(AUG 16) Promoters Mark
Lyons and Billy James-Elliott today announced that they have
added two further Female professional bouts, in addition to the
one already on the card, to their upcoming LORDS OF THE RING II
event, which takes place at the famous York Hall in Bethnal
Green, London on Saturday August 29th.
Heading up the female contingent on the Capital City’s new
season opener, is British #1 ranked (Super Bantamweight & Pound
For Pound) and reigning MBC International Super Bantamweight
Champion Marianne Marston.
This will be the first chance for Marston’s fans to see her in
action this year, as she suffered a relapse to the severely
damaged piriformis muscle she tore during the buildup to the WBU
European title challenge against Hana Horakova in March last
year.
Marston will be looking to be on her best form, now the injury
is completely healed, as the Londoner has been lined up to
challenge for a World title later this year.
Joining Marston on the LORDS OF THE RING II event will be
unbeaten Lightweight Sam Smith from Leeds and a fellow Londoner
Shaunagh Brown, who will be making her professional debut.
Smith, who fights out of the Bethlehem Gym in Leeds, has made
quite a statement, since turning pro in March this year, scoring
three stoppage wins as well as already securing her first
Championship accolade, when she beat Zsofia Bedo by third round
stoppage to secure the International Masters Bronze Lightweight
title.
Making her professional debut on the event is Team GB Athlete
Shaunagh ‘The Hammer’ Brown from Peckham, South London.
Brown, who is coached by former Commonwealth Champion Mark
Reefer at the Champions TKO gym in Hackney, has enjoyed enviable
success throughout her athletics career, including winning the
Gold medal (Discus) at the ESAA Championships in both 2005 and
2006, Silver at the AAA U20 Championships also in 2006.
At the England Athletics U20 Championships in 2008, Brown
secured not one but two medals in different disciplines, Gold
for the Discus and Silver for the Shot Put. In 2009, at the
Aviva England Athletics U20 Championships, Brown then added the
Gold Medal for Shot Put to her collection.
Speaking earlier promoter Mark Lyons made it clear he and his
business partner Billy James-Elliott are elated to be at the
forefront of Women’s boxing in the UK,
“This is the new season opener for boxing in London and we
decided that new season, new start so what better than to bring
to the fore some of the magnificent female fighters we have in
this country.
Without doubt it’s about time there were more female fights in
the pro ranks, over the past few years about the only British
female fighters that have seen regular action are Marianne
(Marston) and Angel McKenzie, but now with Sam (Smith), Shaunagh
(Brown) and others such as Juliette Winter coming on board,
Women’s boxing can really start to gain some momentum.
It’s unheard of to have three female bouts on a pro event in the
UK, after the 29th August hopefully this will no longer be the
case and we get to see these young women in action, as well as
getting the media coverage they deserve.
Marianne has more than proved she is Championship level and
rightly has earned a shot at the World title later this year and
I don’t doubt for one minute that Sam will also be challenging
for major titles in the near future too, as will Shaunagh.
Shaunagh has enjoyed success in the sporting arena previously,
Discus, Shot Put and Hammer Throwing, both Nationally and
Internationally, the girl’s a winner and am sure she will be
just as successful as a boxer as she was is in her other chosen
sports.
It’s going to be a great event, besides the three female bouts,
there’s a lot of great fights lined up that feature some top
fighters, such as WBF World Champion Chris Goodwin, former Team
GB star Iain Weaver and Jimmy Campbell, Jimmy has been in with
the best of his division, such as World Champions Anthony
Dirrell and Virgil Hill.
On top of that we have a card rammed with upcoming young
talents, as well as some future stars making their pro debuts,
so it definitely is an event that caters for all boxing fans,
young, old, male or female there’s something for everyone.”
The Mark Lyons and Billy James-Elliott Wise Guys promotions
LORDS OF THE RING II event will take place at York Hall, Bethnal
Green, London on Saturday 29th August 2015.