Nicola Hopewell: “Dolan is coming across as quite vocal. I will just do my talking on fight night.”

Nicola Hopewell: “Dolan is coming across as quite vocal. I will just do my talking on fight night.”

By Lewie Laing

“I am fighting for the Commonwealth title so early in my career, and I’m looking forward to it,” says Nicola Hopewell, who is preparing for her first title fight as a professional.

On October 6th, Nicola Hopewell (3-0) will challenge Emma Dolan (5-0) for her Commonwealth super-flyweight title in Sheffield. Hopewell has been out of the ring since February of this year, in which she recorded the third win of her professional career. 

It has been a frustrating time for the Worksop fighter who had planned on being active throughout 2023, but this is boxing, and unfortunately, things rarely go to plan for the fighters of this sport. Politics involving those who have never laced up the gloves often halts fights taking place at the best of times, and common sense is always avoided to the detriment of everyone involved, the fighters most of all. 

Thanks to GBM sports, The fight between Hopewell and Dolan finally got a concrete date after months of it being on and then being off, much to the delight of the challenger, who has had her eye on boxing for titles since she turned professional.

“I’ve wanted this shot for a long time now. When it first got mentioned that Dolan was boxing for the Commonwealth title, there was a lot of noise that I should be the first defence. There’s been a lot of frustration leading up to this fight. There have been fight dates, and they got pushed back two or three times. It’s been dragging on since April or May time. GBM has the fight now and has a date. Once that date was set with them, it made things so much easier because I know they don’t mess around. They deliver.”

Last time FightPost spoke to Hopewell, titles were on her mind, but so was being active. The majority of this year has not quite gone to the plan Hopewell was hoping for. However, she is not one for sitting and waiting for things to come to her. Instead, Hopewell has used her time to invest in herself and her development as a fighter, gaining new skills and knowledge while pushing herself in regular sparring with highly talented opposition. Hopewell sees it as time well spent and is looking at the positives rather than missed time in the ring under the lights. 

Hopewell will travel around half an hour on fight night, followed by an army of loyal supporters from Worksop and the surrounding areas of Sheffield. Hopewell’s profile is ever-growing and is impressive for a fighter who is in the infancy of their professional career. Although Hopewell will be walking to the ring as the challenger, it will not feel that way inside the Park Community Arena, and she is looking forward to the event and the fight in equal measure. 

“I like to be active, and I’m better when I am active. Instead of fighting, I’ve been getting good sparring in. I’ve sparred with Lauren Parker and Amy Greatorex, so it hasn’t been a bad thing, I’ve been getting the rounds in and adding to my skill set. Camp is going smoothly, and I feel ahead of where I should be at this point. I’ve been putting the time and effort in, travelling to Essex for sparring, which is quite a trek for me, but they are invaluable rounds, and it will all pay off on fight night. You have to be patient in boxing. Sometimes you can rush things or things don’t come when you want them to, but I think the time out of the ring has benefitted me, and I’ve added to my game.

“I have wanted to fight for titles, I am fighting for the Commonwealth title so early in my career, and I’m looking forward to it and looking forward to the night as a whole. GBM shows are like small hall shows but with a big show feel. It’s only a short journey from where I live, so even though I’m the challenger, I will feel like the home fighter in a way that I think will work to my advantage. Tickets have sold really well, probably the best I’ve had so far in my career.”

There has been a press conference for the up-and-coming promotion topped by Reece Mould (18-1) who faces Martin McDonagh (12-2) over 10 rounds, in which Hopewell and Dolan were face to face and words went back and forth. There was a slight clash of personalities on the face of it, but Hopewell insists she will let her performance do the talking on fight night and that Dolan has been talking a lot more than she usually does. 

While contending with a training camp for the biggest fight and opportunity of her career, Hopewell has sadly been made redundant from her job and has had to adapt and manage life while still maintaining full focus on the task at hand. Life often throws punches in bunches, but Hopewell has taken it in her stride and is looking forward to the fight and also the next chapter of her life.

“I’m excited for the fight. I’m excited to see what Emma is going to bring on the night. We’ve had a press conference, and that’s hyped the fight a bit. She doesn’t seem to think I have a very good amateur career. I’m not sure where she got that from as it’s probably on par with hers. Is she trying to get in my head or convince herself, I don’t know. Dolan is coming across as quite vocal. I will just do my talking on fight night. Dolan has told me she is going to give me a good hiding, which isn’t very classy. You don’t hear Katie Taylor or Amanda Serrano saying stuff like that. I haven’t heard her being this vocal for other fights, but I’ll leave her to it.

“I had just been made redundant a month or so ago, with this fight coming up. I could have gone straight in with the stresses of another job and started somewhere new instantly. Instead, I’ve taken a step back and just focused on this fight. I know I’ll get by somehow, and thankfully, I have managed to find another job that I will start after this fight. They have been so supportive of me already, which really helps.”

Hopewell is not looking past her up-and-coming fight with Dolan but acknowledges that a win could open up new avenues to explore as well as build her fighter profile. Hopewell is keeping her feet on the ground and her eyes firmly on the target in front of her, eager to get her hands on her first professional title.

Winning a first title would not only be a personal feat but also history-making for the town of Worksop, which would see its first-ever boxing champion should Hopewell get her hand raised on fight night. It is an achievement that Hopewell knows would make a huge difference to her hometown and the people in it. She is often in the local community, speaking to youngsters and giving back to the town that supports her. 

 “I’m not looking past this fight. I feel like Dolan has been almost pushing me aside and calling other people out. I’m not doing that, but I know what a win would do for me, boost me up the rankings and get me other opportunities so there’s a lot on the line.

“I feel like this fight and getting the win will open doors to bigger fights and bigger platforms. No one from Worksop has ever boxed for a title before. I do work in the local community, the kid’s football teams and stuff like that, and I feel like if I can bring the title back and show the young people of Worksop what hard work can get you and hopefully give the next generation some encouragement.”

Photo Credit: Astraea Media