Linn Sandstrom: “I am super happy with the win. We have travelled literally across the world to win this belt.”

Linn Sandstrom: “I am super happy with the win. We have travelled literally across the world to win this belt.”

The morning after, the win and the vacant WBA intercontinental title were safely secured. The marks of battle are plainly visible. An early clash of heads had left their scars. A heavily swollen right eye, that seemed to swell and close more and more throughout our brief Zoom interview. But for Linn Sandstrom, it is a proud badge of honour. Still smiling, more memories made. A life on the boxing merry-go-round gives her something she can’t get elsewhere. A life in solitude chasing a dream. Her dream.

Linn now 7-2-1 in her career, was reflective of her previous night’s work at the York Hall, processing a fight that wasn’t pretty on the eye. Her Serbian opponent Sara Marjanovic came to spoil and make the fight ugly. But Linn provided the good and she got the verdict and the vacant belt by scores of 97-92, 97-92 and 96-93. Linn told me just how rough the fight was:

“It wasn’t actually a punch that hit me, it was a head clash. She kept coming in with her head really roughly. She didn’t get a mark on her face because she was the one getting in with the head classes, and obviously, my face now looks like this.”

Under no illusions about what they were in for, Linn and her team had prepared meticulously for the rough and tumble affair. A fight that at times was uncomfortable for her, but also highlighted her progression over the past year:

“We knew going into this fight it was going to be a really tough fight, it had to be for a belt like that. She is a very durable opponent and she has had over 20 pro fights and she has fought some really good people as well. To be honest, she surprised me, she was a lot tougher than I thought and I understand why she has never been knocked out. I hit her with everything I had and I am a strong girl. She was like a robot nothing fazed her.

“She kept holding down my head and it was kind of an irritating fight. When I started working on my jab I could keep her off me the way I wanted to. I feel if I had fought her say a year ago I wouldn’t have won that fight because I wouldn’t have known how to win a fight like that. But I have grown a lot since then and in this camp. My boxing IQ is growing as well. Even though it was an ugly fight and not an enjoyable one, I still won 7 out of the 10 rounds and with a bad head clash as well. I am super happy with the win. We have travelled literally across the world to win this belt.”

Linn 30, has had a true globetrotting year. 2022 at one stage, brought 3 fights in 3 different countries in just 21 days. London was the latest stop on a road that she hopes will land her a world title shot in 2023. The trip to England was extra special. Even though Linn now resides in Australia, her family is still based in Sweden. The fight in London gave the family the chance to fly over to watch Linn fight for the very first time:

“To be headlining on my UK debut I don’t know what more I could ask for to be honest. Everyone was telling me about the atmosphere and the crowd and they were right. There was something special being amongst it, London and UK people really love their boxing. I even had people come just to watch me and I am just a girl from Australia.

“My family came over to watch me, but my brother told me this morning that after 6 rounds they wanted to leave, they were so nervous watching me. They have never seen boxing before or don’t know much about it, they are not a boxing family. But they did great, and they really enjoyed it and they have had a great week in England. They got to do all the tourist things and actually got to see what I do for work. I think they realise more and more now that it is not something I just do for fun, this is serious business now for me.”

It won’t quite be feet up for the remainder of the year, there will be no more fights for several months, but her development will continue away from the bright lights:

“It’s been a massive year. Six fights. Six wins. Three belts. I have done fighting for the year, but not training. I want to go back to the gym and really work on my strength and conditioning and then get back in the ring next year around March/April time.”

2022 has been a year of constant back-to-back fight camps for the Brazilian-born super-flyweight prospect, with little time for rest in between her relentless schedule of fights. The next four months or so will be a little less hectic. Training will continue, with the aim to consolidate her gains this year and push on for what lies ahead in 2023. Linn has always talked about winning a world title, and even with a few early setbacks, her dream has never died. But now carrying that six-fight unbeaten streak and a WBA world ranking to her name, into the next 12 months, those world title hopes are very much a reality now. Linn could be one or two fights away from world title glory. It has been some run for the former international table tennis player. Written off many times in the early days of her boxing career, but now, even some of her rivals are acknowledging her progress. In truth, how could they not?