Chloe Watson: “You will definitely see me fighting for world titles within the next twelve months.”         

Chloe Watson: “You will definitely see me fighting for world titles within the next twelve months.”         

It was late last year when I last caught up with the unbeaten Birkenhead flyweight hopeful Chloe Watson. It was Fight Week for the highly-touted prospect. The vacant European flyweight title was on the line in Bolton in December. An early Christmas present if the tough and ready French fighter Justine Lallemand could be overcome.

It was a hard night’s work for the Liverpool fighter who had big plans for her career. Lallemand more than made her work for her victory. The result was in some doubt before Watson got the decision over ten incredibly hard-fought rounds.

“It was tough. A very tough fight,” Watson told me over Zoom about that night in Bolton. “Obviously, it was my first ten-rounder. Boxing for the European title, we expected it to be tough, and that’s what we got. But there were loads that we took away from it, and we learned how to block an uppercut for one.”

It did appear as though Watson got caught up in a firefight that she didn’t really have to. An admittance that she neglected her boxing skills somewhat indicates the fighter herself feels that same way. But it was the kind of fight where Watson learned plenty about herself. And ticked many boxes. The sort of fight that will serve her well going forward.

“I had the aggression and the heart in the fight. But my skills went out of the window at times,” Watson told FightPost. “But I proved to myself that I am more than capable of being in tough fights and answering some questions as well. It was a matter of getting stuck in and not taking no for an answer. I do believe I showed true grit and determination in that fight. I think it showed just how much it meant to me. I stuck in there and did what I had to do to get the win. From that fight, I am now excited to be working towards world titles.”

Watson (7-0) returns to action this Friday night. Another visit to Bolton, this time to face the Irish fighter, Kate Radomska. Her opponent lost to possible future opponent Maisey-Rose Courtney just over a year ago. But the choice of opposition for the return of Watson has little to do with doing better against Radomska than Courtney did in their fight last May.

“She’s a bit of a last-minute opponent, to be honest,” Watson says of why she is fighting Radomska this Friday night. “We have been training since the beginning of the year. At first, we were looking to get out at the end of April. That would have been a title defence. But that got put back to the 17th May and then we got told the 14th June in Manchester. Obviously, as we were going to defend the European, it was long training camps, and the date kept getting pushed back. We were expecting to fight Maisey on the 14th June. But when we realised it wasn’t her, we just said we would still take a fight on that date. So the opponent only got discussed about two weeks ago. It’s just a matter of getting out and fighting again and show everyone what we have been working on over the last few months.”

The fight with the unbeaten Matchroom prospect Maisey Rose Courtney has been in the works for some time. An agreement has been reached between Matchroom and Wasserman to stage the contest later this year. But the words have already been flying around surrounding the fight not happening sooner, with Courtney saying Watson wanted a tune-up fight prior to facing her, something which Watson says isn’t quite the case.

“I said to Maisey you can fight me on the 14th that’s what we had been training for because that is what we had been told. But that date didn’t suit her. July didn’t work for me, so the other option was to fight in September. She just made a big deal out of nothing, really. But as long as we get the fight. Everyone is excited about the fight. I am excited about the fight with Maisey. So I definitely don’t see why it can’t and won’t happen.”

The British title has been offered around in temptation during the recent behind-the-scenes negotiating process between numerous fighters and promoters. Becoming the inaugural British flyweight champion is something which Watson would clearly like to experience in the not-too-distant future.

“That would be sick to be the first British flyweight champion. That is something I would be excited for.”

Watson has always talked about being a world champion. But even that wouldn’t satisfy her, telling me previously that she would aim to establish herself as the best in her weight division and not just settle for a piece of the prize.

But Watson has to get past Radomska first this coming Friday and then that long-awaited showdown with Courtney if that fight happens later this year. A fight that would have the best two flyweight fighters in the country according to BoxRec. But while not taking her eye off the initial prize, Watson still has one eye on a very big 2025.

“I definitely want to be fighting for a world title within the next twelve months. I’m three years deep into my professional career. I just won the European title, and I feel we are taking the right steps forward. I’m feeling good in the gym. I’m getting better with each fight, and I am genuinely taking something from each fight. When I first turned over, I knew I had that amateur pedigree behind me, but I also knew I had a lot more learning to do. Throughout the last three years, I feel I have kept learning and developing. I am in a good place, and I have a good team behind me. I am feeling good, and you will definitely see me fighting for world titles within the next twelve months.”