# James Tennyson

James Martin Tennyson (born 6 August 1993) is a Northern Irish former professional boxer who competed from 2012 to 2021. who challenged for the IBF super-featherweight title in 2018 and the IBO lightweight title in May 2021. At regional level he held the Commonwealth and European super-featherweight titles in 2018 and the British lightweight title from 2020 to May 2021.

## Professional career
### Two-Time Irish champion

Tennyson is a two-time super-featherweight Irish champion. In 2013, he became the youngest ever modern era Irish champion by defeating former champion Mickey Coveney by knockout (KO) in the second round in what was only his sixth professional contest at the now demolished old St. Kevins Hall. In 2017, he won the title for the second time with a sixth-round technical knockout (TKO) over Dublin's former highly decorated amateur stand out Declan Geraghty at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, live on BoxNation.

### Celtic champion

He became Celtic featherweight champion in 2015 by way of disqualification after his opponent, Kris Hughes of Scotland, continued to hold after having already been deducted three points in the fight for persistent holding while heavily behind on points. This contest was also a final eliminator for the British featherweight title.

### British Featherweight title challenge

Tennyson challenged Ryan Walsh for the British featherweight title, losing by fifth-round TKO after having been dropped twice in the fight by body shots. This contest proved to be his last at featherweight having struggled to make the weight.

### Lightweight run

After a fifth round TKO loss at Super-Featherweight to then IBF Champion, Tevin Farmer in 2018 (once again via body shots), it became apparent that Tennyson was still having to drain himself significantly to make weight and it was affecting his performances in the ring. He made the smart decision to move up to Lightweight the next year. Since making the move, Tennyson had won six straight fights by knockout, including wins over the likes of Atif Shafiq, Craig Evans, Gavin Gwynne (against whom he won the vacant British Lightweight title), and previously unbeaten Josh O’Reilly, before losing to unheralded Mexican Jovanni Straffon by 1st-round TKO.

#### Tennyson vs. O'Reilly

On December 4, 2020, Tennyson fought Josh O'Reilly, who was ranked #7 at lightweight by the WBA, in a world title eliminator. Tennyson won the fight easily via a first round TKO.

#### Tennyson vs. Straffon

In his next bout, Tennyson faced Jovanni Straffon. Tennyson started the fight aggressively but Straffon retaliated with a few power punches of his own. As the pair went toe-to-toe, Straffon had more success, landing the better shots and dropping Tennyson twice before the referee decided to wave the fight off and award him the victory.

## Professional boxing record

| 32 fights | 28 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 24 | 4 |
| By decision | 3 | 0 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 32 | Loss | 28–4 | Jovanni Straffon | TKO | 1 (12), 2:10 | 1 May 2021 | AO Arena, Manchester, England | For vacant IBO lightweight title |
| 31 | Win | 28–3 | Josh O'Reilly | TKO | 1 (12), 1:37 | 4 Dec 2020 | The SSE Arena, London, England | |
| 30 | Win | 27–3 | Gavin Gwynne | TKO | 6 (12), 2:30 | 1 Aug 2020 | Matchroom Fight Camp, Brentwood, England | Won vacant British lightweight title |
| 29 | Win | 26–3 | Craig Evans | TKO | 11 (12), 2:00 | 23 Nov 2019 | M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, England | |
| 28 | Win | 25–3 | Atif Shafiq | KO | 2 (10), 2:51 | 31 Aug 2019 | The O2 Arena, London, England | Won vacant WBA International lightweight title |
| 27 | Win | 24–3 | Brayan Mairena | TKO | 2 (6), 2:01 | 18 May 2019 | Europa Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 26 | Win | 23–3 | Garry Neale | KO | 2 (10), 3:05 | 9 Feb 2019 | Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 25 | Loss | 22–3 | Tevin Farmer | TKO | 5 (12), 1:44 | 20 Oct 2018 | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, US | For IBF super-featherweight title |
| 24 | Win | 22–2 | Martin Joseph Ward | TKO | 5 (12), 2:24 | 5 May 2018 | The O2 Arena, London, England | Retained WBA International super-featherweight title; Won Commonwealth, and European super-featherweight titles |
| 22 | Win | 21–2 | Arnoldo Solano | KO | 1 (8), 0:59 | 3 Feb 2018 | Europa Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 22 | Win | 20–2 | Darren Traynor | TKO | 3 (10), 2:24 | 21 Oct 2017 | The SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Retained WBA International super-featherweight title |
| 21 | Win | 19–2 | Ryan Doyle | RTD | 6 (10), 3:00 | 10 Jun 2017 | Odyssey Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Won vacant WBA International super-featherweight title |
| 20 | Win | 18–2 | Declan Geraghty | TKO | 6 (10), 2:53 | 10 Mar 2017 | Waterfront Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Won vacant BUI featherweight title |
| 19 | Win | 17–2 | Rafael Castillo | PTS | 4 | 5 Nov 2016 | Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 18 | Loss | 16–2 | Ryan Walsh | TKO | 5 (12), 2:34 | 30 Apr 2016 | Copper Box Arena, London, England | For British featherweight title |
| 17 | Win | 16–1 | Antonio Horvatic | TKO | 1 (6), 2:07 | 6 Feb 2016 | Europa Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 16 | Win | 15–1 | Sergejs Logins | TKO | 1 (6), 1:50 | 14 Nov 2015 | Seaplane Harbour, Tallinn, Estonia | |
| 15 | Win | 14–1 | Giorgi Gachechiladze | TKO | 2 (8), 2:18 | 17 Oct 2015 | Europa Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 14 | Win | 13–1 | Krzysztof Rogowski | TKO | 3 (6), 2:43 | 6 Jun 2015 | Devenish Complex, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 13 | Win | 12–1 | Kris Hughes | DQ | 7 (10), 2:31 | 28 Mar 2015 | Andersonstown Leisure Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Won Celtic featherweight title; Hughes disqualified for persistent holding |
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Simas Volosinas | TKO | 2 (6), 1:23 | 7 Feb 2015 | Devenish Complex, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Ian Bailey | PTS | 8 | 10 May 2014 | Devenish Complex, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Ignac Kassai | TKO | 3 (4), 2:57 | 18 Apr 2014 | Barba Negra Music Pub, Budapest, Hungary | |
| 9 | Loss | 8–1 | Pavels Senkovs | TKO | 2 (6), 0:41 | 19 Oct 2013 | Odyssey Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Andrei Hramyka | TKO | 1 (6), 2:49 | 28 Jun 2013 | Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | David Kanales | KO | 2 (6), 1:41 | 24 May 2013 | Olympia, Liverpool, England | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Mickey Coveney | TKO | 2 (10), 1:41 | 27 Apr 2013 | St Kevin's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Won vacant BUI super-featherweight title |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | David Kis | TKO | 1 (8), 0:57 | 9 Mar 2013 | Fairways Hotel, Dundalk, Ireland | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Mickey Coveney | PTS | 6 | 7 Dec 2012 | Rivals Gym, Wishaw, Scotland | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Ignac Kassai | TKO | 1 (4), 1:14 | 3 Nov 2012 | National Basketball Arena, Dublin, Ireland | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Tibor Meszaros | TKO | 1 (4), 0:52 | 13 Oct 2012 | Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Fikret Remziev | TKO | 4 (4), 1:57 | 8 Sep 2012 | Holiday Inn, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |