AN email received earlier this week from the IBF to Emma Dolan and her team has brought renewed hope that she could be challenging for a world title before the year is out.
The reigning British and Commonwealth super-flyweight champion has held a number one ranking with the New Jersey-based sanctioning body for some time now, but her calls for a shot at the belt had, up to now, fallen on deaf ears.
But with reigning champion Irma Garcia unable to secure a unification bout with WBC champ Asley Gonzalez, the IBF has opted to move the dial by ordering a mandatory defence against their number one contender.
“I’m over the moon,” says a thrilled Dolan at the news. “At the moment, it’s all still under negotiation.
“Obviously, their [Garcia’s] side is going to need to come up with something – but I don’t really know what promotional backing Irma’s got, to be honest. Carl Greaves [Dolan’s manager and trainer] has spoken with Matchroom about maybe doing a deal to give Shannon Ryan the first defence, assuming she overcomes Chloe Watson this weekend.
“But we can’t get too far ahead. Our focus is on looking at ways to get the fight over the line. If we can’t come up with anything by 13 November, then it goes to purse bids.”
If it comes down to it, the 27-year-old would be more than happy to fight Garcia in her native Mexico. “Obviously, it wouldn’t be very big money there. But it would be worth it for the pure experience. How great would it be to go there and beat a Mexican in their own backyard? The atmosphere and experience would be unreal,” reveals Dolan, who has so far made a career out of upsetting the applecart from the away corner.
Yet she is sufficiently aware of the usual boxing politics to know that the fight isn’t completely over the line yet. “It still probably won’t happen this year,” she speculates. “But I would like to think it would be early next year at worst. Either way, this is a big step in the right direction.”
Garcia is a veteran of 31 (25–5–1, 5 KOs) pro contests, has only fought twice outside of her native Mexico, and never in Europe. Formerly a WBA title-holder at bantamweight, Garcia became a two-weight world champion in late 2023 when she outpointed Stephanie Silva in Long Beach, California. At 44 years old, what she lacks in profile she makes up for in experience.
“She’s a southpaw and her build is heavy-set and stocky,” comments Dolan on her future foe. “She is everything that you would expect from someone called ‘Irma Garcia’. Not surprisingly, she has a come-forward Mexican style and loves to swing over the top.”
Dolan also can’t resist a little speculation as to how the fight might pan out. “I’d be 100 per cent confident that I’d win,” she says.
“I’ve got youth on my side. I move around well, whereas I think she’s quite flat-footed. I’d be in and out all night and pick her off at range. I feel she’s on her way out and I’m on my way up.
“But at the end of the day, she’s a world champion and I would never for a second take her for granted. But I’m just coming into my best years, whereas at 44, Irma’s best years are probably behind her.”
Dolan had been scheduled to defend her Commonwealth strap next month, headlining a Carl Greaves-promoted show in Newark. There was no temptation for Dolan to try and keep that one in the diary as a tune-up ahead of her IBF opportunity.
“Look, even if the [world title] fight was quickly scheduled for early next year, I just wouldn’t want to take the chance of picking up a cut or a stupid injury,” says the unbeaten (8-0, 1KO) Dolan, who is still managing to keep active. “I am ticking over with some good sparring with the likes of Jasmina Zapotoczna [European flyweight holder], and there’ll be some more southpaw rounds the nearer we get to the fight.”
Given the history between Dolan and Shannon Ryan, you could be forgiven for thinking that she would have one eye on Ryan’s match-up with domestic challenger Chloe Watson at York Hall tonight.
Dolan owns the bragging rights over the Anthony Joshua-managed and Matchroom-promoted Ryan following her points success last summer. In what was another ‘away corner’ triumph, Dolan dumped Ryan on the canvas in the second round before winning a split decision on the cards.
But Dolan admits, “I haven’t given it a second thought. Look, I get on well with Chloe, but I don’t have much time for Shannon. At the end of the day, I believe I beat them both quite comfortably.”
Further adding to the needle of any future rematch, Dolan can’t resist launching both barrels in a final parting shot. “Shannon has been talking a lot about a rematch ahead of this fight. I can only think the promoters are putting pressure on her because she is number two with the IBF. She has never wanted it previously,” blasts Dolan.
“If and when it happens, I will beat her easier than I did last time. Shannon has a glass jaw, as was evidenced in her last fight [against Fara El Bousairi].
“The next time I knock her down, she won’t be getting back up. I’m all wrong for her. She won’t ever beat me – and deep down, I think she knows that.”
