The Top Twenty British Female Fighters

The Top Twenty British Female Fighters

The Covid pandemic put a stop to virtually everything in 2020. Life as we knew it came to a grinding halt. But when life began its new cycle, and sport found some semblance of life, women’s boxing found a place that wasn’t there previously.

When Boxing News ran a list of the top ten British female fighters of the time, the names on display were a sign of the times in many ways. Talented fighters for sure, but there was very little debate about any missing names. The lack of depth in the female code was obvious. Just three years later, the state of play is very different.

The likes of Terri Harper, Chantelle Cameron, Hannah Rankin, Ashley Brace, Savannah Marshall, Stacey Copeland, Kristen Fraser, Rachel Ball, Natasha Jonas and Cherrelle Brown graced the article. Half of those fighters are now sadly lost to the sport, but they have been replaced by a plethora of immensely talented fighters. With so many more waiting in the wings. The lack of depth that we saw in 2020 is very much a thing of the past.

The list below isn’t definitive, and as ever in such lists, it is a matter of opinion. Some will argue the order of the named fighters. Others will passionately ask why some fighters are not in the top ten or even not mentioned at all. The fact that we can even have that kind of debate shows the extent of the progress of the female side of the sport.

1: Chantelle Cameron (18-1)

Despite suffering her first career defeat at the hands of Katie Taylor and losing her undisputed super-lightweight baubles in the process, it is extremely difficult not to place Chantelle Cameron at the top of this list. The Northampton fighter showed her class in May, where she inflicted the first-ever professional defeat on the resume of Taylor. And she did it in Dublin. The importance of that victory and the manner of it shouldn’t be forgotten.

The rematch didn’t go her way, but it was another close fight, and Cameron could quite rightly feel aggrieved about a number of issues. Talk of a trilogy fight with Taylor next year at Croke Park is in play, but Taylor or not, Cameron still has a big future ahead of her. The best years of Chantelle Cameron are still to come.

2: Natasha Jonas (14-2-1)

Natasha Jonas might be nearing the end of a career that has amassed four world titles across two weight divisions, but the reigning IBF welterweight champion looks set to add a little bit more tinsel to her quite remarkable resume. Jonas will fight the American Mikaela Mayer early next year, and a victory in her home city could quite easily land her an even bigger name in what could be the final fight of her career. Don’t rule out a fight with Chantelle Cameron if Jonas overcomes Mayer in Liverpool on January 20th. One day, there will be a book, but you sense there are a few more chapters left to write.

3: Savannah Marshall (13-1)

The big-punching Savannah Marshall has had a frustrating time since she lost to her great rival Claressa Shields just over a year ago at the O2 Arena in London on the famous night. Marshall has only fought once since, winning the undisputed super-middleweight titles courtesy of a points victory over Franchon Crews Dezurn in July. Marshall will hope that once she returns from injury, 2024 will be a lot more productive for her. Chasing a rematch with Shields will undoubtedly be at the top of her wish list.

4: Ellie Scotney (8-0)

On sheer talent alone, Ellie Scotney could arguably be the best female fighter in the country. The IBF super-bantamweight champion is unbeaten in eight fights, and after winning her title from Cherneka Johnson in June and then successfully defending her title not long after, Scotney will seek unification fights next year. A fighter who is still probably a little underappreciated by the masses needs a willing dance partner to bring out the best in her.

5: Sandy Ryan (6-1-1)

Sandy Ryan has recovered from an early setback in her career and leaves 2023 holding the WBO welterweight title. But it could and should have been more. A unification fight with the American Jessica McCaskill was akin to daylight robbery. Ryan looked to have won beyond doubt, but somehow McCaskill left Orlando with a thoroughly underserved draw in September, and hopes of an immediate rematch have initially faded. Ryan wants McCaskill again in 2024. Boxing owes her that, at least.

6: Nina Hughes (6-0)

The WBA bantamweight champion Nina Hughes has spent much of this year chasing a fight with the IBF champion Ebanie Bridges. The Australian will make her return from injury next weekend, and Hughes will watch on with much interest. It seems an easy fight to make, and it would be a travesty if the unification fight didn’t happen at some point in the forthcoming twelve months. Hughes saw a fight with Shannon Courtenay also fall by the wayside, and she had to settle for a points win over late-replacement Katie Healy in June. At 41, Hughes knows it’s now or never for her. A talented fighter who needs and deserves a really big fight.

