Liverpool's ground-breaking boxer Natasha Jonas will be praying she can make it third time lucky when she challenges for a world title against Poland's Ewa Piatkowska on the undercard of the Kell Brook-Amir Khan showdown on February 19.
Tasha - aka Miss GB - was narrowly outpointed by Irish fighting legend and long time rival Katie Taylor last May, which came just nine months after she appeared to have taken Terri Harper's world crown from her only for the bout to be controversially ruled a draw allowing the champion to keep her belts.
That showdown was at super-feather, and the Taylor contest at lightweight - but the title fight with Polish champion Piatkowski will be for the vacant World Boxing Organisation's Super Welter title - and once again it will be a stern challenge for the Scouser who blazed a trail for women’s boxing in 2012 when she became the first British female to box for Britain at the Olympics.
Piatkowski has twice held the WBC version of the world super-welter crown, she held the European female welterweight title in 2015 and has been beaten only once in her professional career.
But perhaps crucially, this will be the first time she has ever boxed outside of her native Poland as a pro.
With more than half of Jonas’ wins coming by way of stoppage and Piatkowska having ended a quarter of her 16 bouts early, the judges may not be needed when the two world title contenders meet in the middle of the ring next month in Manchester.
“Before I signed with BOXXER, my management MTK and I had a meeting with Ben Shalom and told him what my goals and ambitions were and what I wanted to achieve before leaving the sport. I knew it wouldn’t be easy with so many champions tied up but Ben assured me he would make it happen and he hasn’t let me down,” said Jonas.
“I know it’s a big risk but those risky fights have brought out the best in me and I’m ready. I’m looking forward to it, it couldn’t be on a bigger show for north-west boxing and after I’ve boxed I’ll be in the crowd myself to enjoy the main event. I am over the moon and I don't want to step up and get that world championship.”
Ben Shalom, BOXXER Founder and CEO, said “Natasha Jonas has been a pioneer for female boxing in the UK and we’re delighted that we were able to deliver this opportunity for her to add a major world title to her outstanding list of achievements on what will be the biggest British boxing card of the year.”
Adam Smith, Head of Boxing Development at Sky Sports, “It’s absolutely fabulous that Natasha Jonas, one of our leading fighters, has a golden opportunity of lifting the world title on such a huge occasion.
"This is once again a tough challenge for Tasha as she must get through highly-regarded former world champion Eva Piatkowska. It’s a cracking chief support fight on the massive Khan-Brook card and a wonderful chance for Tasha to make her boxing dreams finally come true.”
