Natasha Jonas Wins In Manchester

Natasha Jonas Wins In Manchester

Where it all began in February, it continued on Saturday night in the AO Arena in Manchester. Marie-Eve Dicaire brought size, physicality and the IBF super-welterweight title to Manchester. But Natasha Jonas was in no mood to be slayed, and was simply far too good for an incredibly brave and determined Dicaire.

Jonas started fast, rocking Dicaire with thudding heavy shots in the opening round that set the tone for the entire fight. The Liverpool fighter was sharper, and the quickness of her hands often found an open target. But Dicaire never stopped coming forward and attempting to use that physicality to wear Jonas down the stretch. And in rounds 5 and 6, there were fleeting hopes her tactics might just bring some reward.

The opening 4 rounds were all Jonas, but in the next two rounds, Jonas appeared to be showing some signs of fatigue. I gave Dicaire a share of the 5th and thought she edged the 6th. But if Dicaire had any hopes of clawing back the early deficit, Jonas very quickly stopped those thoughts in their tracks.

Jonas came roaring back in the 7th, and any hopes of victory for Dicaire had all but gone right there and then. Jonas finished the better of the two, and there were signs she may even force the stoppage in the final few rounds as she landed repeated clean shots. But Dicaire soaked up punches that would have stopped a lesser opponent. In truth, the classy Canadian deserved to hear the final bell. The scorecards reflected the dominance of Jonas. 100-90, 98-92 were about right, 97-93 a little too close.

Natasha Jonas has had to gamble in many ways in the last 12 months. A fighter who has always seemed to be on the outside looking in, Jonas had to roll the dice and forge her own path in a sport that hasn’t always been kind to her.

Jonas moved through the weight divisions to fight Chris Namus for the vacant WBO super-welterweight title in February. It looked foolish, maybe even desperate, in that search for that elusive world title that she couldn’t get at super-featherweight or at lightweight. Namus was blasted out in two sensational rounds, and in September and in a win that couldn’t be questioned, a resounding points victory in Liverpool over the previously unbeaten Patricia Berghult added the WBC to her resume. Jonas had proved her point. Comprehensively.

But the unifying wasn’t over, and on a night of nostalgia in Manchester, Jonas added the IBF title and the Ring Magazine belt to her ever-expanding collection.

Jonas will now go away with her daughter for a well-deserved break. It’s been some year for Jonas, a golden one, and when it was least expected. But it’s been a relentless one, and a holiday she most certainly now needs. Mentally and physically she needs time to heal.

The period away will give her time for reflection on what’s potentially next, and hopefully, the time to appreciate what she has achieved.

Talk of a rematch with Terri Harper was quickly shot down by her trainer Joe Gallagher at the post-fight press conference. Old wounds will need a lot of money to heal. But a move back down to welterweight to fight Jessica McCaskill for undisputed status at welterweight will be of much interest, as will that dream fight with Claressa Shields. Especially, if it could be made at her beloved Anfield. Don’t rule it out.

Signing with Boxxer was what her career badly needed. Many questioned it, but nobody will be questioning it now. After what had gone off previously, all she needed was a little love and attention. And now she has it, she is reaping the rewards. And at 38, Jonas still has a few more chapters to write in her incredible story.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer