Behind The Ropes: Jasmina Zapotoczna

Behind The Ropes: Jasmina Zapotoczna

“I feel like I was born to perform,” Jasmina Zapotoczna told me in March. “I like showing my skills to an audience.” But the European flyweight champion hasn’t had the opportunity to showcase her immense skills since she recorded the biggest win of her career at the Royal Albert Hall on March 7th.

It was a night that Zapotoczna upset the previously unbeaten Chloe Watson to relieve the Birkenhead fighter of her European title. It was, in many ways, her coming-out party. “The whole week was pure enjoyment,” Zapotoczna said at the time. “I was so happy to be there. I was excited. I was enjoying myself. I felt so honoured and special just by being there and being part of that massive show. That’s why I couldn’t stop smiling. And I still can’t stop smiling.”

The smile might still shine, but Zapotoczna hasn’t fought since that iconic night on that historic all-female card. The European champion is coming off those big breakthrough wins over Watson and, in her previous fight, a victory over another unbeaten prospect, Maiseyrose Courtney. But Zapotoczna probably epitomises the current state of play within the UK scene on the female side of the sport. Make no mistake, Zapotoczna is not the only fighter struggling for airtime.

I have previously documented the depth of the domestic flyweight ranks, opponents that offer Zapotoczna a multitude of options. No flyweight plying her trade in the UK should be short of fights. But they are. There is a way, but there is seemingly no will. Why?

Courtney, Watson, Nicola Hopewell, Laura Pain, Lauren Parker, and Megan Redstall are amongst a talented brigade of talent that reside in and around the flyweight division. Easy fights to make. Good fights to make. Relatively cheap fights to make. Why is it so difficult?

Nicola Hopewell recently beat Marie Connan to claim the IBO flyweight bauble. In a so-called four-belt era, the IBO is a lesser incarnation of the sanctioning bodies, certainly in comparison to the WBC, WBA, IBF, and the WBO, and many will argue the validity of the ‘world’ title tag, but it should carry enough value to give Hopewell some worthwhile competition in the coming months. Maiseyrose Courtney and Lauren Parker have already expressed an interest in fighting Hopewell. So has Jasmina Zapotoczna.

I spoke to Zapotoczna the day after her win over Watson in March. Even before the Worksop fighter had the IBO title in her possession, Zapotoczna was already thinking of fighting her regular sparring partner. In an on-the-record interview, Zapotoczna said of Hopewell. “We both know that we are in the same weight division, and we can see that one day we might see each other in the ring.” If boxing works in simplistic terms, a fight between Nicola Hopewell and Jasmina Zapotoczna, who between them hold the IBO, European, and Commonwealth titles, should be an absolute no-brainer. Or at least, it should be.

At 31, Zapotoczna has her best years ahead of her, and in truth, she would be a natural fit to join the MVP revolution. The reigning European flyweight champion is a promotional free agent, and she could be another talented addition to that already talent-rich Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian stable. Zapotoczna is ranked 3rd by the IBF, and both the WBA and the WBO have her in the top ten of their flyweight rankings. Zapotoczna will hope her time is coming. It should.

Unless a bigger opportunity materialises, Jasmina Zapotoczna will likely return towards the end of the year with a defence of her European title. But as it currently stands, Zapotoczna is one of those fighters who deserves better from her sport.