Coyle must beat veteran for title

HULL lightweight boxer Tommy Coyle goes into his biggest fight of his career next weekend determined to put his first professional defeat behind him.

Standing between him and the WBC International Silver title at Hull City Hall is experienced Portuguese fighter Antonio Joao Bento.

A win for Coyle and his status will be elevated with a world top 20 ranking almost assured.

Bento's CV is something Coyle hopes to one day compile himself.

The 36-year-old is a former WBA and IBF inter-continental super-featherweight champion.

Just a month after his first professional defeat to Gary Sykes in Sky's Prizefighter event, Coyle is ready to step back into the ring and get his quest for glory back on track.

"This WBC title fight couldn't have come at a better time for me," Coyle told the Mail.

"Coming off the loss to Sykes, it gives me the chance to get back on the horse, crack the whip and get back to winning ways.

"It's a great opportunity and it comes at a great time.

"Antonio has boxed in fantastic company and has only been beaten by the best on the European scene.

"I'm going to have to be at my best to beat him.

"We've checked him out and he looks like he can punch a bit.

"He likes to force the pace and put the pressure on.

"This guy is coming to Hull to win."

Coyle has wasted little time training for this fight.

He was back in the gym days after his narrow defeat to Sykes live on Sky.

The importance of this fight is not lost on the 23-year-old, who is already looking ahead to a possible fight with Curtis Woodhouse.

The pair have traded blows on Twitter, but now Coyle wants to swap tweets for uppercuts in the ring.

"I want to fight him," Coyle said. "I'd take the fight tomorrow.

"We're from the same area and we don't particularly like each other.

"He gave up professional football to box and I respect that because there is a lot of money to be made in football.

"But I think he is too tough for his own good and I'm going to give him a boxing lesson."

Coyle has got over the disappointment of his loss to former British super-featherweight champion Sykes.

"I'm not arguing with the decision as it could have gone either way," Coyle said.

"I didn't box like I can and there were a few health issues in the build-up.

"My team wanted me to pull out, but I didn't want to do that.

"Gary won the first round and the second was even.

"If the third round had been 10 seconds longer, I'd have knocked him out because he had nothing left to give."