Natasha Jonas capped off a year to remember by outclassing Marie-Eve Dicaire to add the IBF crown to her WBC and WBO super-welterweight titles.
Jonas warned Dicaire in the build-up to the fight that she was the more hurtful puncher of the two, and she backed up her words with a dominant display at the AO Arena in Manchester.
At the start of 2022, Jonas was in danger of drifting out of contention and never fulfilling her dream of becoming a world champion. Now, she heads into 2023 with three belts around her waist.
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Jonas might have been the smaller of the two but her punches were undeniably heavy. She was too quick for Dicaire in the early rounds and simply picked off the Canadian.
'Miss GB' kept things simple throughout the bout and even though Dicaire came into it and turned it into more of a scrap in the second-half, Jonas was never in trouble. Jonas always had the edge and after 20 minutes of championship boxing, she won a unanimous decision, 97-93, 98-92 and a 100-90 shut out on one card.
“Hard work pays off. It has been a hard year,” Jonas told the ECHO when asked to sum up her emotions.”It has been rough, but we are Scouse, aren’t we?
“The physicality, I knew it was going to be there, and having been a champion herself, she was number one in the division, she was going to be tough and I knew that.
"I expected a tough fight, but I pulled through and I got the result. I worked hard and had to dig deep in some rounds.”
Before she added: "I hit Marie-Eve Dicaire with some great shots and she shrugged them off and just came back. Sometimes with fighters, when they're hurt is when they're most aggressive and fierce themselves. I had to be smart.
"I was adamant that she wasn't going to bully me and throw me about the ring when we were close. I was trying to prove to her I was just as strong. You might be and look bigger. But I'm just as strong."
The 38-year-old realised her dream of becoming a world champion in February by knocking out Chris Namus, before unifying in September with a unanimous points victory over Patricia Berghul.
Her story will now continue next year and while Jonas could defend her titles, she could also move back down through weights.
A rematch against Katie Taylor has been mentioned, while her promoter, Ben Shalom, suggested a fight against Claressa Shields could be next.
But for Jonas, her next move is a holiday with her family. After spending most of 2022 preparing for world title bouts, the Toxteth-born boxing sensation is going to enjoy some time away from the ring to reflect on what she has achieved in the last 10 months.
“I am just going to go away. We never expected this year and Ben keeps pulling things out of the bag and I think he thinks I am going to say no, but I keep on saying yes," she said.
“I am just like, 'Ben, I will do it', so yeah I am just going to go away, have some time off and enjoy having the belts and then we will make an action plan for 2023.
“As an athlete you are just focused on results and you don’t appreciate the moment. It is only when you stop and take a step back and look back at the journey and how far you have come.
"I haven’t had a chance to do that. Now I can take time to reflect and enjoy the moment."
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