Bec Connolly: There’s certainly no fortune here, but I get to do what I love.”

Bec Connolly: There’s certainly no fortune here, but I get to do what I love.”

By Thomas Kelly-Hansford

Bec Connolly returns to the ring on October 15th featuring on the Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall undercard at the O2 Arena in London, where she will face the unbeaten Sarah Leigmann.

Connolly (3-15) is a true warrior in female boxing. On the face of it, her record doesn’t tell the full story. Often the away fighter coming in on short notice, Connolly has faced top-level opposition across multiple weight classes throughout her career and she’s always made a good account of herself. In a unique position as the perceived go-to opponent for the future stars of the sport, and one that Connolly has carved out for herself and made her own. And one she embraces and relishes. Virtually every new prospect has to get through her, as a result, she is a fighter who is currently very much in demand.

Connolly’s next opponent, Leigmann, is a 20-year-old German fighter who is unbeaten in five professional fights and comes with a background in kickboxing. Leigmann has been fighting since she was a child and Connolly certainly isn’t underestimating her.

Just over a week out from fight night, Connolly is raring to go she told me over Zoom:

“The build-up was so huge the first time, no one could predict they were going to cancel it. I’m excited and in many ways, it puts pressure on the build-up this time. There’s no reason I can’t beat this girl if I bring the best version of Bec. I’m due to fight at home in November so I’m looking forward to that, I just have to focus on my fighting.

“I’d be an absolute mug not to use my experience, but it doesn’t really matter how she comes out. You can have all the game plans you want, but after the first bell I have to find out what she’s (Leigmann) is about.”

Connolly isn’t underestimating Leigmann, but she’s definitely not underestimating herself. Despite a run of defeats, Connolly is positive going into this one.

“I’ve been blessed with a granite chin, but that can be a bad attribute to have. I think maybe my movement and footwork have suffered because I know my chin is strong, but this time out I’ve really focussed on improving that side of my game. Motivation hasn’t really been a problem for me. I know this can be over in a flash, so I just enjoy everything. These people are my heroes and I’m having the time of my life at these huge venues.”

It’s fair to say Connolly’s boxing career has been one of a labour of love, rather than one seeking fame and fortune and the 38-year-old definitely agrees, she added:

“I’m happy to be going back home to fight later in the year. There’s certainly no fortune here, but I get to do what I love and I can’t wait to come home and remind those people where we started. I’m going for the stoppage. There’s no reason on earth why I can’t do it. I’ve been working on different areas of my game, I’m working so hard to bring the best version of Bec.”

The card on October 15th is arguably the biggest night in female boxing history and the scale of the event hasn’t slipped through Connolly’s mind. She signed off by giving a message to her fans and urged the next generation of female talent to take their first step into boxing, she said:

“Listen to nobody but your coach. Ignore the haters. I’ve got 18 months left on my contract, and after that, the plan is to manage an all-female fight team and I do want to help nurture and guide the next generation of girls through.

“Thank you to everyone. When you take the handful of negativity, it’s so incomparable to the positivity I’ve experienced during my career. I’m not a naive girl. I’ll never make excuses and I’ll always put my heart and soul into it and I just want to give my fans the best show possible.”