By Terence Dooley
James Tennyson (22-2 18 KOs) recently beat Martin J. Ward for the EBU Super featherweight title, taking his ‘0’ in the process courtesy of a fifth-round win, and Pat Magee believes that a fight with Belfast rival Anthony Cacace (16-1, 7 KOs), who was out-pointed by Ward last year and is managed by Magee, is a real possibility and could take place in the city of Belfast if a deal can be thrashed out.
Cacace has been ordered to meet Devis Boschiero for the EU title, if he wins that one it could clear the way for a crack at the full EBU belt should Tennyson make a successful maiden defence.
“Tennyson will defend his title and then the EBU will appoint another mandatory,” said Magee when speaking to the Irish News. “I think the mandatory will be the winner of the Boschiero v Cacace match. If Boschiero drops out of it, Cacace becomes the mandatory or, if they fight, Cacace will win and then he’ll be the mandatory. We’re in a very good position with that decision that was made last week. Wouldn’t it be great if we get in there and we have a local derby later in the year?”
He added: “We want to go this European route. The EBU title gets you rated everywhere and we’d be rated in the WBC. Tennyson is the EBU champion and he’ll be rated by all the sanctioning bodies now.”
Tennyson beat Ward on a Eddie Hearn-promoted bill on Sky Sports. Magee, though, thinks it would be an ideal fight for terrestrical TV given Channel 5’s recent healthy viewing figures for Hughie Fury’s British heavyweight title win over Sam Sexton earlier this month.
“Eddie Hearn is no friend of ours and Tennyson is with Eddie Hearn,” stated Magee. “But later in the year, there’s no doubt that ITV will be back in business and I know that Mick Hennessy would like to come to Belfast with Hughie Fury, so we’re not reliant on Eddie Hearn and Sky. If we’re nominated (to fight Tennyson) the way to get round the problem is purse bids. When we went head-to-head with Eddie against Ward we had ITV backing and we won the purse bid and we’ll do it again.”
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