Avril Mathie: ‘Ramla Ali is very good, but she is also very beatable’

Avril Mathie: ‘Ramla Ali is very good, but she is also very beatable’

By Louis Devereux

Avril Mathie, an 8-0-1 Australian boxer fighting out of Miami, is mere weeks away from a golden opportunity. Going up against fellow undefeated prospect Ramla Ali, Mathie is looking to continue her winning streak and take that of Ali’s, whose record currently sits at 7-0. I asked Avril to talk me through her fight, and how she was feeling ahead of what promises to be the biggest night in her boxing career thus far.

‘I’m fighting February 4^th, it’s at Madison Square Garden, and I am super excited. It’s 10 rounds for the IBF intercontinental belt, and the fight is at 122. It’s a weight class above what I normally fight at, but when opportunity knocks you’ve got to take it.

‘I think she’s a good boxer and I’m just excited to fight someone of a high level! I’ve been wanting a fight like this for a long time because I know I’m ready. Ramla Ali is very good, but she is also very beatable, and that’s what I plan to do.’

Ramla Ali is yet to lose in the professional ranks, and so I was interested to find out why Avril thought she was the one to beat Ali, and what she saw as her keys to victory.

‘I think she’s going to fight long, rangy, getting in and out of range, trying to hit and not get hit. It’s going to be up to me to disrupt that and use my skills to get on the inside. Normally I like to fight long and rangy too, but from what I can see she’s quite uncomfortable on the inside and so that will be where I find my opportunities.’

As with almost any boxing show at Madison Square Garden, there are big names in the event from top to bottom. Amanda Serrano and Alicia Baumgardner both have fights scheduled on the same card, and I asked Avril what she was expecting to see from her female counterparts, and what fight she was most excited for.

‘Serrano is an absolute beast! She’s always so exciting to watch, I love watching her fight and I always have. Alicia Baumgardner is going for undisputed which I’m also excited for. She’s really great to watch and I’ve known her since we were both amateurs. I remember one time she came to Miami on holiday years ago, and we met up and mucked around sparring a bit. She even wanted to train and spar on holiday because that’s how much she loves boxing! She’s a great girl, and watching her go from strength to strength really is exciting.’

Women’s boxing seems to have grown exponentially in recent years and is showing no signs of slowing down. As someone who lives and breathes women’s boxing every day of her life, I thought it would be interesting to ask Avril about this and get her take on what is behind the rapid growth in popularity and status.

‘Well since women’s boxing was allowed into the Olympics it put more eyes on to the sport, and it meant that you can now follow the journey of these girls from when they are winning medals or competing in the Olympics, all the way to seeing their success in the pro ranks. I also think that promoters take more of a chance on women and invest in women more now, which helps massively. The difference is that women are taking good fights and are prepared to take chances and take losses to stand up and challenge themselves, which we aren’t seeing in men’s boxing as much as we should be.‘

Two-minute rounds have been a cause for debate in women’s boxing, and everyone seems to have a different opinion. I was interested to hear Avril’s take, and like most people, she seemed to understand both sides of the argument.

‘I like the fact that two-minute rounds mean the fight HAS to be fought at a fast pace. It does mean the fights are more exciting, but it is hard to get knockouts when the rounds finish so quickly, and who doesn’t love a knockout right? It would also make things easier if men and women fought the same round length so we could all just use one timer in the gym! Both are exciting in their own way, but for me, my style suits longer fights and longer rounds. I like to be calculating and tactical, which works better in the slower pace of the three-minute rounds.’

I ended this short but insightful interview the same way I like to end all my interviews. I asked Avril how she would like to be remembered.

‘Someone that took good fights and fought amazing, always stepping up and giving it my absolute all in entertaining fights’