[4] Ritson made his professional boxing debut in April 2015 with a points win over Kristian Laight at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle.
[1] Ritson won all five of his fights in 2016,[1] culminating in him securing the BBBofC Northern Area lightweight title with a seventh-round knockout win over Jordan Ellison on 3 December 2016.
[1] As a result of his early performances as a professional, Ritson received interest from promoters Eddie Hearn, Barry McGuigan and Frank Warren.
[4] Having spent the first two years of his professional boxing career competing largely on small hall shows, Ritson fought live on Sky Sports for the first time on the undercard for Anthony Crolla–Ricky Burns at the Manchester Arena on 7 October 2017.
[5][6] Just three days after the fight, on 10 October 2017, he signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing, with Ritson highlighting his next goal to successfully defend the title three times and consequently win the Lonsdale Belt outright.
[5] Ritson's first defence of his British title was pencilled in when he answered Joe Murray's challenge,[7] with the pair headlining the Sky Sports NXTGEN bill in Manchester on 25 February 2018.
[8][9] Ritson won the bout courtesy of a "whirlwind stoppage victory" in the first round and afterwards discussed the possibility of fighting former British lightweight champion Scott Cardle, who was watching ringside.
[12][13] He was then matched to defend his British lightweight title against unbeaten Northern Irish boxer Paul Hyland Jnr, co-headlining the Sky Sports event at the Metro Radio Arena in his home city of Newcastle on 16 June 2018.
Matchroom Boxing announced that Ritson would headline a card at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle in October 2018, where he would challenge for the European lightweight title.