Megan Redstall: “I want my name to be in the mix alongside Emma Dolan, Lauren Parker, and Shannon Ryan.”

Megan Redstall: “I want my name to be in the mix alongside Emma Dolan, Lauren Parker, and Shannon Ryan.”

It was supposed to be an early Christmas present for Megan Redstall. The biggest fight of her life was only days away. Emma Dolan was due to defend her Commonwealth super-flyweight title against Redstall last month until illness forced Dolan to withdraw from the fight.

“I was absolutely gutted that the fight got cancelled, especially being so close to fight night,” a clearly disappointed Redstall told FightPost. “But these things happen, and Emma can’t help being unwell. Unfortunately, that’s how unpredictable the sport of boxing is. I just hope Emma recovers well, and we can talk about getting another fight date scheduled in the diary. I think we will make such an exciting fight, so I would love to get it rescheduled.”

Sadly, for the 23-year-old, it’s not the first time a fight has fallen through at the last minute. “I had quite a few shows last year, which I was all prepared for, and then either the entire show got cancelled or the opponent pulled out. It’s gutting and always is every single time, not just for me but you sell all the tickets and get friends and family all excited to then feel like you’ve let them down through no fault of your own. But like I said it’s part of the sport, and it can’t be helped.”

But there is a further, often untold consequence when fights fall through when that first bell is seemingly within touching distance. The financial cost of a training camp is rarely in the public domain. That could be taking time off from the day job, paying sparring partners, and nutritionists. I could go on. Not to mention the ongoing day-to-day physical and mental strains that boxing puts on its ever-loyal workers.

“It’s a sport that definitely has an impact on all aspects of your life,” Redstall says of her sport. “I primarily work full-time as a paramedic, which is hard enough work in itself. But I’m so lucky I have the support of my family and my partner, who I couldn’t thank enough for keeping me going and helping me achieve my dream.”

The late call that left Redstall without a pre-Christmas title fight that could have changed the whole trajectory of her boxing career is even more painful when she had the best training camp of her fighting life.

“I know every boxer says it before every fight, but leading up to this fight and even to the day it got cancelled, I had trained the smartest I ever had and developed so much as a boxer. That’s something I can take away from this. Yes, I didn’t get the opportunity to fight for the Commonwealth title, but it allowed me to add a little bit more to my armoury, and that’s something I can build upon even further going into the next fight. It’s all positive in my eyes.

“This was my opportunity to showcase myself on a big stage in front of everyone live on BoxNation and have that title shot I’ve been working on for so long. Emma is a fantastic and really tough fighter, and like I said, I think it had the grounds to be such an exciting and entertaining fight for both Emma and I and for everyone watching. It’s a step up but one that I feel I was ready to take.”

Redstall (3-0-1) is still hopeful that the fight with Emma Dolan can be rescheduled, with the all-female Boxxer card on March 7th of particular interest. “I know there are some big shows on the horizon like the Boxxer show at the Royal Albert Hall in March. What a stage to have this fight on. It would be all my dreams come true in many aspects for me and one that I hope is achievable.”

Megan Redstall heads into the new year with big plans. And with big names in her sight.
“I want an active year this year, and I want my name to be in the mix alongside Emma Dolan, Lauren Parker, and Shannon Ryan,” Redstall relayed to FightPost. “I’m ready to mix it up with everyone in my division.

“I want to have those belts around my waist, as I’m sure the majority of the fighters do. It’s why we turn up day in and day out to the boxing gym and train when we are tired and hungry and would much rather be chilling at home. I want to be an inspiration to those who are just beginning or yet to start their boxing journey. It is something that I would be extremely proud to achieve. I don’t think there’s anything more rewarding that to say you’ve inspired or helped someone kick start their dream.”