WIBA World Atomweight Boxing
Champion Denise Castle, from the United Kingdom, is a
seasoned veteran of the ring with a hard-hitting style backed up
by an endurance to keep the pace and tempo high throughout all
the rounds.
Transitioning to boxing late in
her fight career, after being a multiple world Muay Thai
Champion, Denise successfully captured the WIBA World Title in
Bangkok, on October 26, 2019 at the Highland Boxing, Udom Suksa
School, in Bangkok, where she stopped Suthinee Bamrungpao 1:15
seconds of the fifth round. The bout was scheduled for ten
rounds.
Working within the Physical Educational Department at the
prestigious Bournemouth Girls Grammar School, in the south of
England, Denise has been a source of inspiration for many over
the years with her "can do" attitude.
Denise has been described as having an exciting fight style, in
which it reflects her attitude towards life---facing challenges
head-on and never backing down!"
The WBC recognized this quality
and along
with her Worldwide Muay Thai success they awarded Denise as their
"Inspirational Female Athlete Of The Year" at their annual
awards in 2013 and as such a mandatory contender for the WBC
World Boxing Title in her initial Transition from Muay Thai to
Boxing. Denise reveled at the prospect of challenging the best
in a different sport.
Denise switched disciplines in
2014 and scored her first boxing victory over Dogmaifai
Keatpompetch in Bangkok. That bout was quickly followed by
her second win vs. Saranyaphong Theinthong.
Denise then traveled to Tokyo,
Japan, to face the must more experienced veteran Momo
Koseki in a WBC World title bout.
Team Castle said, "The fight was exciting in Tokyo with both fighters going toe-to-toe,
round after round. Momo came out with the win in a great
fight for the fans. Momo has gone on to become a historic
champion with a record number of defences but in 2018 she
vacated the atomweight belt and moved up in weight. This opened
the door for Denise to challenge Czech Superstar Fabiana Bytqui
who was the former Youth WBC Champion and undefeated."
With both
Denise and Fabiana weighing in at 45kg it was clear that this
was a match of two well conditioned and disciplined athletes who had
not one ounce of fat on them.
In a fight that was voted WBC Female fight of 2018, Denise lost
the decision to Fabiana but left the ring with her head high
and the fans with 10 cracking rounds of female fight action and
proving that she was still world class.
More on Denise Castle....
Denise Castle (Mellor) started her competitive fitness career as
a successful semi-pro distance runner being part of the world
renown Chase Manhattan Running Team where she represented at
the New York marathon and London Marathon amongst many other
successful races with a sub 3:20:00 time she gained elite start
status.
All this success was achieved in her own time whilst
working a full time desk bound within the banking industry. A
traditional day would see Denise run a 10km or half marathon
before work, five times a week in week out then doing weights
in her lunch break to enable family time for the evening.
Denise then started training with now husband Lorne Castle who
was a successful Muay Thai Coach and was running the London
Marathon for Global Gym Fitness First. In exchange for running
training Lorne coached Denise on the pads and introduced her to
Muay Thai.
In so doing Denise started on her world beating fight
career path. Denise made an instant name for herself within the
ring going 5-0 in her first five matches and picking up the UK
National Belt with a perfect record.
With Denise keeping herself in top condition with her dedication for running
and training combined with the Muay Thai training Denise had a
chiseled physique that many bodybuilders would be proud of
this was to such a level that she placed third in the UK Miss
Fitness just before one of her fights to demonstrate just how
effective combat conditioning was!
Denise then attracted attention from abroad with her aggressive
style, conditioned physique, clean image and perfect record.
Around the world Denise started collecting and unifying belts
the WIKBA was won against the USA Champion, the FIBA Belt was
won in Abu Dhabi, the WKA Belt was won in Europe within her
weight Denise was unique. Walking at only 46kg she could never
take advantage of cutting weight as her natural weight sits in
the lowest category!!! She is a natural minimum weight who hits
with impact power far above and beyond her weight category.
Then Denise caught the eye of the WBC who had been looking at
sanctioning female title belts in Muay Thai since their
introduction to the sport in the 2000s at the request of the
late King of Thailand.
Denise instantly captured the National
and International WBC Title Belts setting up the stage for the
WBC World Title shot. This was a mandatory shot against the
current Onesongchai Champion of Thailand, Nattalia Kanttasit and
in a thrilling 5 round war Denise captured the WBC Female World
Title belt becoming the first female ever to win all three
the National, International and World belts.
Onesongchai and Thailand was so impressed with Denises style
and fighting spirit that she was invited to fight on the
legendary Kings Cup December 5th where the best of Thailand
fight the best of the rest of the world for their S1 World
Title.
Denise faced Loma Lookboonmeeand in what was voted fight
of the night Denise lost narrowly on points yet was awarded
Fighter of the Night the first time ever a female has been
awarded this accolade. The fight was so close a rematch had to
be arranged and in the rematch Denise reversed the decision and
became the first-ever female again to hold and unite the WBC and
S1 World Muay Thai Titles.
The truly amazing aspect of Denises career is that none of her
success has stood in her way of living what most would describe
as a normal family life. With three children and a full-time
teaching career people find it hard to believe the success that
Denise has achieved.
Work, marriage, holidays and children have never knocked Denise
off her path to championship success she has simply enjoyed
and adapted what life has thrown at her.
Even during her recent pregnancy Denise continued training
boxing, cardio and strength adapting sensibly during each
trimester. As a qualified fitness coach Denise assesses herself
and works with her husband. Giving birth to her third daughter
only last year Denise was back at fight weight within three
weeks!
This is no new occurrence to Denise who back in August 2006 gave
birth to daughter Leah and fought eight weeks after, in a five-round
war against the LA champion Patti Teran at her chiseled fight
weight of 46kg!
Denise is always 100% up for any physical challenge doing what
most would never even think of. She once ran the local 10km
race, winning it with a new course record, only to jump on a
plane to Belfast and fight the same evening in a title fight
over five rounds!
Having this chance again to fight for the honoured WBC World
Boxing belt is a dream for Denise balancing family, a job as a
PE teacher in the local Girls Grammar School and remaining a
world class athlete shows that WBC got it right when they named
her Inspirational Female Of The Year. Even her marriage proposal
was offer on one knee to Denise in a boxing ring at a show after
she had fought!
Her training may have changed----her family may have grown, life
may have gone on but Denise remains the world champion focused
athlete that everyone of her opponents has faced to date and
rather than children hampering training they have simply added
to her strength, given her more people to fight for, to be proud
of her and to look up to her.
Awards:
WIBA World Boxing Champion;
WBC National Muay Thai Champion;
WBC International Muay Thai Champion;
WBC World Muay Thai Champion;
WIKBA International Muay Thai Champion;
WKA National Muay Thai Champion;
FIBA World Muay Thai Champion;
S1 World Muay Thai Champion;
WBC Inspirational Female Of The Year;
Kings Cup Technique Fighter of the Night; and
Dorset Amateur Athlete of the Year.
