Berry to move down to bantamweight in hunt for major titles

Nyall Berry…victorious against a tough opponent on Saturday

EXCITING Chelmsley Wood bomber Nyall Berry is to chase titles at bantamweight.

It is the second weight division Berry has dropped down to after beginning his marauding KO career as a feather.

The 25-year-old announced his new campaign plans after outpointing late sub Tampela Maharusi over six rounds on Saturday.

“People think I’m big because I’m top heavy,” the Eastside boxer said. “I’m 5ft 5ins, I make super-bantam easy. I complain about it, but that’s because I like my food. I have a nutritionist who’s very confident I’ll be strong at bantam.”

Nyall was to have fought IBO continental super-bantam boss Razor Ali on GBM’s major Park Community Arena, Sheffield, show. That looked a barnstormer.

But the mouthwatering title clash went south on fight week after Ali suffered an eye-injury and dangerous Irish based Tanzanian Maharusi drafted in.

He was no sub destined to be easily sunk. Maharusi is two weights heavier than Berry, hits hard, has mixed in good company and came with a winning 11-8-4 record.

And the African made Nyall work for his 58-56 win on referee Steve Grey’s card.

Berry had promised to add more patience, polish and poise to his style after suffering stoppage defeat to Italian Francesco De Rosa for the IBF European crown in June. That’s his only loss in 13 contests.

Against Maharusi, there was certainly more method and less mayhem.

“I’m trying to think more about what I’m doing,” he said after the win. “I think my jab was lovely, there was good use of feints, I showed I could box.

“There are a lot of positives. He was tough, very tricky and his arms were very long – I couldn’t get to work his body because his arms were so long.

“He was a lot better than his record suggests. He was coming to win, he was coming to knock me out.

“He was two weights above me and I felt it.”

Now Berry is planning a new year assault on the bantam division.

He added: “If I have to take an eight rounder or a 10 round eliminator, I don’t mind. I’m not going to wait around – I’m going to do what my team thinks best and what is God’s plan.”