Fight Night For Harli Whitwell & Louise Orton

Fight Night For Harli Whitwell & Louise Orton

The ten years of age difference should determine the relevant progression in the advancement of their respective careers. But the way boxing can and so often does work has left Louise Orton at practically the same stage as a fighter ten years her junior.

Harli Whitwell at 23 has seen her professional career thrive with regular activity. Whitwell turned over in 2022 and has fought four times since. Orton turned professional in 2019 and has only two fights to her name. There must be some semblance of envy from Orton, wishing she had the same smooth ride in her early days in the pro ranks that her fellow British super-featherweight has been afforded.

Whitwell and Orton fight on the same card tonight in Brentwood. The latest offering from Top Tier Promotions. A small hall show with a big show feel. Johnny Clark is following the GBM Sports mantra and showing the sport can indeed shine away from the more established promoters who have the big TV deals and the money that comes with it.

Despite sharing the same spotlight, Whitwell and Orton have different aims and desires for 2024. Whitwell has time and plenty of it. Orton, at 33, doesn’t have the same luxury. Orton is the fighter who needs to move fast.

Whitwell will hope she will end the night unbeaten in five fights. Karina Szmalenberg, a Polish import with sixty defeats on her resume, will provide Whitwell with the vital rounds she needs as her career further advances. But several hours before that fifth career ring walk for Whitwell, Orton will be hoping that she can move to 3-0 with a win over the Chesterfield fighter Amy Greatorex.

Top Tier could be everything Orton has craved since 2019. A top-class amateur, turning professional, was supposed to bring the bright lights and more for a fighter who firmly believes that she should already be on the top table of her sport. But it hasn’t quite happened for her. An endless stream of fights being called off, some at incredibly short notice, have left Orton wondering if time has just passed her by. More than once, thoughts of walking away for good have been present.

But Orton has bravely fought back against the many obstacles that have come her way in the last five years. It might be one last push, but she is a fighter vowing to make up for lost time. Her obvious talent deserves its rightful platform. But it really is a case of now or never for Orton. A good win over Greatorex should give her something to build on for the remainder of the year.

Whitwell can move along at a more comfortable pace. A blue-chip prospect that seems destined for much bigger things. A fighter still very much learning on the job, but her performances have steadily improved. Last time out in February, Whitwell impressed in stopping Angelika Oles. Make no mistake, she like looked a serious prospect that night. Sooner rather than later, you suspect one of the bigger promoters will come calling.

The journeys of Harli Whitwell and Louise Orton may have greatly differed in reaching this point. But they could be heading in the same direction going forward. They have shared rounds together in sparring. They could, at some point, do it for real. Two talented, unbeaten, super-featherweight hopefuls that could trade blows for a British title before the year ends.

But that is what the future could look like, but tonight is about the present. Whitwell will look to continue her development. Orton will look to make a statement. Greatorex will not spoil looking to frustrate her opponent. She will fight in a manner that could show us what we have been missing in those lost years. Orton needs a performance for sure. But she might need a little slice of luck even more. Something that has been o crucially missing in her professional career to date. Hopefully, this is the night everything changes for her.