James Tennyson back training after managerial ‘gee up’

James Tennyson [28(24)-4(4)] is back in love with boxing, back training and back targeting big fights according to Mark Dunlop.

Tenny’s knockout run toward the top end of the lightweight division was stalled by shock first-round defeat to Jovanni Straffon on the undercard of Joseph Parker’s victory over Derek Chisora in May of last year.

Indeed, it appears the Mexican did a lot more than temporarily remove the Belfast banger of his sense he knocked the love of the game out of one of Ireland’s most entertaining fighters.

Speaking to Irish-boxing.com after MHD Promotion’s Redemption Card recently, Dunlop revealed, ‘The Assassin’s struggled for motivation after the reverse.

However, after a deserved and needed break as well as a managerial ‘gee up’ the 28-year-old is back in the gym.

The former European champion and world title challenger isn’t training with a date in mind. The rumoured June 25 MHD fight night could provide a return to winning ways but Dunlop suggests ‘Tenny’ wants straight back into a big fight.

“He fell out of love with it after that defeat,” Dunlop explains. “I had to really gee him up. He started back training and we’ll see what’s out there. He doesn’t want to come back in silly fights. He’s fought at the top and he wants back up there,” he adds before saying Team Tennyson have taken the defeat on the chin.

“He was beaten that night, it was what it was we don’t make excuses, we accept the defeat and move on.”

Tennyson has been training in Dunlops Gym as he gets back into the swing of things. Working alongside him has been John Cooney who is now an MHD fighter.

The Galway based Steven O’Rourke trained 26-year-old southpaw has teamed up with the experienced manager Dunlop and joins a stable that includes Tennyson, Tommy McCarthy, Colm Murphy and Conor Quinn.