7: Terri Harper (14-1-2)

Terri Harper heads into 2024 as the WBA super-welterweight champion of the world, but with the lack of big names in the 154 division, her fighting future probably lies elsewhere in the long term. The former world super-featherweight champion, like her rival Jonas, moved up multiple weight divisions and while Harper was successful in winning a world title, she will almost certainly follow Jonas back down to a more natural weight class. Harper still wants a rematch with Jonas but with the Liverpool fighter showing no interest, and another target Mikaela Mayer booked up for 2024 if she beats Jonas in January, Harper will likely look to Sandy Ryan for an available big name next year. Unifications at 154 are still of interest, and while her talent will likely see her through, it is not a weight division where she belongs. The best of Terri Harper will be seen in the welterweight division where there is plenty of willing fighters with the talent and the prestige to match.

8: Caroline Dubois (8-0)

Caroline Dubois has the potential to be the next superstar of her sport. The IBO world lightweight champion has seemingly been calling out any fighter in and around her weight division. Even Katie Taylor is on her radar. Dubois will likely need a lot of patience while her division plays out, and the world lightweight titles with a little more meaning become available. Dubois wants the big fights right now. They may come a little later than what she wants, but when they do that, IBO bauble will surely have a little more company on her resume. Dubois is only 22 and could quite easily be the future of women’s boxing.

9: Rhiannon Dixon (9-0)

From a base of very little, the former White Collar fighter Rhiannon Dixon is now on the verge of very big things. Matched impeccably, the Commonwealth and European lightweight champion is maybe only one or two fights away from a world title opportunity. Dixon is by far the most improved fighter on this list and is still some way off her peak. Like Dubois, Dixon will likely have to wait until Taylor vacates or loses some or all of her undisputed titles, but when they become available, she will be in prime position to fight for them. Dixon is a fighter very much on the rise, and her ceiling could be unlimited.

10: Lauren Price (5-0)

Lauren Price already has an Olympic gold medal to her name, and the British welterweight champion is in a hurry to add world glory as a professional. That maiden tilt at a world title should come in 2024. Price is targeting the winner of Natasha Jonas and Mikaela Mayer, and before the year ends she will likely get her wish granted. Despite her limited professional experience to date, Price should not be overlooked.

The top ten is laced with talent, and an argument could be made that some of the fighters listed below in the bottom half of the list could also feature in the top ten.

11: Raven Chapman
12: Karriss Artingstall
13: Hannah Rankin
14: Chloe Watson
15: Shannon Ryan
16: Maisey Rose Courtney
17: Lauren Parker
18: Emma Dolan
19: Dee Allen
20: Tysie Gallagher

Raven Chapman and Karriss Artingsall are set for a big twelve months ahead, and the featherweight rivals could even share a ring together. The recently crowned European flyweight champion Chloe Watson has a ready-made challenger in Maisey Rose Courtney. Emma Dolan will look to add the British super-flyweight title to her Commonwealth bauble when she meets the unbeaten Shannon Ryan next year, and the new European champion Lauren Parker will watch with much interest. The sport will grow further with such fights. Hannah Rankin will come again, and Tysie Gallagher has proven herself in world-class, and despite her recent defeat on away soil for the WBO super-bantamweight title, that won’t be her last attempt for world honours. Dee Allen is another recently crowned European champion and has made no secret of her desire to fight the big names at welterweight. Any of those names could be sitting in the top ten this time next year.

The former world champion Shannon Courtenay has been inactive of late, but if that changes in 2024, she could still make another run at a world title. As could Katie Healy after her loss to Nina Hughes. That fight probably came too soon for her. But there is even more talent coming through the ranks. If they get the right fights to take their careers to the next level, Tori-Ellis Willetts and Bree Wright could both have a big year ahead of them. Georgia O’Connor and Louise Orton have both suffered from inactivity this year, but they both have talent and deserve a change of luck in 2024. Harli Whitwell is only three fights in at lightweight, but she is another fighter with much promise. Nicola Barke and Megan Redstall will be fighters to watch in the coming months. Nicola Hopewell was far from disgraced in losing to Emma Dolan at super-flyweight. A move to flyweight will serve her well. A fight with Chloe Watson or Maisey Rose Courtney could be in her immediate future. The 15-year-old prodigy Rianna Doforo is up and running after a recent win in Mexico. Her 2024 will be interesting, in many ways.

The current professional roster will be enhanced with further additions, and the elite amateur Hannah Robinson will make her professional debut early in 2024. The Jamie Moore-trained fighter is a big-time prospect and will likely be moved quickly next year. Roha Hudson is another extremely interesting addition to the professional ranks. Hudson will make her debut in 2024 also.

There is another batch of fighters you can quite easily add to the names already mentioned. More elite amateurs will turn over in 2024 once the current Olympic cycle has been completed. A lot has changed in the three years since that Boxing News article. A side of the sport that once struggled for acceptance and recognition is now entering a true golden era. And you sense they are just getting started. 

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing/Boxxer