Shona Whitwell: “I’ve worked hard all of my life to reach a certain level, and I feel like that should count for something.”

Shona Whitwell: “I’ve worked hard all of my life to reach a certain level, and I feel like that should count for something.”

By Matt Elliott

The amateur achievements of Shona Whitwell are well publicised. A seven-time national champion, she spent eight years with GB Boxing, travelling around the world to represent her country. That journey officially ended in June of last year when, having been cruelly denied the opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream and qualify for the Paris Olympics, she decided the time was right to turn professional.

Fast forward to the present day, and she is about to go into camp ahead of her second professional fight, having successfully navigated her debut in April with a dominant points win. The process of obtaining her licence took longer than she expected, but as I caught up with her on Zoom this past week, she admitted it was nice to have some downtime after a full-on few years.

“To be honest, I needed a bit of a break mentally as much as anything. Being on GB for eight years, people on the outside don’t see how intense it is. There’s so much pressure day-to-day, and you’re constantly fighting for that spot. Physically, it’s demanding as well; the training is intense. You go from one Box Cup to another, and they’ll just spring it on you. You could have three fights in a row, and then you’d get home, probably with a week off. However, in reality, it’s not a complete rest, as you need to keep yourself ticking over because something will be coming up. So, while the whole process of getting everything signed off took longer than I thought, I did appreciate the rest.”

Now 27, Whitwell spent the best part of her formative years in the amateurs, and in GB, she was eating, sleeping, and breathing boxing. Moving away from an environment where almost everything is provided for you, to the professional game where the onus is very much on the fighter, must have taken some getting used to.

“There are definitely pros and cons to both. To begin with, I was happy and excited because it’s the first time I’ve been in charge of my own career, but on the flipside, it’s now up to me to source and pay for my physios, S&C coaches, nutritionists, etc., whereas before they were all provided. In GB, you’re in a bubble, so when you come away from it, you have to grow up a bit.

“I like being in control, though, and the people I surround myself with now work for me, and I have more of a say in who I box and things like that. It can be daunting, and there are times I’ve been out of my comfort zone. I’ve gone from having a strong amateur reputation and fighting in major tournaments to being a tiny fish in a big pond and effectively back to square one.”

One of the key priorities for Whitwell early on was finding a gym and a team to help her get prepared for life as a professional. Her choice was the Matchroom Elite Boxing Gym in Brentwood, where she works under the highly experienced Tony Sims and John Ryder, who has recently transitioned from boxer to trainer. The gym has an excellent reputation and recently added Johnny Fisher and former IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois to its ranks. Whitwell is delighted with her choice and believes it’s the right place for her development.

“It was my partner Reece who suggested I try it out. He’s good friends with Tony, and I trust him with my life, so I didn’t hesitate. Obviously, I’d heard good things about the gym, and I enjoyed it from the off, and I could see the difference in training compared to the amateurs. With where I’m located as well, I’m a bit out in the sticks, and there aren’t many gyms near me. I live in Cambridge, so there’s some travelling involved, but it’s worth it, and these are the sacrifices you have to make if you want to be successful.”

As well as the coaching team and the facilities, the calibre of the other fighters in the gym must create a competitive environment, with a good mix of developing talent and seasoned professionals.

“Definitely. With the likes of Daniel joining, that gives you confidence as he’s left an experienced trainer to come here, but there are a lot of prospects in the gym as well. There’s Maiseyrose Courtney, Jimmy Sains, and George Liddard, and they’re all young, up-and-coming fighters, and that’s important as we can all push each other on and create a good team spirit.

“What is also important for me is that they are interested in female boxing. As well as Maiseyrose, there’s Ramla Ali, and Lucy Wildheart has just joined as well. That was another factor in my decision, as a lot of gyms aren’t really that big on the women’s game.”  

After her licensing process was finally complete, Whitwell made her debut, competing on a Warren Boxing Management show at York Hall in April against Katerina Dvorakova. The build-up was not without its frustrations, but she put in a solid performance against a tricky opponent, winning each of the six rounds to take a 60-54 decision.

“It took longer than expected to get a date pencilled in, and I was messed around a bit by a promoter, but in the end I got the chance to fight at York Hall, which was great, as it’s such an iconic venue and I’d never fought there before. My opponent was a decent girl, I think she’d won 3 and lost 5, but her wins were all by stoppage. So, for a debut, it was a tough fight, but it gave me the chance to put into practice some of the things I’ve been working on with John [Ryder]. He’s been getting me to hold my feet more and concentrating on body work, and she had a high guard, so my straight shots weren’t getting through, and I had to adapt and switch to the body. It was a six-rounder as well. I don’t want to waste time over four, so I went straight to six and enjoyed it.”

Her next fight should be announced imminently, but October 25 is the date currently pencilled in. That will mean a six-month gap between fights, which from Whitwell’s perspective is less than ideal.

“I wanted to fight in July, but again, I was promised things from a promoter and messed around. I don’t want to waste time, and if people are going to waste mine, I’m not interested. I want to be active, so I’ll be on another small hall show, and I’ll do it the hard way. The UK promoters just aren’t pushing females at the moment, and so much talent is being overlooked because of it, and I guess that’s why you’ve got the likes of MVP coming in and signing a lot of the established female fighters.”

The discussion around women’s boxing is a topical one. In 2022, on the back of the first Taylor and Serrano fight, and later that year, Boxxer’s first all-female card, it appeared the only way was up. The subsequent emergence of Saudi Arabia as a boxing powerhouse has halted that momentum, though, and recently a lot of talent has switched across to MVP, who appear to be the only promoter currently investing heavily in the sport. Whitwell admits that the lack of opportunities has proved frustrating.

“I didn’t expect to be in this position. With the level I got to as an amateur, you’re almost set up for the paid ranks, and there’ve been plenty of males come off the same cycle as me who’ve got promotional deals in the UK. For females, though, it feels as if unless you’ve got an Olympic medal, there’s no interest. I don’t see that changing anytime soon either, so I’ll keep focusing on the smaller shows. It’s not something I necessarily agree with because I’ve worked hard all of my life to reach a certain level, and I feel like that should count for something. But for now, I need to put my ego to one side, focus on remaining active, and work my way up. I know my potential, and I’ll be noticed at some point.”

Looking to the future, Whitwell would like to get to three fights before the end of February, which is when her medicals are due for renewal. Beyond that, the hope is that 2026 sees her fighting more regularly, moving up in rounds and, where possible, manoeuvring herself towards a title opportunity.

“I’m competing at super-featherweight, and there aren’t many girls in the UK fighting at that weight at the moment, so I hope I can climb the rankings and push for titles as soon as possible. The British title hasn’t been introduced at my weight yet, which is a shame, and Kirsty Hill has the Commonwealth, but she hasn’t been very active, so I’m not sure what is happening there, but it’s a fight I would be interested in. Hopefully, a couple of us can rise to the top, and a huge domestic clash can be made. That’s what I’m hoping for and then push onto world level. I’m not going to get too far ahead of myself, though. I want to take it all in and move at the right pace.”