(APR 28) On Saturday 24th
April History was made when six time, five division World
Champion and Promoter Lee Mcallister promoted the first ever all
female professional boxing event, titled LET BATTLE COMMENCE -
THE LIONESSES, to take place in the United Kingdom. The event,
which took place behind closed doors at the Northern Hotel in
Aberdeen and was broadcast live and free to view on FITE TV as
well as globally on numerous linear and digital channels.
Back in September last year, when McAllister originally
announced the history making event, which then was due to be
co-headlined by WIBA Minimum Weight World Champion Denise Castle
and returning MBC International Champion Marianne Marston it
went viral, female fighters and boxing fans around the world
retweeting and sharing the social media posts.
However within weeks of making the announcement fate dealt the
Aberdeen Assassin a massive blow, as both the British and
Scottish Government announced that the countries would go into
full lockdown for the entire month of November.
McAllister set a new date was for January 2021 but just three
weeks prior to the new date the UK once again went into
lockdown. Frustratingly McAllister had to reschedule the date
once more, this time to the 24th April 2021.
Early in April it looked like the event may have to be
rescheduled again, as it was clear that, due to the pandemic,
travel restrictions were introduced, a number of the overseas
boxers contracted to fight would not be able to travel to the
UK.
Photo: Hollie Towl
It wasn’t just ‘away’ fighters
affected, such as the proposed opponents of the co-headline
fighters Castle and Marston, but also Ellie Coulson, Hollie Towl,
Sophie Varley and Jaime Bates’ opponents Ester Konecna, Angela
Cannizzaro, Ivette Garcia and Jane Kavulani respectively, but
also ‘home’ fighter Swiss based World Boxing Council (WBC) Muay
Thai World Champion Natacha De Almeida, who was due to make her
Professional Boxing Debut was unable to travel due to local
restrictions.
Photo: Jaime Bates
Undaunted McAllister decided to
continue with a reduced card of just six fights featuring UK
based fighters only, well that was until just a week before
showtime, when Manchester based Sophie Varley and Nicola
Hopewell’s opponent Juliette Winter, who had been preparing for
the fight in France, both had to pull out.
If that wasn’t enough for McAllister to contend with, just the
day before the event Ellie Coulson’s replacement opponent Sarah
Smith pulled out.
Photo: Ellie Coulson
Frantic phone calls by McAllister
and others already in Aberdeen including matchmaker Giles
Carter, eventually paid off and a new opponent secured for the
highly talented Coulson, but the new line-up was dramatically
different from the original one planned for last year, as now
the event featured only five fights and no big names or title
fights to head up the card.
As Tasha Boyes’ original fight
against Sophie Varley was off and Juliette Winter couldn’t get
back from France McAllister decided that the planned future
rematch between Hopewell (2-0-0) and Boyes (0-2-0) would be
bought forward and headline, Coulson (1-0-0) would now face pro
boxing debutante Becky Jameson, a Glasgow based pro BKB fighter.
Hollie Towl would face Belfast’s Cara MacLochlainn, a former
Kick Boxing star and Irish Amateur Champion making her pro
boxing debut, debuting Angelica Finch would now face Jaime Bates
(1-3-0) and the original match-up between two former elite
Amateur stars Estelle Scott and Kirsty Biswas remained the same.
The aforementioned former amateur stars Scott and Biswas was the
opening fight of the night, and boy oh boy was it a close fought
all action affair.
Right from the off both protagonists went at it hammer and
tongs, letting rip with big shots to body and head throughout,
the round reminded me of the wickedly intense first round war
between Graham Earl and Michael Katsidis back in 2007.
As with the first stanza both returned to Gladiatorial ways and
continued to battle at close range in both the second and third
rounds and whilst the action slowed a little in the fourth the
action was just as intense, just now the big bombs were flying.
The pace of the action clearly affected Biswas more than Scott,
as the Middlesbrough based warrior slowed considerably, which
opened the door for South Shields based Scott to take control
and dominate the proceedings in style, backing Biswas up on
occasions and letting rip with big flurries of shots.
At the end of the fifth Biswas looked very drained, so much so
that on returning to the corner her coach voiced his concerns
and following a short discussion with Biswas summoned referee
Carla Fox and retired his charge in the corner.
