Sarah Murphy: “Eventually, I want to go undisputed. Get a few world titles to my name, and show the world what I can do.”

Sarah Murphy: “Eventually, I want to go undisputed. Get a few world titles to my name, and show the world what I can do.”

The world of professional boxing will very soon have a new recruit. Born in Kildare, County Kildare, Sarah Murphy found boxing at an incredibly early age. When she was just five years old, boxing came into her life. Murphy is now nearly forty fights into her amateur career and an eight-time national champion. But on October 10th in Dublin, Murphy will make her professional debut. The 18-year-old already has dreams of winning world titles.

“The buzz is amazing, literally amazing,” a beyond excited Murphy told me over Zoom. “I just can’t wait for my pro debut.”

“I was five years old, and my mum actually wanted me to start boxing,” Murphy says of how boxing came into her life. “I was buzzing to start. I was already looking to start boxing. My dad was so against it, he refused, but my mum brought me down to the boxing club anyway. I went down, but my dad was still against it. He didn’t want me boxing at all. Two or three years later, my dad got involved in the club and became one of the coaches. Ever since then, from about the age of seven, my dad has been coaching me.”

“The only person who would have boxed before me was my great-grandad,” Murphy added when I enquired if boxing ran in her family. “That was on my dad’s side and not on my mum’s side.”

It was very much love at first sight for Sarah Murphy. An instant attraction to her new sport.
“I remember the first time I walked through the doors of St.Brigid’s Boxing Club in 2012, when I was just five years old. I started training, and I just loved the training, and when I was able to hit the bag, I knew that this was me. I fell in love with the sport straight away. I went off and tried different sports, but I didn’t want to do any other sport but boxing. I tried gymnastics, swimming, football, and hurling. I tried loads of different sports. I was still boxing when I was trying all these other sports, but I thought no, boxing is what it is. I love the challenge. I love all the dieting. I love the training. I love improving all the time and focusing on different things. Obviously, you get the bad days at the office when you are training and sparring. But I fell in love with the sport the day I walked through those doors.”

“Boxing motivates me,” Murphy adds when I ask what she gets out of her sport of choice. “I see other kids on the street from a young age, and I am glad I have boxing. I wouldn’t have gone down that path myself, but I am glad I was able to keep my mind focused on something bigger and better that I was able to build a career out of. The motivation behind the sport just keeps me going. I want more of this. The adrenaline and the buzz just keep you driven. I am on the long road; I am not here just for a few years.”

Like many, Murphy struggled with the politics of the amateur ranks, specifically, the scoring in some of her fights. “The hardest part was the judging. In 2023, I got robbed blindly with two decisions against the same opponent. They were two really bad decisions that prompted the move to turn professional, and I knew I wouldn’t stay amateur for much longer.”

Those thirty-odd amateur fights brought Sarah Murphy much success. But fighting for her country is her stand-out moment. “Representing Ireland at the European and World championships. They would be my two biggest achievements to date.”

Murphy has an incredible passion for her sport and is inspired by many. “Katie Taylor, I know everyone says that. But Natasha Jonas and Terri Harper as well. There are so many out there who are shining, and women’s boxing is only getting bigger. There’s Fran Hennessy, who is starting to come up through the rankings. Really strong girls who went out and showed the world what they can do.”

That professional debut is approaching fast. Kerry Orton is listed as her first opponent. While Orton and that maiden ring walk are primarily on her mind, there are also thoughts of what lies ahead. “At the moment, the focus is on October 10th, and then we will plan again,” Murphy relayed to me. “In the short term, I would like to get the Celtic title. Eventually, I want to get myself into the world rankings. But at the moment, I am only focused on my debut.

“Eventually, I want to go undisputed. Get a few world titles to my name, and show the world what I can do. That, of course, will be many years down the line, but that will be my end goal.”