Louise Orton vs. Amy Greatorex: A Fight of Mutual Convenience

Louise Orton vs. Amy Greatorex: A Fight of Mutual Convenience

It was a return to the familiar and the usual frustration last week for Louise Orton. Another fight week went without reward for perhaps Britain’s unluckiest fighter.

Orton was due to have her third professional fight at the York Hall on Saturday night, but when her scheduled imported opponent pulled out a few days prior, it left no time to secure a replacement. Not for the first time, Orton found herself announcing her fight had been cancelled. She has been here before. Too many times.

‘People don’t understand what this does to a boxer. All the hard work and sacrifices made throughout camp to then end up not fighting! My heart aches and I’m more than deflated, to say the least. How many times do I have to dust myself off and pick myself up to carry on chasing my dream?’ The words of a fighter who has been broken like this far too many times previously.

The unbeaten super-featherweight prospect turned professional in 2019 with big expectations. An ambitious fighter who was aiming high. Very high. When Terri Harper was the unified world super-featherweight champion, Orton felt she could beat her.

“Terri Harper is the number one in my weight division, and she is the one who I am looking for. I believe I can beat her right now.” Orton told me in 2021 a year before her professional debut.

But it would be three years after signing professional terms before Orton would make that maiden professional ring walk. Two years on, she has only fought once more. Unlucky doesn’t cover it. The financial cost of a training camp that comes without an end product is one thing. But the emotional cost is far worse. An unseen trauma that can’t be seen only felt. Orton has suffered more than most. Endless fight cancellations have more than taken their toll. Last week was a return to the norm.

But on April 27th, Orton will try again. Another roll of the dice of the emotions. This time, it comes with a little more hope.

This observer has always struggled to understand the need to import expensive opponents from abroad that offer very little in the way of opposition and are seemingly prone to pulling out of fights at short notice, especially when there are far better options on UK soil. Orton will probably be saying a little prayer of thanks that her next scheduled opponent resides in the UK. Her chances of actually fighting on April 27th are now much better because of it.

Orton will dust herself off again in April to fight Amy Greatorex at the Brentwood Centre in Essex on a Top Tier Promotion.

Greatorex is perfect in many ways for the latest Louise Orton relaunch. A fighter who understands the struggles of an aspiring professional boxer as much as Orton does. Maybe even more so. An unflattering record of 1-5 hides plenty. Fights taken on the road just to earn some semblance of a wage have left her resume on the reverse. She is almost certainly a better fighter than her record would indicate.

But next month, Greatorex could crown herself a champion. A fight with Beccy Ferguson in March, a previous opponent, could end with Greatorex the new Midlands Area super-featherweight champion. A win over the unbeaten Orton a month later, and the Amy Greatorex story will look very different. She will come to Brentwood with plenty of ambition. The perfect foil for Orton. Unlike previously scheduled opponents, Greatorex will actually turn up. Orton will appreciate that, at the very least. It is most definitely a fight of mutual convenience. Both Orton and Greatorex deserve better than their sport has given them so far. The bright lights from elsewhere hide many a story that many don’t see. Or don’t want to see.

But while both fighters can advance their careers significantly in April, it is Orton who will be favoured to do so. But under no circumstances, should Greatorex be underestimated.

The hook-up with Top Tier and Johnny Clark could very easily be everything that Orton has been looking for since 2019. A small hall show with a big show feel they are most definitely going places. Orton will hope she goes with them. Rising star Harli Whitwell features on the same Brentwood show. A win for both could see the two meet later this year in a fight between two unbeaten British prospects. Make no mistake, a fight between Louise Orton and Harli Whitwell could grace any stage. A proper fight between two class acts. A British title wouldn’t be out of place. The winner could move themselves into some very big fights down the road.

But Whitwell or not, 2024 could very well be the year everything changes for Orton. A change of luck that has been a long time coming. Hopefully, this is not another false dawn for a fighter who is fast running out of time. And patience. It really could be a case of now or never. It should be now.