BIG FIGHT NEWS: Another Sky TV date for Cello

The 30 year-old meets Luke Keeler in Birmingham on Saturday, October 22.

The show will be televised live on Sky Sports and is expected to be topped by Kal Yafai challenging for a version of the world super-flyweight title.

Keeler is a 29 year-old from Dublin who lost a wild, two-round shoot out with Tom Doran on a televised show last time out.

Doran went on to challenge Chris Eubank jr for the British title - and Renda hopes to take a similar path.

He says the match with Keeler is ‘just the sort of fight I want’.

“My manager Jon Pegg rang me when I got back off holiday and I said: ‘Yes’ straight away.

“I’ve got a big fight to work towards now and we’re just waiting to hear whether it’s going to be an eight rounder or a title fight.

“I haven’t seen too much of Luke, but I know he can punch, yet can be hurt himself.”

Renda, overlooked for a shot at the English title recently by boxing bosses, also says the Irishman is ‘a really nice guy’ - and reckons that makes his job easier.

He said: “We stayed in the same hotel before the last Birmingham show and chatted a few times. Luke is a really nice guy.

“I’m glad I’m fighting someone I like.

“If you’re angry and hate someone, you don’t think straight.

“Negative energy makes you lash out and do things you shouldn’t be doing. That won’t happen when I fight Luke.

“I like him a lot and that makes the job easier. I know I will do things properly against him.”

Much was expected of Keeler when he turned professional three years ago with Paschal Collins after around 200 amateurs bouts.

He was fancied to win ‘Prizefighter’ in Blackpool last February, but lost to Doran in the semi finals and he went on to beat Renda in the final.

Doran scored a dramatic repeat win over Keeler in Liverpool in April.

Both fighters were on the floor in the opening round as they went for broke before Keeler was rescued by the referee in the second.

Renda, who produced what he called ‘possibly my best performance’ when outpointing Mike Byles over six rounds in his last fight in March, said: “I will watch some of Luke on You Tube, but I’m not the sort of fighter who studies hours and hours of footage of their opponents.

“I know he had a lot of amateur bouts and that’s good for me.

“That means he knows what he’s doing and I much prefer that to fighting someone who’s raw and just fights on instinct.

“When you’re up against someone like that, you never know what they are going to do next - because so often they don’t know what they’re going to do next either.

“Luke is a bit more textbook, he knows what he’s doing - and that’s better for me.”