Georgia Klein: “As I got older, I had to make a choice and chose boxing over football, I thought I’d try boxing and see where it takes me. It ended up becoming my life.”

Georgia Klein: “As I got older, I had to make a choice and chose boxing over football, I thought I’d try boxing and see where it takes me. It ended up becoming my life.”

Women’s boxing has been on somewhat of a meteoric rise over the last few years, offering up competitive match-ups and world title chances for some fighters in less than 10 fights.

One fighter hoping to create opportunities of her own is Sheffield’s Georgia Klein (2-0) who returns to the ring in March looking for the third win of her professional career. Klein will take on the experienced Amy Greatorex (1-11), in a lightweight bout scheduled for 4 rounds. 

Records can often be deceiving in boxing and Klein is under no illusion that her upcoming bout with Greatorex will be a step up from her previous two fights even with Greatorex on a 7-fight losing streak.

“I think it will be a step up, Amy is a tougher opponent, she will come forward and want to fight. I know Amy has fought Stevi Levy and me and Stevi used to train together so I know Amy will be up for it.”

Klein is new to the professional ranks and while boxing is forever at the forefront of her mind, has to juggle working full-time with training and all the demands that professional boxing brings with it, a lot of which often goes unseen.

Professional boxing and amateur boxing are often described as two entirely different sports and Klein is finding out as time goes by, that the differences are night and day but is happy to grind it out with the aim of boxing becoming her full-time job.

“My fight camps have been around seven or eight weeks which has taken some getting used to compared to the amateur set-up. And then having to sell tickets just to pay for my opponent which you don’t think about, especially when you aren’t a big name and you are new to the professional game. I am trying to get my name out there but it is tough. Everyone sees the fight and the result but no one sees the working full time, training, ticket sales finding sponsors, there is so much that goes into boxing that people don’t even think about. 

“Camp has been great, it’s been handwork but I am pushing myself and making sure I am in top condition. I work full-time at an outdoor nursery and then train on top of that so it is hard. Physically I have to do this because I want boxing to be my full-time job. It’s mentally and physically testing but I feel like I balance it well. I give myself a couple of rest days and downtime.”

Klein’s decision to turn professional in 2024 was partly due to the lack of bouts she was able to be involved in due to her experience. Klein won the Yorkshire belt and after almost 40 fights, decided that it was the right time to leave the amateur game behind and chase her dreams in the paid ranks. 

While some things have changed from Klein’s amateur days now that she is a professional, one constant is the coaching team she has been with since she started boxing at school. There is a bond and understanding between Klein and her two coaches that she feels can’t be found elsewhere, a trust and honesty that can’t be bought and Klein knows this will pay off as she journeys through her professional career.

“My coach didn’t put me out there too much as an amateur, as a lot of amateur boxers look each other up so we tried to keep under the radar. I was a junior national champion, had almost 40 amateur fights, was on the England squad and I won the Yorkshire belt. After winning the Yorkshire belt, it was starting to become difficult to get bouts because of my experience and it was either waiting around for championships and wasting time or going pro. Once I won that belt I just thought let’s go for it. 

“I am still with the same coaches from the amateurs, Roger Sampson and Gary Wilson, they’ve known me since I was a little kid. We have a great relationship, they tell me when I am not training hard enough, they do not sugarcoat anything and tell me the truth which is good. I do what they tell me to do, I watch bits of my opponents but I focus on myself and do everything I need to do and that will all pay off in the ring.”

Every person who enters a boxing gym, and puts on a pair of boxing gloves has a reason for doing so, a reason often unknown at the time. Boxing has a way of luring many through its ropes where some find an escape, a family or a purpose. Klein, whose preferred sport growing up was football, happened to attend a boxing after-school club and experienced the positive effects boxing can offer. Klein got to the point where she had to choose between boxing and football, boxing took pole position and Klein has not looked back. 

Those days feel like a lifetime ago now and Klein is carving out a path with her ultimate goal being to win titles. It is early days in her professional career and Klein is well aware that although the women’s game can offer chances at big fights and titles within a handful of fights should the stars align, she is in no hurry to rush herself or run before she can walk. There is a level-headedness shown by Klein, who understands that any risk must be worth the reward on offer. 

There is certainly no lack of ambition from Klein who wants to pick up where she left off from her amateur days, with a title around her waist and is happy to move up or down the weight classes to achieve such success. There is also realism and recognition from Klein that she will take things one step at a time, and the next step is a fight in Sheffield against Amy Greatorex.

“I started off playing football but started doing boxing at an after-school club and I enjoyed it. It calmed me down, I was naughty at times in school and boxing seemed to help. As I got older, I had to make a choice and chose boxing over football, I thought I’d try boxing and see where it takes me. It ended up becoming my life. While I’m at work I am thinking about training, my next session, or my next fight. Come fight night, I have a sense of freedom. I feel more comfortable in the pro game, my style suits the pro game better and I can take time. 

“I think it will all depend on the opportunities, I can go up or down in weight but it is early days and I will take it as it comes. If the opportunity is right at a different weight, it would be a no-brainer but I am not rushing, I want to get experience under my belt. I want to step up to six rounds after this fight and I want to be tested this year. I would like to get a title this year, a Central Area maybe, but I will take it one fight at a time as anything can happen in boxing.” 

Photo Credit: Connor McMain Photos