Nicola Adams: ‘I can be boxing’s Ronda Rousey’

Nicola Adams

How will you balance your training over the 12 months left before the Olympics?

Iโ€™ll enter one or two tournaments this year, some of the smaller ones, to keep the ring rust off and keep me ticking over. Then itโ€™s off to the qualifiers next year. Thatโ€™s going to be the main goal.

Is it going to be tough boxing in Kazakhstan for the World championships [the first qualifier]?

Iโ€™ll just be taking it as any other tournamentโ€ฆ Iโ€™ve boxed in some random places but it all adds to the experience, I donโ€™t think thereโ€™s anything you can put me in in Kazakhstan that will surprise now.

Are you used to going from massive events and massive crowds to these small tournaments?

Everything now is the lead up to Rio. So I know all these smaller tournaments are in preparation for the big one.

What was it like in Azerbaijan for the European Games?

It was an absolutely amazing experience. The medals were huge. I was comparing the weight of medal I got in Baku to my Olympic one and the Olympic one is only just slightly heavier.

Were you pleased with how you were boxing there?

I was. I was really pleased with my performances. I hadnโ€™t boxed for eight or nine months [with a shoulder injury], then I did a small tournament in Spain then I went over to Baku. I was boxing the best in the world and Iโ€™d been out for eight or nine months. Not to forget these girls had been boxing regularly through the year. It definitely showed where Iโ€™m at and where I need to improve going forward.

How has your training changed since the last Olympics?

There hasnโ€™t been that many changes, to be honest, theyโ€™ve all been quite small subtle changes really. Nothing major. Weโ€™re training still three times a day, five days a week. Iโ€™d say itโ€™s just small things really, strength training and technical parts where we can improve on technique. Thatโ€™s about it. Why fix whatโ€™s not broken.

Itโ€™s the little one percenters that make a difference when you actually get to the ring and perform.

Are there any new boxers in your division who you think might break through by Rio 2016?

I think to be honest itโ€™s still the same kind of boxers that were there from last time but there will probably be the odd one or two new faces definitely I reckon.

You must have boxed your major rivals plenty of times before. Do they ever manage to surprise you?

Every time I step into that ring they always bring something new to the game. They really do keep me on my toes.

Would you like to see Cuba put out a womenโ€™s team?

Iโ€™d love to see the Cuban females box. If theyโ€™re anything like the men, theyโ€™ll be something special.

Would you be interested in doing a World Series of Boxing [AIBAโ€™s pro style league] for women?

Yeah, Iโ€™d like to have a go that. Why not?

Have you looked at how Ronda Rousey created womenโ€™s UFC and thought that you could do something like that for boxing?

Iโ€™ve thought about that. Iโ€™d love to do that for the British team. I feel what sheโ€™s done for the UFC and itโ€™s absolutely amazing. It would be nice to be able to that for the boxing as well. Why not? Why canโ€™t we have someone coming through. She used to be a judo Olympic medallist and moved into MMA. So I think all it takes is someone with a high profile to really lift the sport. Maybe Nicola Adams is the one to do it!

Now sheโ€™s a pay-per-view fighter, could you see yourself becoming a pay-per-view fighter at some point in the future?

Iโ€™d love it. That would be actually quite cool.

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