RYAN BURNETT has proven an instant hit in the professional side of the sport.
The Belfast debutant needed just 74 seconds to blast out Hungary’s Laszlo Nemesapati Jr at the Olympia in Liverpool on Friday night (May 24).
Burnett, who is trained his four-time world champion Ricky Hatton, boxed coolly in the opening seconds before hurting the visitor with a barrage of shots and then finishing things with the type of left hook to the ribs that ‘The Hitman’ himself would have been proud of.
“We had a game plan to take it easy and see how things were, but things quickly opened up,” Ryan, 21, said.
“I could see his arms up around his shoulders so I thought I’d sink a good body shot in and it was picture perfect.
“I was praying for him to get back up because I wanted to fight some more, but he couldn’t and unfortunately that’s the way it is.
“Now I just can’t wait for the next one.”
Ricky Hatton said: “I’ve always thought very highly of Ryan and tonight he backed up the praise I’ve been giving him.
“We’re not going to get carried away because the fights are going to get a lot tougher. He’s a 21-year-old lad that’s had a lot on his plate in the last 12 months and he’s kept it together, kept in the gym and put on a stunning performance.
“He had class in abundance, he did everything I told him in the corner and put his punches together in little over a minute.”
An announcement on Ryan’s second pro fight will be made in the next few weeks.
