Nina Hughes: A Brand New Start

Nina Hughes: A Brand New Start

A near year-long hiatus ends this weekend for Nina Hughes. The former amateur star returns for the first time since last June to defend her WBA bantamweight title against the former world super-bantamweight champion Cherneka Johnson.

Hughes (6-0) has made the long pilgrimage to Perth, Australia, to defend her WBA bauble against Johnson. A title defence that finally ends a period of much frustration for the British fighter. A career confined and put on hold due to the shackles of boxing politics.

Apart from a routine victory over the late substitute Katie Healy last June, the promised land of the Matchroom bubble didn’t quite work out for Hughes. A fight with the rival world champion Ebanie Bridges never materialised. A proposed fight with Shannon Courtenay was on and then off multiple times. Offers were made. Hughes said yes. But it takes two. The lack of a fight of any description nearly cost Hughes her WBA bauble. When Hughes signed a contract that promised everything. But ultimately, produced very little. The belt was seemingly more important than the person. Eventually, Hughes and Matchroom parted ways. Trust me, it had been coming.

The split with Matchroom was thankfully, swiftly followed by a hook-up with Lou DiBella, and soon after, Hughes finally got a date for her long-delayed return against a fighter who was last seen the night Hughes beat Healy at the Wembley Arena. Johnson lost her IBF super-bantamweight title to Ellie Scotney on points in a bloody affair. But the Australian will get an immediate opportunity to win another world title against Hughes. With a record of 15-2, Johnson carries far more professional experience into her fight with Hughes. But the greater amateur could prove a huge leveller. Maybe even more than that.

But Hughes will just be glad and more than a touch relieved to be back inside a boxing ring again. At 41, Hughes had a wasted 2023. The following twelve months can’t follow in the same direction. Nina Hughes will know time is not on her side. She can’t be sat on the sidelines any longer.

But the long-awaited return won’t be easy. Defending a world title on away soil against the hometown fighter is often fraught with danger. Hughes knows she will have to win beyond doubt. A little rumbling sideshow behind the scenes about the judges for her fight with Johnson epitomises the problems you sometimes face without the benefits of being the home fighter.

But Hughes has been here before. The win over the American Jamie Mitchell in 2022 to claim the WBA belt was unexpected to some. But the former Team GB standout always had a touch of class. Johnson might well find that she will need a little more than home advantage to once again call herself a world champion. The odds favour Hughes to retain her world title, and that does seem the sensible pick. If Hughes does get her seventh professional win, she will hope that all the inactivity of last year will not be repeated again this year. If any fighter deserves a change of luck, it’s Nina Hughes.

Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank