Ranking boost as Bryant cruises

"I'm ready for whatever. If it went 10 rounds, it went 10 rounds. It if goes two, it goes two, that's the way it goes sometimes." Luke Bryant, left

Pahiatua’s Lance Bryant has shot up the world cruiserweight boxing ranks after another one-sided win.

Bryant beat Australian Aaron Russell by TKO in the second round in Brisbane on Saturday, and has moved up from 116th to a career-high 65th in Boxrec’s rankings. He is now the top-ranked cruiserweight in the country.

This was meant to be the biggest fight in recent times for Bryant, with the IBO Oriental title on the line over 10 rounds.

But he ended things quickly, similar to when he beat Isileli Fa by TKO in the second round in Palmerston North in May.

‘‘I saw an opportunity and I took it,’’ Bryant said of him knocking Russell down at the end of the second round.

The win was a welcome result for Bryant and his coach Mike Meehan, because it could open the door for a title shot for Bryant, but for now it was back to their fulltime jobs for both of them today.

Meehan said being in the top 100 could land Bryant a big fight. They weren’t sure who would come next, but it would depend on what offers come their way.

‘‘If I keep progressing the way I’m going then, who knows?,’’ Bryant said.

The 36-year-old Bryant was too powerful for Russell and knocked him down three times in the second round before the fight was called off. It looked like the fight was going to be stopped after the second time, but Russell managed to continue.

Russell, who had the same record as Bryant of 10 wins and three losses going into the fight, had recently beaten two Kiwis and was meant to give Bryant a real test, but it didn’t turn out that way.

‘‘I expect anything,’’ Bryant said. ‘‘I train 110 per cent and expect anything.

‘‘Yes I thought this would be a harder fight. I thought he would be fit and he would be ready.

‘‘One thing I knew was his jab was his weapon. He stopped opponents with his jab.

‘‘If you could get rid of his jab, it opened him up for other shots.’’

The hard-hitting Bryant said Russell landed a couple of glancing blows, but it was Bryant who was doing the battering.

He said he was moving his head non stop, which may have frustrated Russell.

Bryant has had only two fight this year and both of them have lasted less than two rounds. There are tougher fighters out there who could give Bryant a full fight though.

‘‘I’m ready for whatever. If it went 10 rounds, it went 10 rounds. It if goes two, it goes two, that’s the way it goes sometimes.’’

Bryant said the first time he knocked Russell down was from a body shot and as Russell was going down, Bryant hit him again.

The referees took points off for punching Russell while he was on his knees, but Bryant didn’t believe he was on his knees.

He also lost points for hitting on the back of the head and a low blow.

Bryant will have a short break, then get back into training.

According to Boxrec, Bryant is now ranked second on the poundfor-pound rankings for active New Zealand boxers, behind Joseph Parker (heavyweight), but in front of David Aloua (cruiserweight), Mose Auimatagi Jnr (middleweight) and Junior Fa (heavyweight).