Gunnedah’s Wade Ryan (the Boogeyman) has entered the final stages of preparation for his upcoming bout with Nath Nwachukwu from Japan.
The southpaw will enter the ring at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena next Wednesday, November 17, hoping to continue his three-fight unbeaten run which stretches back to December 2020.
It will be Ryan’s fourth fight in 12 months, showing the commitment and determination from one of Australia’s best super-welterweight talents. Most boxers across the globe fight two to three times during a year, however, Ryan is adamant about securing a shot at the International Boxing Federation (IBO) world title.
Having beaten Troy O’Meley twice and Koen Mazoudier once during his win-streak, Ryan has formed a close relationship with No Limit Boxing which has recently transformed the sport in Australia.
This partnership has seen the Boogeyman feature on two undercards for Australian boxing sensation and former opponent – Tim Tszyu, both taking place at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.
Fighting on a pay-per-view undercard is a great opportunity in itself, however, Ryan went one step further, securing the co-main event slot when he finished Mazoudier in the 10th and final round in April.
The Boogeyman will return to the time slot with Japanese boxing fans a certainty to tune into the final two fights of the night, with Nwachukwu facing Ryan and Takeshi Inoue stepping into the ring with Tszyu for the main event.
Speaking to the Gunnedah Times at a training session on Tuesday afternoon, Ryan said he is ready for what will be one of his toughest challenges to date.
“All the hard work has been done,” he said.
“We had our final spar on Sunday, it was a good sharp 10 rounds. Everything went well and the body has pulled up nicely.”
With the first bell less than a week from ringing, Ryan has turned his attention to his diet. The focus is to reach the 70 kilogram mark for the super-welterweight division at the weigh-in on Tuesday.
“It’s all about finishing up our preparation now, watching my weight and starting to taper down and save all that energy for fight night,” he said.
“The preparation has been strong, we’re ready to go the full 10 rounds.
“It’s going to be a cracking fight, we’re fit, Nath will be fit – he’s the number three ranked in Japan so it will be a good, tough fight.”
With COVID restrictions easing in recent months, Ryan is eager to return to Sydney, not having fought in the city since his decision loss to Daniel Lewis at Luna Park.
“It’s an unreal feeling to go back to Sydney, we’ve had two great fights in Newcastle and we’re going to finish the year off with a bang,” he said.
“To fight in Sydney at the Qudos Bank Arena in front of a full stadium after everything that’s happened with COVID is going to be a great experience.”
It comes as no surprise that his home town of Gunnedah has continued to support Ryan’s boxing career and the current IBO international champion said he is grateful with a number of locals making the trip on Wednesday.
“I’ve got a fair few supporters coming from Gunnedah, they’re going to be in for a good night of boxing and will be able to see one of the best fight cards No Limit has put on,” Ryan said.
“The support I’ve had from BPA Civil, Bosh Bins and Many Fabrication has been amazing. The last six to seven weeks, we’ve been travelling to Sydney for sparring and they’ve helped with a lot of the travel.”
Ryan and his trainer David (Spike) Syphers will leave for Sydney on Sunday in time for fight week. On Monday he will face off with Nwachukwu for the first time during a televised press conference before weighing in at the Star Casino on the Tuesday.
No Limit Boxing has produced a blockbuster card with some of Australia’s best prospects filling out the remaining spots on the undercard. Benjamin Hussain, a sparring partner of Ryan and Tszyu during their respective fight camps, will take on Darwin Sagurit. Ryan’s former opponent Mazoudier will face Joel Camilleri.
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