Tysie Gallagher vs. Tori-Ellis Willetts: A Double-Title Showdown With Major Implications

Tysie Gallagher vs. Tori-Ellis Willetts: A Double-Title Showdown With Major Implications

I’ve been extremely critical of late. After all the progress over the last few years, the female side of the sport is at somewhat of a crossroads. Interest from some of the major promoters seems to be waning. Fight dates are seemingly in decline. We see something akin to a WWE Royal Rumble when rumours of a space on an upcoming card do the rounds.

But scratch beneath the surface of the bright lights, there are fights of much intrigue being made despite the many talented women having to swim once again against the tide.

Tysie Gallagher will defend her British and Commonwealth super-bantamweight titles against the unbeaten Tori-Ellis Willetts on a GBM Sports promotion on September 27th in Sheffield. A fight that starts a mini celebration of women’s boxing that weekend. The fight between Gallagher and Willetts will be followed a few hours later by two enticing world title fights featuring Sandy Ryan and Mikaela Mayer in New York and Rhiannon Dixon defending her WBO world lightweight title against Terri Harper at the Sheffield Arena just twenty-four hours after the fight for the British and Commonwealth baubles has been settled.

Gallagher and Willetts will begin the festivities at the Canon Medical Arena. A fight that has the look of a show stealer. A fight that could see the winner move on to challenge for world titles in 2025.

Tysie Gallagher (8-2) has already graced the world stage. A wafer-thin defeat to Segolene Lefebvre for the WBO super-bantamweight title last year showed that she very much belongs on that type of stage. Gallagher has won two fights since, including a points decision over Stevi Levy in May. A fight that added the inaugural British title to her collection. A win over the former GB Boxing standout would push Gallagher within touching distance of another crack at a world title.

But Gallagher will be facing a fighter who, from the very first day, she turned professional last year wanted, demanded even, nights like this. She wanted to be fast-tracked. It might have taken a little longer than what she would have ideally wanted, but on that Friday night in Sheffield, Willetts finally has her moment of truth. Willetts is now five fights in, and she oozes confidence that the fight with Gallagher will be her coming-out party.

GBM Sports deserves credit for investing in fights like this. Gallagher and Willetts even more so. Both fighters could have made their excuses and gone elsewhere. The winner will obviously move on, but the loser can most definitely come again.

The final weekend in September could give the female side of the sport a nice little boost when perhaps it’s most needed. Hannah Robinson, a former teammate of Willetts in Sheffield and another blue-chip prospect, also fights that weekend at the York Hall in London.

Gallagher and Willetts both have extensive and impressive amateur resumes and with so much at stake in their ten-round double-title showdown, they could serve up a nice little warm-up for the world title fights that will follow their exploits. It might get a little lost with the likes of Ryan, Mayer, Dixon, and Harper fighting soon after. But the fight between Tysie Gallagher and Tori-Ellis Willetts, hopefully, gets the attention it deserves.