WIRRAL Thai Boxing sensation Joe Ryan joined fellow Merseysiders Tony Bellew and Sean Dodd when he became a WBC title holder at the weekend.

The West Kirby 14-year-old stopped Crawley's Harvey White, 16, to add the under-18s title to his ever-growing list of achievements on Saturday night.

Ryan picked up another gold medal for the IFMA and European Muaythai Federation's Team GB in Lithuania two weeks ago, knocking out Estonia in the second round of the final.

The teenager is now a six-time world champ and also won on his professional debut in Thailand last year, beating Thailand 18-year-old Pecththong.

Joe's dad and trainer Karl Ryan said: "I'm so proud of him! Joe just keeps on getting better.

"He's not a cocky lad but he doesn’t fear anyone – it didn’t faze him at all that he was taking on a 16-year-old at the weekend.

"He believes in himself and he just gets in the ring and gets on with it.

"Then after it’s all over he gets back to work and moves on to whatever’s next.

"As his dad I love watching him and as his trainer I just can’t believe how good he is at his age."

Joe started fighting at the age of six and has a burgeoning following on social media, with almost 13,000 followers on Instagram.

He trains at Two Brothers Muay Thai gym in Birkenhead and helps his dad, a former fighter himself, with training the younger fighters at Two Brothers.

The gym runs regular classes for adults and children from the age of five upwards.

For more information, visit the Facebook page 2 Brothers Muay Thai Gym, go to 2BrothersMuayThai.com