Natasha Jonas will kick-off a monumental September for women’s boxing when she bids to become a unified world champion next month.
Jonas will return to her home city of Liverpool for a world title unification fight against Patricia Berghult on September 3. The Liverpudlian was hopeful of facing Scotland's WBA champion Hannah Rankin in London on 10 September, on the undercard of Savannah Marshall's undisputed clash against Claressa Shields, but the domestic rivals were unable to agree fight terms.
Now, though, Jonas, the WBO super-welterweight champion, will take on unbeaten WBC titleist Berghult in a major unification showdown at the M&S Bank Arena. It will be Jonas' first bout in Liverpool in almost three years and she makes her homecoming as a world champion after stopping Chris Namus in spectacular style earlier this year.
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"Now that I've got a belt, I don't want to be just boxing nobodies,” the 38-year-old mum of one said. “I want to add belts. I want to potentially, eventually change divisions and go back down.
"I'm just made up that everything Ben [Shalom, BOXXER promoter] said he'd do, he's done so I'm happy with that. There's no messing around. If one world champion doesn't want it, we'll take the next."
Berghult has a flawless 15-0 record and Jonas, trained by Joe Gallagher, knows she is in for a tough night against the Swede.
She said: "She's a big threat. It's by no means an easy fight at all. She was a very good amateur. I respect what she's done as a pro as well.
“She's been a pro a long time and she's undefeated. She's got the belt that I want though, that's the issue."
This unification joins a bumper September 3 bill at the M&S Bank Arena, which includes Liam Smith’s headline fight against Hassan Mwakinyo, as well as fellow Liverpudlians Nathan Quarless, Paddy Lacey and Frankie Stringer.
"Tasha is one of British boxing's trailblazers. She was our first world champion signing at BOXXER and she fully deserves this great opportunity on home soil,” the show's promoter Ben Shalom said.
“And it is a great fight against the WBC champion Berghult, who is unbeaten and will be looking to upset the home fans. Tasha is a hugely popular figure on Merseyside and she will be backed by thousands on the night.
"The atmosphere at the M&S Bank Arena will be electric - and just what Tasha needs as she bids to become the unified world champion."
Click here for more information and to buy tickets for the BOXXER event on 3rd September at the M&S Bank Arena.
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