WHEN Boxxer announced they were doing another all-female card, there was always that feeling they could possibly match what they did the first time around in 2022 at the O2 Arena in London. With what they had to play with, they have largely succeeded.
It was always a difficult ask. The two incredible fights at the top of that iconic card would be extremely problematic to replicate. Two red-hot rivalries that were probably once-in-a-lifetime feuds. What Claressa Shields, Savannah Marshall, Alycia Baumgardner, and Mikaela Mayer had couldn’t be repeated elsewhere.
The undercard that featured the future of women’s boxing was also what made that night so special. Lauren Price, Karriss Artingstall, and Caroline Dubois added a taste of what was to come.
All three are still unbeaten. Price and Dubois are now champions of the world. Artingstall still might be. All three supporting acts return for the second incarnation on March 7th. All in much more significant fights than what they had in 2022.
They have made progress. Their side of the sport did also, at least in the short term. But that progress stalled somewhat in 2024. Attention and commitment went elsewhere. Make no mistake, this supposed relaunch of women’s boxing couldn’t have come at a better time.
In fairness, that relaunch could be a month-long celebration. A beyond-strong March that has a plethora of major fights to look forward to. A period that ends with Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan running back their titanic first meeting.
The card for the Royal Albert Hall on March 7th is now complete. Six fights that are a near-perfect blend of the here and now and what is down the line.
Francesca Hennessy has had the red carpet treatment from Boxxer, and her place on the card is a surprise to nobody. It is perhaps the weakest fight on the card.
We have now moved on from talk of possibly fighting the former world champion Shannon Courtenay and even fighting for a world title herself.
The fight with the lowly ranked Bolivian 7-3 Carla Camila Campos Gonzales, who lost every round to Linn Sandström in her last fight, will not excite many. Especially with what was previously being rumoured. But it is a fight that will be a showcase for Hennessy.
The professional debut of the Olympic medalist Cindy Ngamba in a fight of real intrigue is a welcomed addition to the card. The two-time European welterweight champion will welcome Ngamba to the professional ranks.
Ngamba could have picked an easier debut. Bavington could have gone elsewhere. Both deserve credit in different ways for accepting the fight. There is an awful lot of hype around the inspiring and talented Ngamba. But Bavington will come with plenty of ambition herself to spoil the party.
Caroline Dubois wanted to fight Terri Harper in a big domestic unification showdown. But when the WBO bauble holder declined the offer, the WBC world lightweight champion had to settle for a fight with the unknown but top-ranked challenger Bo Mi Re Shin. Dubois is coming into her peak, and it could be a case of how she wins rather than if. The Shane McGuigan-trained fighter will look to make another big statement. Dubois might not only be the best lightweight around, but she might also be the female fighter on the planet.
In terms of being competitive, the card has three fights to satisfy. One fight more than what we got in 2022. Outside of Shields/Marshall and Mayer/Baumgardner, the rest of the O2 show lacked 50/50 fights. On that score, the Royal Albert Hall extravaganza is better.
It might go under the radar, but Chloe Watson defending her European flyweight title against her mandatory challenger Jasmina Zapotoczna could be the best pure fight on the card. Two supremely gifted fighters with fast hands and feet, this could be a purist’s delight. It could also be extremely close.
The all-British featherweight clash between Karriss Artingstall and Raven Chapman could be the fight that steals the entire show. The returning Artingstall could have taken a much softer route after over a year of inactivity.
But that applies to Chapman also. After losing her unbeaten record to Skye Nicolson in a failed bid at the WBC world featherweight title, Chapman could have eased herself back in gradually and tried to protect her place in the queue. But both have gone deep in fighting each other.
Picking a winner will be difficult, but whoever wins, it will undoubtedly be a crowd-pleasing fight. The winner will be within touching distance of a world title fight. A gamble for both. But one that could have very high rewards.
The headline act has gathered a nice little bit of spice. Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price has an edge about it. In different ways, the two rival world welterweight champions have something to prove. Is it too late for Jonas? Is it too early for Price? Timing could be key. Price is a heavy favourite. Jonas has retreated to her underdog role.
A throwback to her fights with Terri Harper and Katie Taylor. Jonas is in her element when her back is seemingly against the wall. But Price hasn’t lost a round as a professional. The odds favour her. But Jonas is a live underdog. It might be a much closer fight than many think.
Overall, the card is solid enough. It might lack the razzmatazz of what we were served up at the O2 Arena. That felt like a true moment of time. But it was almost impossible to surpass that truly special night. But the second coming still has plenty going for it. In some ways, it has more.
Savannah Marshall was originally intended to be on the show. But Marshall and Boxxer are now apparently in dispute. Money is usually the root of the problem, but it’s difficult to lay blame at one door until we know the numbers involved. Fights have to make financial sense. But equally, fighters should be paid their worth. Both fighter and promoter need to be realistic and sensible with their demands. Which is where the ‘dispute’ often lies.
If I had to be critical, Francesca Hennessy could have been in a better fight. The Courtenay fight would have been the perfect addition. But Hennessy could be an important piece of the jigsaw going forward, and at 20, there is certainly no rush with her.
But with what was being mooted, her fight with the lightly-regarded Gonzales is still a sizable downgrade. You suspect Hennessy herself would have wanted something better for the big platform.
This observer would have liked to have seen Emma Dolan and Lauren Parker giving a slot on the card. But while it was in serious consideration to make the cut, it ultimately failed to do so. Boxxer went with the Watson Zapotoczna fight instead.
Dolan and Parker would have added depth to the all-female card. But Dolan and Parker will fight a month later on a GBM show at the York Hall on April 4th, with Dolan defending her British and Commonwealth super-flyweight titles. A missed opportunity for Boxxer.
But there are fights on March 7th that should help with that grand relaunch of women’s boxing. But it shouldn’t be another false dawn. It shouldn’t just be a nice bit of advertising for one night only. It needs to do what is being promised. A relaunch should mean exactly that. There is more than enough talent on this one show that should guarantee a golden future.
But those fighters and others need the limelight to shine. They need regular dates that weren’t forthcoming in 2024. Promoters need to invest both time and money. Apart from a few rare exceptions, that didn’t happen over the previous twelve months. One lean year can just be a little bump in the road.
But another could be critical. Women’s boxing has come too far to let that happen. What Jane Couch started all those years ago, the modern era should be allowed to finish.
The Full Boxxer All-Female Card:
Natasha Jonas vs. Lauren Price
Caroline Dubois vs. Bo Mi Re Shin
Karriss Artingstall vs. Raven Chapman
Cindy Ngamba vs. Kirstie Bavington
Chloe Watson vs. Jasmina Zapotoczna
Francesca Hennessy vs. Carla Camila Campos Gonzales
