choices would need to be made.
The former Newsome High student would love to avenge his defeat by Dave Ryan, while Jack Catterall would be a mandatory challenger for the British. Then there’s the prospect of Burns.
Nurse is confident about defending. He is four inches taller than opponent Coyle, with a longer reach and far more experience at the weight.
“I’m big at the weight as it is and used to fighting kids smaller than me, so I am ready for the challenge Coyle brings.
“He’s moving up and says that he feels better and stronger because he’s not struggling to make the lightweight limit, but we won’t know what he will really be like until the fight.
“Of course he is a threat and is never going to quit, and he will be shorter and quicker than me. He will always put it on his opponent and I can’t see him doing anything else.
“His jab is going to be half the length of mine, so he’s going to have to come in close and get on my chest. At the same time, I’m comfortable there anyway - I can sit on the ropes all night and pick shots off. I’m deceptively good on the inside for someone my size and stature.
“I’m growing into my body more now, I feel I matured late – the strength is really starting to come.”
