Ballingall out to put Portsmouth on boxing map with title shot

But the bright Portsmouth hope has been backed to put his city back on the boxing map.

Ballingall has been handed an exciting super-featherweight title shot against rising star Archie Sharp on March 8.

The WBO European title will be up for grabs at the Royal Albert Hall on the BT Sport-televised card.

It’s a huge test for the unbeaten 22-year-old, but one Ballingall’s father, Michael, believes he’s ready to take.

Ballingall snr said: ‘It’s a gamble.

‘But if you’re good enough, go for it.

‘People may think Lucas isn’t ready for Archie Sharp.

‘Maybe they think at 22 we should let him mature.

‘But history shows this can be a young man’s sport and if you’re good enough you can deliver.

‘Archie is a very good kid and he’s got the pedigree, but he’s only a year older than Lucas.

‘If you’re good enough you are ready.’

The hopes are Ballingall’s emergence at the top level along with brother Mikey McKinson can lead a bright, new era for Portsmouth boxing.

Ballingall snr added: ‘Boxing isn’t a game for us. If you turn pro with me you get opportunities.

‘We’re not in this to fight bums and put pictures on Instagram.

‘We want to be in great fights. We want to make the area bigger than the Tony Oakey days.

‘There was only Tony doing it back then. We want to have a school of boxers achieving big things.

‘When you look at Sheffield, Belfast and Manchester, it’s not one fighter.

‘That’s the process we’re going through here.

‘We want to put Portsmouth on the boxing map.

‘Portsmouth is a good boxing city and we want to use that potential it has.

‘To do that you have to have people willing to take on names.’