The Twelve Fighters of Christmas

The Twelve Fighters of Christmas

As 2023 ends towards the final bell, fighters will be looking forward to what lies ahead for 2024. Each of the fighters listed below will have different goals, and all will have titles of some description in their crystal balls.

Natasha Jonas:

It might be the final year in the sport for Natasha Jonas. A glittering career will likely come to an at some point in 2024. But Jonas isn’t done yet. Four world titles, a world champion at two different weights, but Jonas wants to sign out on a high.

On January 20th in her hometown, Jonas will start off the new year in some style. The former unified world super-featherweight champion Mikaela Mayer will head to Liverpool to challenge Jonas for her IBF world welterweight title. A big fight between two class acts that has every chance of being in the conversation for the fight of the year come this time next year. If Jonas prevails, she has even bigger goals ahead.

Mikaela Mayer:

Mikaela Mayer had a quiet 2023. A couple of stay-busy fights that didn’t satisfy her own lofty ambitions. But Mayer will start 2024 with a bang. A win over Jonas in Liverpool will give her career a new lease of life. Mayer has moved up through the weights to find an opportunity if she beats ‘Miss GB’, the likes of Chantelle Cameron, Sandy Ryan, and others will be on her hit list. January 20th is a fight of the utmost importance for the immediate fighting future of Mikaela Mayer.

Chantelle Cameron:

Despite losing her rematch to Katie Taylor last month in Dublin, Chantelle Cameron can still look forward to a prosperous 2024. Cameron is chasing a third fight with the Irish superstar, with their rivalry tied at one win apiece. In many ways, it is unfinished business. But Taylor or not, there are big fights elsewhere in the boxing world. Don’t rule out the winner of Jonas/Mayer being of much interest to Cameron.

Louise Orton:

Louise Orton turned professional in 2019; four years later, she has only fought twice. A multitude of reasons has restricted Orton to those two fights. She has suffered more than most. But her luck appears to be changing. It needs to.

Orton will look to be kept busy next year. She has a fight lined up already for February and the super-featherweight hopeful will hope she is in the title conversation by the time 2024 draws to a close.

Lauren Parker:

Lauren Parker has had an injury-hit year but she returned in style from her back injury to claim the European super-flyweight title and there are some very big fights out there for her in 2024. Emma Dolan, the Commonwealth Champion will soon fight Shannon Ryan for the inaugural British title, Parker will surely have eyes on the winner in a fight that could have three major titles on the line. But Parker has options with world titles an obvious route to target. A talented exciting future who could have a real breakthrough year next year.

Nina Hughes:

Nina Hughes, the WBA world bantamweight champion has had a frustrating year. A fight defending her title against Katie Healy in June was her only outing. Hughes has long targeted Ebanie Bridges for a unification fight before the Australian lost her IBF bauble recently in America. A proposed fight with Shannon Courtenay is still in play, but Hughes shouldn’t be made to wait until Courtenay declares that she is finally ready to face her. Hughes deserves better. A good fighter who just wants to fight and defend her world title. Why is that so difficult?

Linn Sandström:

Linn Sandström entered 2023 with real hope after an amazing career turnaround in 2022. The Brazilian-born super-flyweight had world titles on her mind, but a ruptured Achilles tendon stopped her in her tracks. But not for long. Sandström defied medical opinion and has returned to full training months in advance of her expected return. Talk of a big fight is doing the rounds for her return early in 2024. Very few fighters work harder than Sandström. A world title will justify all that hard work. Don’t rule it out.

Hannah Robinson:

The two-time National champion Hannah Robinson left the amateur ranks behind this year and only an injury has stopped her making her professional debut. But that maiden professional ringwalk will finally happen early next year. The highly-rated, highly-touted blue-chip prospect will add depth and quality to her sport and you sense she will be moved quickly in 2024. Jamie Moore already has Chantelle Cameron in his stable, and in Robinson, he may well have another star on his hands.

Rhiannon Dixon:

The former white-collar fighter has shown that hard work and natural ability can make up for a lack of experience. Rhiannon Dixon has impressively picked up the Commonwealth and European lightweight titles in 2023, and you would struggle to find a fighter that she isn’t capable of beating in the upper echelons of her division. The world lightweight titles will likely splinter next year, and Dixon will almost certainly fight for a version of the world title in 2024. Make no mistake, she is more than capable of winning it.

Nicola Hopewell:

Despite losing her unbeaten record to Emma Dolan in a losing bid for the Commonwealth super-flyweight title, Nicola Hopewell can still achieve plenty in her sport. A permanent move down to flyweight has long been overdue, the defeat to Dolan has prompted that decision to finally be made.

Hopewell will return in the first quarter of the year and intriguing fights with the likes of Chloe Watson and Maisey-Rose Courtney could be in her future. Flyweight is where she belongs, and in many ways, the loss to Dolan will make her a better fighter.

Ebanie Bridges:

Ebanie Bridges may have lost her world title to Miyo Yoshida, but only a fool would right off the Australian from another world title reign. Bridges has shown her resilience and toughness many times in her life, and she will likely return with a vengeance in 2024. The unexpected loss to Yoshida will lightly ignite a fire, and drive Bridges to further glories. Bridges has made a life out of proving people wrong, there is every chance she will do so again.

Skye Nicolson:

It has been a year of progress for Skye Nicolson. Thoughts of another Olympic run have been laid to rest. Her professional career will prosper because of it. The Commonwealth and WBC Interim featherweight champion will fight for the WBC title proper in 2024, the odds are that she will win it.

Nicolson has seen her dream fight with Amanda Serrano taken away from her, picking up the vacant WBC bauble will help her greatly in her quest to tempt Serrano into the ring with her. A fight between the two is the best fight in the division by some distance. The hope is, that at some point in the next year or so, it finally happens.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing/Boxxer