Skye Nicolson: “It definitely wasn’t my best performance, but I feel I have learned so much from that experience.”

Skye Nicolson: “It definitely wasn’t my best performance, but I feel I have learned so much from that experience.”

Skye Nicolson was in a reflective mood during the 40 minutes we shared on Zoom. It had been a couple of weeks since the Australian had extended her winning start to her professional career to six and added another title to her so far unblemished resume. But for the immensely talented featherweight contender, it wasn’t enough.

Post-fight, it felt like a defeat. A sombre morbid changing room, a fighter who came to make a big statement in front of a potential target who would a few hours later aim to go undisputed in the very same division Nicolson resides. During the closing stages of her fight in New York against Tania Alvarez, thoughts flickered that it was all becoming a little too much for her, and a return to her old amateur stomping ground would serve her better.

They were, of course, not in any way serious considerations, just a few little thoughts mid-fight when exhaustion was creeping in and that realisation that she had found professional boxing wouldn’t be as easy as she perhaps naively thought it might be. Nicolson once told me she wanted to experience that feeling of fighting beyond her normal levels of comfort and having to bite down on her gumshield and go deep into her reserves. Nicolson now has that feeling behind her, and it will be an experience that will make her a much better fighter going forward. Despite her own negativity based on her own high standards, Nicolson has passed her first little test as a professional.

Nicolson is a perfectionist, and incredibly ambitious, and the last time we spoke, she was talking about winning a world title in the first half of 2023. Alvarez gave her a little touch of what lies ahead, and in the days of reflection, Nicolson has put the brakes on those lofty ambitions. But only ever so slightly.

Alvarez pushed Nicolson and tested her resolve, but never came close to winning. But her own incredible will and desire will likely have formed at least in some part, in the continued development of a possible future world champion. Too many fighters in the modern era get to the pinnacle of their sport unprepared and fail as a result.

Nicolson, despite her impressive unwavering self-confidence, isn’t consumed by arrogance or an over-inflated ego, the downfall of many a fighter. She understands that in seeking her perfection and her personal ambitions, she needs to add a little more to her game. A deluded fighter is a dangerous one. To themselves. But Nicolson is no delusional fighter. That level-headed approach is likely to be a key element in Nicolson reaching her full potential.

“It definitely wasn’t my best performance, but I feel I have learned so much from that experience. Just being back in the gym this past week I already feel like a completely different fighter.” Nicolson told me, a fighter already making the necessary adjustments behind closed doors.

After breeding through her first five fights virtually untouched Nicolson could be forgiven for being led into a false sense of security by the effortless way she had begun her career. But Alvarez has taught her a valuable lesson for what lies ahead:

“It’s the realisation that what I do won’t work against every style of opponent. Although I will probably not come up against someone like Alvarez again, there will be styles that I will struggle against and I will need to adapt and change and have other tactics to use when something isn’t working. It wasn’t what I was doing wasn’t working, but what I did for the first five rounds I couldn’t do for the final five rounds against someone who literally didn’t slow down.”

Before it got a little tougher than expected it looked as though the Australian would record her first stoppage victory as a professional. In truth, there looked like several levels between the pair as Alvarez was peppered with unanswered shots and she looked clumsy in comparison to the classy Nicolson in the opening few rounds. The newly crowned WBC Silver featherweight champion also thought the inside the distance would come her way:

“I honestly thought I would get the stoppage as well. I thought all the shots I was hitting her with would slow her down, but they didn’t and I got more and more tired. I definitely learned a lot about keeping my shape even when I am tired and just experiencing things I hadn’t before. I hadn’t got out of first or second gear in my first five fights so it was good to have to empty the tank in that fight.”

After a week away from the rigours of a boxing gym and the sport as a whole, a much-needed rest for body and mind, Nicolson returned to working on those improvements. The disappointment and frustration are obvious as she goes through the fight again in her mind, akin to a little bit of online therapy. But as she relays her words, Nicolson is aware it was the type of fight she needs, a little wake-up call for what is to come. Very quickly she already feels like a completely different fighter from the one we saw in the iconic Madison Square Garden last month:

“Literally this last week, and I don’t know why and I can’t really explain it but I have come on leaps and bounds. I honestly think it was to do with that last fight. It almost felt like a loss because of my performance and what I know I am capable of and not being able to showcase that. It was quite negative and sad in the changing room after the fight as if I had lost the fight. You are on the biggest stage in the world in Madison Square Garden and you only get that one chance to show what you can do. Obviously, it is win at all costs and in a few years’ time it will be just another W.”

