Tokyo will see what the Boogeyman is made of next month, when the Gunnedah professional boxer steps back onto the international stage for his first professional bout of 2024.

Wade Ryan will go into this fight with a good year behind him which included no losses and a second place ranking in Australia for the super welter division.

He will be going up against Japanese boxer Takeshi Inoue, not only ranking 61 internationally but first in his home country.

The last time Inoue went up against an Australian was in 2021 with Tim Tszyu at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park where Ryan had also been on the card.

“He’s got a very good record,” Ryan said.

“Both have been world champion fighters.”

They will settle the 12 rounds at Korakuen Hall for the WBO Asia Pacific Super Welter and Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation Super Welter titles.

“It feels good, it is exciting, it is a huge opportunity with some good rankings on the line and good belts,” he said.

“We had a good year last year, claimed a couple of belts in October.”

He refers to his fight against Sergei Vorobev which led him to the IBF Pan Pacific Super Welter and WBO Oriental Super Welter titles.

It was the same bout that had him nominated for No Limit Boxing Upset of the Year Award at the end of last year.

“Bringing a bit more of that energy and that type of style this year,” he said.

He is feeling good about his training ahead of the Tokyo fight, making sure to concentrate on cleaning up the smaller details.

“Training is coming along pretty good. Sparring a lot and working on a few different things,” he said.

“Just tuning up on the finer details.”

When asked if there was anything else planned for the year he replied “just one fight at a time”.

“I am hoping this opportunity will lead to some bigger fights in the year,” he said.

He made mention of the support he had been given throughout his boxing career, with appreciation for the sponsors, family and friends who are watching him set out on a sought after path.

“It has been a long slope, we are slowly starting to get where we want to be,” he said.

“Hopefully it will lead to another good fight later in the year.”

 

To order photos from this page click here