Nicola Hopewell: The Next Chapter

Nicola Hopewell: The Next Chapter

If Nicola Hopewell needs reminding that a first career defeat isn’t the end of her title aspirations, only the beginning, she can take inspiration from her friend Ebanie Bridges.

When Bridges lost her unbeaten record at the hands of Shannon Courtenay in 2021, many would have completely written her off from ever becoming a world champion. But less than a year later, the Australian was a world champion. For Bridges, that first reversal was just the start of her career.

Earlier this month, Hopewell lost her unbeaten record when she lost on points to Emma Dolan in Sheffield in a battle for the Commonwealth super-flyweight title. The Worksop fighter was far from disgraced, and with lessons learned and a move to a new weight division, that defeat could be the catalyst for her new beginning.

After a few weeks away, Hopewell is now back in the gym and already plotting her return. A comeback fight in December is a distinct possibility, and almost certainly, it will be at flyweight where her frame is a lot more suited. The inner circle has held those vital honest discussions about what’s next for Hopewell. Flyweight is where her future should lie.

Hopewell doesn’t cut weight, and she will be at a constant weight disadvantage come fight night if she remains at super-flyweight. With her talent, Hopewell will still find some success at super-flyweight, but the worry is that when she steps up in class, she will suffer the exact same fate that she did against Dolan. Hopewell fights pretty much at the same weight she weighs in at. Her opponents don’t. Once they fully rehydrate, Hopewell will have to give up a significant amount of weight come that first bell. At the highest level, that will be telling. Against Dolan, you could see the difference. In the ring, Hopewell felt it.

With a minimal weight cut at flyweight, Hopewell will be the one carrying the physical advantages against the vast majority of opponents that she will face in the lighter-weight division. Flyweight is where she belongs.

Despite that defeat to Dolan, there was still much encouragement that Hopewell still has a big future ahead. Going ten rounds for the first time as a professional and experiencing her first main event, Hopewell will be a much better fighter going forward. The post-fight analysis will bring changes to her preparation, and with a new weight division, titles can still be a part of her future.

December will likely bring a stay-busy fight, rebuilding confidence and momentum, and 2024 will be about getting back into the title picture. There are potentially two big domestic fights for Hopewell next year. Chloe Watson, who will soon challenge for the European title, and Maisey-Rose Courtney, who Hopewell beat in the amateur ranks, are two mouthwatering fights that could be made quite easily in the next twelve months. Flyweight will breathe new life into the career of Nicola Hopewell. Ebanie Bridges moved her career forward after that first reversal. Don’t rule out, Hopewell doing the same.

Photo Credit: GBM Sports