Wow, that was one helluva battle, the battling Scott and Biswas
threw down the gauntlet to the others competing on the night,
and sure as eggs is eggs they did.
Next up see Worksop’s Ellie Coulson (1-0-0) face very, very late
replacement Becky Jameson.
Coulson, a three time national finalist and England amateur
boxing national youth middleweight champion, wasn’t fazed one
iota facing a bigger fighter from a different pro discipline,
she calmly picked her shots each time Jameson came into range.
Jameson is a plucky as they come, clearly outclassed by the
elite former Amateur star she kept coming forward wanting to
make a fight of it, but at a cost, Jameson was sent down just
under a minute into the fight and after that Coulson’s class
shone through.
The Worksop lass landing big shots to Jameson’s head each time
she came forward, when I say big shots I mean seriously solid
straight rights that sent Jameson’s head back. As the fight went
past the ninety second point Coulson landed yet another Exocet
that rocked the Glaswegian to the core, Referee Carla Fox was
clearly concerned at the amount of powerful shots Jameson had
taken in the first ninety seconds or so and stepped in and
waived the fight off on the one minute and forty two second
mark.
Jameson was game taking the fight at such late notice, no
question about that, she came to fight BUT Coulson is a
seriously class act, personally think even after only two pro
fights she’s definitely one of the best Female fighters in the
Super Welterweight/Middleweight divisions worldwide and it’s
just a matter of time before everyone in the division will begin
avoiding her.
Third fight of the night pitted the sensational teenage former
five time National Amateur Champion Hollie Towl (1-0-0) against
the seriously tough former Kick Boxing star and Irish Amateur
Champion from Belfast Cara MacLochlainn, who was making her
professional boxing debut.
Initially both protagonists began cautiously feeling out the
other and then the fight just exploded into action and when I
say action, wow what a round, these two Warriors exchanged blow
after blow. it was pure poetry in motion. As the round
progressed Towl’s class began to shine through, as she started
creating openings before firing scintillatingly fast and hard
body shots at the torso of her Irish opponent.
Round two started similarly to the first, however Towl shifted
up a gear and started targeting the body of the ‘Belfast Bomber’
and landing wickedly vicious shots MacLochlainn is one talented
and tough cookie as not only did she just shake off the shots
but would fire her own Exocets in return.
Round three was a WAR, both Warriors went in hard and fast, once
again Towl shifted up another gear and began landing massive
bodyshops, this time though MacLochlainn appeared to be
struggling coping with the onslaught, at around midway through
the second half of the round Towl landed a massive shot that
sent the MacLochlainn reeling across the ring, I honestly
thought the fight was over as it seemed her legs had gone, but
somehow the tough Irishwoman managed to make it to the end of
the round.
MacLochlainn looked drained when she came out for the fourth,
which only encouraged Towl to come in hard and fast and land
even more body shots, seemingly at will.
After such a hard round I was surprised when MacLochlainn came
out looking ready to go to war again in the fifth, she put up a
good fight but again Towl landed some incredible shots
throughout the round.
The sixth and final round mirrored the second to a degree,
without doubt Towl won the round with her incredible skill, but
MacLochlainn kept the teenager honest and made a great fight of
it.
No surprise that referee Carla Fox’s scorecard showed Towl as
victor, by a 59-55 points margin, but plaudits to MacLochlainn
she went the distance, a big surprise considering the amount of
vicious body-shots she absorbed in the fight.
Quite rightly Towl-MacLochlainn was declared Fight of the Night
and Hollie Towl the Fighter of the Night. The quietly spoken
Towl seemed surprised when Sportanarium Radio’s Trevor Lake
announced the accolade before presenting her with the
Sportanarium ‘Fighter of the Night’ Belt.
Next up was Boston, Lincolnshire’s former three time ABA
Champion Angelica Finch, who was making her Professional debut,
against York’s former PBC international Champion Jaime Bates
(1-3-0).
This was looking to be a sensational match-up in the first
minute or so as both protagonists approach virtually mirrored
the other, literally as Finch was fighting in a southpaw stance
and Bates boxes orthodox.
