The FightPost Fighter of the Year: Natasha Jonas

The FightPost Fighter of the Year: Natasha Jonas

It could be labelled the comeback of the year, but there is little doubt that regardless of gender, Natasha Jonas is a more than deserving winner of the FightPost Fighter of the Year for 2022.

Jonas walked away from a guaranteed rematch with Katie Taylor in 2021 to sign with Boxxer. It looked like a gamble that was unlikely to pay off. Boxxer and Sky were at the start of their partnership, but they had to start from scratch building a stable of fighters from nothing. For Jonas, who left Matchroom on bad terms, despite her lucrative new deal, she looked like a fighter who was still on the outside looking in if she wanted to realise her dream of finally becoming a world champion. But Jonas said to her doubters, judge me in a year and after her deal with Boxxer and Sky was formally announced:

“I don’t feel I need to justify myself to anyone or try to get them onside. They think it’s wrong for me, come back in a year and tell me so.” Jonas told me the day after her news became public. Ben Shalom promised Jonas that he would deliver her a world title. And very quickly he did.

There were many restrictions and plenty of closed doors in that quest for that elusive world title that meant so much, everything in truth, to Jonas. The Liverpool fighter had to go above, and way beyond her comfort zone. Previous world title fights at super-featherweight and lightweight were forgotten and learned from, and an opportunity arose at super-welterweight. Jonas saw her chance. Her moment.

Claressa Shields vacated her WBO title, and Jonas was in for February, and a return to Manchester booked in, the scene of her last world title opportunity the previous year. It was billed as third time lucky. It was more like last chance saloon. Make no mistake, another failure on the world stage and Jonas would have been done. A harsh reality in a sport that rarely does sentiment. Jonas thought this time would be different. She thought she would be different. It turned out that she was.

Proposed opponents came and went. A late withdrawal because of Covid, very nearly saw her moment lost. The search eventually landed Chris Namus. The Uruguayan came with credentials, if not notice, a former world champion, it’s easy to say now with hindsight, but Jonas was very much up against it. Trust me, there was a lot of nervousness in the Manchester air. It could easily have been the end.

The judges denied her twice before, the fists of Jonas this time decided her fate. Luck didn’t come into it. Namus was down in the opening round and didn’t survive the next. Jonas was sensational when it mattered most. A moment a few hours later in the fight hotel won’t be forgotten easily. A standing ovation awaited her. Beyond emotional, it should have been bottled. I said to Jonas how could this night ever be topped. She said it could. I had my doubts. Jonas had other ideas.

Patricia Berghult and Marie-Eve Dicaire defended their world titles against Jonas hoping size would matter. It didn’t. Skills did. Jonas got greedy. The WBC and the IBF belts added a little more glitz to her collection. The Ring Magazine belt another little bonus, another little stamp of approval.

Jonas has found a way where others doubted. A year that will be hard to top. Jonas is already making plans to do so.