Nina Hughes: “We always wanted to get a world title shot within two years. It has come a bit sooner than expected but I feel more than ready for it.”

Nina Hughes: “We always wanted to get a world title shot within two years. It has come a bit sooner than expected but I feel more than ready for it.”

By Matthew Elliott

The onset of the coronavirus pandemic, a little under three years ago now, had a profound effect on all of our lives. It redefined normality. The things that we were so used to doing, without so much as a second thought, had been taken away from us or at least suspended indefinitely. It was a period of great uncertainty. For some though, it provided a platform of opportunity; a chance to redefine life goals. Nina Hughes was one such person. After a highly successful amateur career in which she was part of the GB Boxing squad and a four-time ABA national champion, Hughes explained to me via Zoom, how the pandemic had given her the motivation she needed to step into the professional ranks.

“When I finished with the GB team in 2012, I did look at turning pro because that was the next natural step, but it was not an option in England at that time, I would have had to go to America or Germany or somewhere else, so I gave up on the idea. Then, during lockdown, amateur gyms were shut, and the professional gyms were open, and I was getting really bored sitting indoors. I was watching all these girls fighting on TV, some of who I knew from my amateur days, and I thought I have got to give it a go. So, I joined a pro gym and have never looked back since.’  

After teaming up with coach Kevin Lilley, Hughes signed her first professional contract in August 2021 and made her debut three months later, a points victory against Claudia Ferenczi. A further three victories followed during which she also secured her first belt, the Commonwealth super-bantamweight title. Hughes had always hoped that her successful amateur career would help her to move quickly as a professional but as she prepares for her next fight, a showdown with the WBA bantamweight world champion, American Jamie Mitchell, on November 26 in Dubai, Hughes admits her surprise at how quickly things have progressed.

“It has been a crazy twelve months. This will be my fifth fight and I have been in around seven training camps as we had a couple of fights fall through along the way. It has been a whirlwind. It has been mad. I always knew I had to move quickly because of my age; I have not got time to hang around. We always wanted to get a world title shot within two years. It has come a bit sooner than expected but I feel more than ready for it. It was just a matter of being patient and getting the opportunity.” 

Mitchell has held the WBA belt since defeating Shannon Courtenay in October 2021 but in contrast to Hughes has been through a period of inactivity of late, her last fight being in February. When asked how the fight with Mitchell came about, Hughes admits it all originated from a response to a social media post.

“It all came about through Twitter. She was complaining about being inactive and about the promoters not keeping her busy and I responded to say I was more than ready, and I would happily take on the challenge, so let me have a shot. She then started to get a bit lairy and I did not say anything bad, just that I wanted the shot and then we got offered the fight. It then went very quiet, and we heard nothing. I did another interview with someone and said it was a fight that I would love and a fight I believe I could win, and they tagged her into it. The next thing she was commenting about how she was going to break my neck and smash my teeth in, and it went on from there and now we have the fight.”

The direct nature of Mitchell’s written words is expected to be mirrored by her approach inside the ring, with Hughes anticipating a difficult night, although she is confident she can come out on top. 

“She is an aggressive fighter; she is a busy fighter, so I think it is going to be an all-action fight. I think it’s going to be a war and I think it’s going to be a tough fight, but I just believe that I can beat her.” 

Given the magnitude of this fight, and the opportunities that victory can present, both in respect of possible unification bouts but also the chance to fight on a bigger platform in the future, it would be natural for Hughes to have allowed herself to think ahead. She insists this is not the case.

“I do not want to look past this fight, and this is my whole focus. The dream would be to win and to ultimately unify and collect the other titles, but I am not even thinking about that.”

November 26 marks the end of a long journey for Hughes, who explains how she fell into boxing having originally signed up for a fitness class, never dreaming that this would one day lead to her fighting for a world title.

“I got into boxing through fitness. Me and my friend did a Boxercise class one day because it was more interesting than going to the gym. Then we joined the kickboxing gym, and we did the circuit classes there and I then finally joined a boxing gym, purely for fitness. Then one day my coach at the time, Chris Okoh, talked me into fighting. My initial thought was I couldn’t do it, but he convinced me I was ready. I started sparring and really enjoyed it and just loved the training. I was only sparring with boys at the time, and they were all beating me up but then Chris took me to another club to spar with some girls and I did all right and thought to myself I will give this a go. I had my first fight and that was it; I never looked back.”

Boxing is full of fairy-tale stories and amidst all of the drama, this is what makes it such a captivating sport. If Nina Hughes, at the age of forty and having been a professional for little over twelve months, can go to Dubai and bring back the WBA bantamweight title, then I think a new chapter will have been written.