Boxing: Jack Bateson in fight to land shot at ‘big time’

The unbeaten 27-year-old from Leeds faces Diego Alberto Ruiz over 10 rounds for the vacant WBA Intercontinental super bantamweight title at Elland Road banqueting suite.

The fight comes just days after he switched management company to Probellum and, if victorious, it could propel him to the world stage he is desperate to inhabit.

And he is eager to turn the banqueting suite at Elland Road into the stadium itself or the First Direct Arena for his next big fights, just like Leeds Warrior Josh Warrington did.

“I am blessed to be from a city like Leeds,” Bateson said ahead of the bout.

“Josh Warrington is a big pal of mine and we’ve all seen what he has achieved, and I know, if I work hard and stay grounded, then I can get to that point too.

“And it won’t be long before I’m filling out the First Direct Arena, like Josh does, but I need to get past Ruiz first.

“Saturday will, hopefully, be the start of some very big nights for me, and I know that the Leeds fans will get behind me, as they always have done.”

Standing in Bateson’s way is Argentinean puncher Ruiz whose recent opponents include Probellum stars Lee McGregor and Shabaz Masoud, as well as Michael Conlan.

“I’ve seen Ruiz box a couple of times in the last 12-18 months and these are the sort of fights I want to be in,” Bateson continued.

“He’s a good fighter, as tough as they come, and Ruiz will be looking at me and thinking this isn’t anything he hasn’t seen before but, mark my words, he’s never been in the ring with anyone like me before!

“I won the English title last year and I am now ready to push on and a win on Saturday will, hopefully, get me a top-15 ranking with the WBA.”

Bateson, 16-0 as a pro’, added: “Some of the guys who have won this WBA belt in the past, have gone on and won big things in the sport, including the world title.

“In the UK alone, the super bantamweight division is booming, there are a lot of big fights out there for me, and so I am excited about what is to come.”

Bateson’s last two fights have been at Elland Road banqueting suite; he won the English title there against Ramez Mahmood last November.