Just as the action was really warming up, Referee Carla Fox
signalled Finch into the neutral corner where the doctor awaited
to check a bad cut sustained shortly before.
The doctor advised the contest be waived off and as such the
result was declared as Referee Stops Contest (RSC) on the one
minute and forty two second mark of the first round.
Following the result Finch’s corner requested a review of the
result, as they believe the cut came from an accidental clash of
heads just before the final exchanges of the shortened contest.
Their request has been submitted to the British & Irish Boxing
Authority competition panel to review and ascertain if the
result should stand as is.
Regardless of the result of the review, Finch vs Bates II is
being discussed between the teams and promoter with the
anticipated rematch coming in the very near future - I for one
can’t wait for that as this fight had all the hallmarks of being
a classic Battle Royale.
Time for the main event - Nicola Hopewell versus Tasha Boyes II.
Back in September last year Hopewell vs Boyes took place on LET
BATTLE COMMENCE II - here’s my write-up on the first meeting
between them.
OK, now were onto the fight I was really waiting for, Worksop’s
Professional Boxing Council (PBC) International Silver Champion
Nicola Hopewell versus York’s Tasha Boyes.
I’ve been particularly looking forward to this contest since
hearing about Tasha Boyes performance against Maria Cecchi in
Italy a few weeks ago, which had earned high praise from the
Italian media and I know just how good Nicola is, as was lucky
enough to be ringside when she beat Ghana’s Anita Addy to lift
the PBC crown back on March 7th.
This fight had all the makings of being a classic, and the way
it started out it surely would have been, Hopewell came out hard
and fast and let rip with fast double handed combinations, which
coincidently is how I had anticipated Boyes would approach
things!
Boyes is as savvy as they come and soon began to use her height
and reach advantage to get back in contention, but Hopewell’s
magnificent ringcraft and oodles of talent soon put an end to
that and as the round was heading to its conclusion backed Boyes
up and began letting rip with a barrage of shots, somehow Boyes
managed to find a way out but only a temporary respite as
Hopewell went in for the kill and let rip once more to send
Boyes to the canvas.
Boyes must have landed awkwardly on her arm and aggravated the
training injury she sustained in the week, as when she rose to
her feet she was holding her arm and clearly in a lot of pain,
her coach Giles Carter was so concerned he summoned Referee
Graeme Beauly and retired her in the corner at the end of the
round.
Have to admit that was a disappointing end to the highly
anticipated contest, but there is some good news for Boyes as
Hopewell has agreed to a rematch, I for one am really looking
forward to that.
OK, the scene is set so now let’s get to Saturday night’s
Hopewell-Boyes II showdown.
Right from the opening bell both fighters moved to centre ring,
initially just feeling out the other but seconds later Boyes
moved in and let rip with a straight left followed by a
left-right combination, Hopewell responds with a big right to
kick off the proceedings. What an absolutely fantastic highly
technical, all action first round.
Thoroughly enjoyed the first stanza, however the second was even
better as Hopewell shifted up a gear and used her fantastic ring
craft to circumnavigate Boyes’ superior reach to land some
seriously awesome shots.
Don’t get me wrong Boyes landed some first class shots too but
Hopewell’s class and experience really shone through, especially
in the second half of the round, culminating in a scintillating
powerful body-shot that sent Boyes to the canvas. Boyes
surprisingly raised to her feet before the count reached its
conclusion, but clearly was still in a lot of distress, so much
so that Referee Carla Fox didn’t hesitate to waive the fight off
on the one minute forty two second mark of the second round.
Some nine years after amateur Female boxing hit the headlines at
the London 2012 Olympics, finally the first female professional
event took place in the UK, interestingly LET BATTLE COMMENCE -
LIONESSES was not only the first all female pro boxing event in
the UK, but I believe is also the first event to be officiated
by female official in the main roles - these were;
Supervisor/Official Recorder Alejandra Ramirez, Referee Carla
Fox and Chief inspector Jennie Boyle.
The entire event is still available free to view on FITE.TV (go
to replays)
My final words on this historic event is that it was a great
show, one that goes to prove you really don’t always need big
names or Championship fights, even for a televised event,
especially when the fights are as good as these were.
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