A lot of the confidence Nicolson has in her own ability not only comes from her extensive 150+ fight amateur career but also from sparring with the best fighters in her sport, and that plays no little part in her frustration from the Alvarez fight:

“I am sparring with the best girls in the world, world champions and some who are regarded as the best prospects in the sport. And it is just frustrating that I didn’t get to showcase what I have been showing in the gym against girls of that level against an opponent who is a lower level than the ones I have been sparring with in the gym. That’s the most frustrating part but at the end of the day, you can only beat the girl that is put in front of you. I honestly believe if I had any other girl in front of me that night I would have put on a career-best performance. Her style was all wrong for me and because of my lack of experience as a pro, I wasn’t able to see openings and things that I could have done differently for it not to be the fight it was. And when I got more tired my punches became more looping shots instead of down the middle like they were in the early rounds. I think that was because of how exhausted I was as a result of her relentless pressure. But there have been bits and pieces that I have been drilling with the boys in the gym and I wish I had done them in the fight. It’s just the small changes that will make such a big difference. If I was to fight the girl again I would fight her very differently.

“It has opened my eyes in that even though I have all these amazing performances in the gym against the best girls, I still need those development rounds and those learning fights. It’s not like I have avoided those kinds of fights it’s just that I have been in this mad rush to take over my division. But after that fight, I just think I need to slow things down a little bit and develop myself properly because of the things I want to achieve.”

Nicolson is looking to fight next in April, with names already in the frame. A familiar name to most the preferred option for her next outing, but whoever is confirmed, Nicolson will look to show the fruits of her labour from the last few weeks:

“We are looking at a 6-8 rounder in April a learning fight, so we can try and put into practice and show what we have been doing in the gym. A similar opponent to the last one, I don’t want to be taking big steps backwards. We want an opponent that suits my style but also allows me to try new things in a fight and show what we do in the gym.”

Boxing Twitter is an ungoverned world, and one with seemingly no filter or boundaries. Nicolson has suffered more than most in recent times with comments about her last fight and extending into other aspects of her life. It’s not been easy, or pleasant, but with the mute and block buttons getting regular work, Nicolson has learned to escape from the online abuse and take the positives from it also:

“I was actually harder on myself than any comment I read online. So it didn’t really affect me. In fact, there were so many positive comments and it got me thinking that it wasn’t so bad. I have really learned to block out the Social Media bullshit and I have had almost no choice to do that because you can’t read into that shit it will just eat at you and make life really shit and I have a really good life. I am really happy I love my life. And obviously, all these people that are writing all this shit are not obviously living their best lives, so I feel sorry for them. It’s worse on Twitter. People are so brutal on there. You can write what you want and nobody is held accountable. I think that is the worst part, you can hide behind a fake profile and a fake picture and write things that you wouldn’t say to your worst enemy. I have learned to just block all the negative stuff out and my block list keeps growing and growing. I took a bit of a Social Media break after my fight. I was very present in the moment having some downtime with the family. I think it’s nice to give yourself that reality check and think this is real life and everything on there isn’t. I think I need that more often than what I give myself. There is a lot of mean stuff out there but there are also a lot of positive comments as well. There are a lot of amazing supporting people on Twitter but there is a percentage that live very sad lives and ruins it.”

The experience of the Alvarez fight hasn’t dimmed that natural confidence in Nicolson:

“I don’t doubt myself at all. I 100% believe I can beat the best girls. I know that but I also know there is this important part of developing and becoming a seasoned pro. I understand that now. I was kind of naive last year thinking I could skip all the 6 and 8-rounders and give me 10-rounders and give me anyone. While I know I can beat the best girls I also know I need those learning rounds and be prepared for anything and anything. A few learning fights in my first ten fights as a pro is more than reasonable. I’m really enjoying just being a student, taking it all in and trying new things. If you are not learning, you are not getting better. I am really excited to show people what I can really do.”

Despite the intention to slow things down a little, it won’t be for long if things play out the way Nicolson would like. The reign as the WBC Silver title-holder looks like being an incredibly short one. With talk of Amanda Serrano possibly vacating at least some part of her undisputed status and focussing on bigger fights elsewhere, although, that is by no means guaranteed, Nicolson could be very in line for a world title fight before the year is out. FightPost is of the understanding that Nicolson will soon be installed as the mandatory challenger for the WBC Interim title, which could then lead to a world title shot proper regardless of what Serrano does or doesn’t do in the featherweight division.

One bad night at the office doesn’t make a bad fighter. And that bad night at the office was still a comprehensive victory over a previously undefeated fighter. Crucially, Nicolson knows what she needs to put right, and also, what she actually did right against the tough Spanish fighter. Win or learn, that tired old line that gets thrown around far too easily when a fighter gets beat. But not enough fighters use it when they win. It’s too easy to focus on the good and ignore what needs to be done. Nicolson has gone from being one of the best prospects in the sport to being on the brink of a world title shot before 2023 has run its course. That change in trajectory has come incredibly quickly, but after her troublesome night in New York, Nicolson is now better placed than ever to make good of that opportunity when it comes her way.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing