Megan Redstall: “I will reach the end goal of being a world champion, no matter how long it takes.”

Megan Redstall: “I will reach the end goal of being a world champion, no matter how long it takes.”

The unbeaten flyweight contender Megan Redstall returns to action this Saturday night in Bristol, hoping to make up for lost time after having only one fight since 2022. A win on Saturday night could push her closer to a title opportunity of some description in the latter part of this year.

Ahead of her fight this weekend, I caught up with Megan for a quick Q & A.

You must be incredibly excited to get back in the ring this coming weekend?

Words can not express how excited I am to get back in the ring this coming Saturday. I’ve been training incredibly hard as I always do, and the fight is the part where I get to relax and enjoy. At the end of the day, it is all about having fun in there and the day when you walk out of that ring and did not have the time of your life is when you need to give it up. So yes, excitement is an understatement. Having all the support of my family, friends, and work colleagues on the night is just so amazing, and I couldn’t be more thankful for everyone’s support throughout the start of my professional journey. The show is a relatively local show to my hometown, so that just adds to the excitement that I feel. 

You’ve been largely inactive of late. What are the reasons behind only having one fight since 2022?

Being inactive has been something that is definitely not what I wanted to do. It’s been massively frustrating, but I needed to get my university degree completed and qualify as a paramedic. The degree was a full-time job in itself it and required high amounts of time and hours to complete assignments, placement hours, and exams. I was still training throughout this period and in the gym every evening (I don’t think I could ever not train) but I’m the type of person that I like to put my all into something so when in camp leading up to a fight. I like to dedicate all my focus/attention and time to training and preparation to make sure I can be the best fighter I can possibly be when stepping into that ring. 

It must be incredibly frustrating not to fight more often?

It is very frustrating not being able to fight more often. But I try to flip it and make it a positive. I’m still a professional boxer and working myself up the ranks and I will reach the end goal of being a world champion, no matter how long it takes. I also do not want to rush and make mistakes. I’d rather take my time and reach the top by doing it when I’m ready and being the best athlete I can be. 

You returned in December, and after a winning start to your professional career, you got your first blemish on your record courtesy of a draw. What are your thoughts on that fight?

That was a great learning fight for me. Although having that perfect record appears/sounds great, the learning/reflection and improvements that I have taken away from that fight have been far more valuable to me than any win on the record. After reflecting back on the fight, I got drawn into a ‘fight’ which I proved I can do, but I’m a ‘boxer’ and enjoy using my footwork and skills rather than standing there and scrapping. Don’t get me wrong – when needed, I can plant those feet and stand in the pocket – but isn’t the motto of boxing ‘to be hit and not get hit.’

You are still only 22. You’ve still got to be excited about your future?

I turn 23 tomorrow, and I am still so young in the sport. I’m most excited to see the growth that is yet to come as myself as a fighter. I don’t feel that I’ll ever stop learning/developing/improving within the sport, even when you reach the top in this sport. There is always someone chasing you, so you have to be constantly improving and developing yourself as a fighter. I think that’s one of the most exciting things about boxing. You can never become complacent, and there will always be that element of excitement and intrigue to learn more. Another thing that I am excited about is developing myself as my own individual fighter. I study other boxers and trail their skills and styles within my own boxing, taking different little parts of other boxers and incorporating them into my own. 

What are your aims going forward? How far can you go?

My aim is going forward is to win this fight at the weekend, and then I would like to look for a title fight. My aim is to be a world champion one day, so getting a few titles like a Commonwealth title under my belt and then I then strive for that world title.

Your division is very exciting domestically with the likes of Maisey-Rose Courtney, Chloe Watson, and Nicola Hopewell, who recently claimed the Commonwealth flyweight title. You’ve been linked with fighting Hopewell before. Are you still interested in that fight?

Most definitely, I think that a fight between Nicola and I will be a very exciting fight and one to watch. I hope that this fight can be one for the near future and a fight that I would be very keen to push for. I think the division is very exciting at the moment and is a highlight in the media at the moment which is such a positive and I can’t wait to be mixing it up in there with the likes of Nicola, Courtney and Watson – I think we will all make some very exciting fights. 

Tell me about your job as a paramedic? 

So I qualified as a paramedic two years ago now. It was a three-year university degree, which, as I previously mentioned, consisted of multiple assignments, exams, and placement. We work twelve-hour shifts (if we’re lucky enough to finish on time), which we normally do for four in a row depending on my rota which includes days and nights. It can be a very challenging job but also very rewarding and a role that I feel very privileged to be able to help people in their highest time of need.