Jasmina Zapotoczna: “I felt so honoured and special by just being there and being part of that massive show. That’s why I couldn’t stop smiling. And I still can’t stop smiling.”

Jasmina Zapotoczna: “I felt so honoured and special by just being there and being part of that massive show. That’s why I couldn’t stop smiling. And I still can’t stop smiling.”

It was the biggest stage of her fighting life. The iconic Royal Albert Hall. A Friday night that served up the Boxxer all-female show live on Sky Sports. It ended for Jasmina Zapotoczna with the biggest win of that fighting life.

Chloe Watson came to London with plenty of hype around her. Undefeated, defending her European flyweight title and a big betting favourite to defeat Zapotoczna, and move a little step closer to a shot at a world title.

But it was Zapotoczna who left the Royal Albert Hall looking ahead to bigger things. It was a thoroughly engrossing affair between two class acts. Watson will undoubtedly come again. For her, you sense it will be a minor setback.

It was a fight that Zapotoczna edged on the cards. A majority decision saw the Wakefield-based fighter claiming a famous victory. An upset victory that was in many ways against the odds.

“I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment, especially with my social media,” an ever-smiling Zapotoczna told me over Zoom. “I can’t keep up with everything. Everyone keeps sending me messages and tagging me into things. But I am very happy, I am still excited about the win.

“It was a very special moment for me. Everyone was surprised because I was smiling all the time and I couldn’t stop smiling. But I couldn’t stop smiling because I was enjoying myself so much. Just being there with all the past nine months and all the hard work and being frustrated because we didn’t know if this fight would ever happen. But I kept telling myself to just stay ready.

Zapotoczna has a smile that never leaves. It has been beaming even brighter since her big win over Watson. Even over Zoom and forty-eight hours removed from that magical night at the Royal Albert Hall, the smile was still plainly visible.

“The whole week was pure enjoyment,” Zapotoczna told me. “I was so happy to be there. I was excited. I was enjoying myself. I felt so honoured and special by just being there and being part of that massive show. That’s why I couldn’t stop smiling. And I still can’t stop smiling.

“I feel like I was born to perform. I like showing my skills to an audience. I got used to it when I was signing and standing on a stage. Signing was my first love before boxing. I am just born for this. I just really enjoyed myself.”

From ringside, I had Watson getting in front in the early stages, as her challenger was a little too static. But I felt once Zapotoczna found her range, she started to pull away on the cards before Watson found a little bit more success down the stretch. I thought Zapotoczna did enough to justify the decision going in her favour, albeit in a highly competitive fight. The new European flyweight champion also felt the decision was fair.

“I haven’t watched it back yet, but as far as I can remember, I was trying to find my rhythm and my distance in the early rounds. I was probably a little too slow with my movement at first. I wasn’t active enough for a few rounds. As soon as I found my rhythm, my distance, picking my shots, counterpunching, and especially my body shots, I felt really good. Obviously, the fight was really tough. It was a really close fight. But I felt like I had done enough to win that fight. I felt like I had done a little bit more to get the win.

“I was a bit worried when I heard the first score. I thought that couldn’t be true. But when it was a split decision, I thought it must be for me. I thought I landed the more cleaner punches.”

Jasmina Zapotoczna got her second big win on the bounce after her upset victory over Maisey Rose Courtney last year. After taking away Courtney and Watson from the ranks of the unbeaten, Zapotoczna will now look for her next challenge. “I’m hoping my next fight will be a European title defence,” Zapotoczna says of what could be next.

A rematch with Watson could be somewhere down the line, but Zapotoczna has talked previously about a fight with the Commonwealth flyweight champion Nicola Hopewell. They are regular sparring partners, and I am of the understanding that Hopewell would welcome that fight also.

But whoever is next, Jasmina Zapotoczna deserves to enjoy her moment. She has most certainly earned it.    

Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer