Natasha Jonas: Inside The Ropes

Natasha Jonas: Inside The Ropes

At the time of writing this article, Natasha Jonas hasn’t yet decided her fighting future. The welterweight unification showdown with Lauren Price in March might yet prove to be the last time we ever see Jonas inside a boxing ring, although ‘Miss GB’ is keeping her options open, at least for now. But regardless of if she fights again or not, I take a look back at five memorable nights in the professional career of the two-weight world champion.

Chris Namus: February 2022

This was very much a case of now or never. After two previous attempts to win a world title, Jonas just knew it had to be third time lucky.

Jonas had signed with Boxxer and Ben Shalom the previous year, and they saw opportunities at super-welterweight after losing narrowly to Katie Taylor in 2021 at lightweight, and that highly controversial draw with Terri Harper the previous year at super-featherweight.

The WBO bauble was vacant at the time, and after the originally intended opponent Ewa Piatkowska dropped out late in the day, the experienced Chris Namus stepped in to face Jonas in the chief support to the long-awaited Kell Brook-Amir Khan showdown at the Manchester Arena.

If the 37-year-old was under any pressure from fearing her entire career was at extreme risk, she certainly didn’t show it. There must have also been plenty of doubts about how her frame would handle fighting at 154 for the very first time.

But very quickly, we saw that Jonas carried her power up the weights. Namus was dropped heavily towards the end of the opening round. The Uruguayan was saved by the bell, but it was just a brief stay of execution. After just twenty-eight seconds of the following round, after being dropped again, Namus was pulled out by Howard Foster, and finally, Natasha Jonas had her moment.

There was an emotional moment in the fight hotel. Jonas, after completing her obligatory obligations, walked into the hotel bar greeted by a standing ovation. The warmth in that room spoke volumes. It was special and says plenty about the love for a fighter who is as classy outside of the ring as she is inside it. It was the reward for all the heartache and sacrifice. There were hugs, handshakes, and smiles aplenty on a night that will live long in the memory.

Natasha Jonas had better fights in her career, but this was, by some distance, the most important fight of her career.

Mikeala Mayer: January 2024

If the victory over Chris Namus was the most important, the win over Mikeala Mayer was the best win in the career of Jonas.

Jonas had a hometown defence of her IBF world welterweight title against the former unified world super-featherweight champion Mikaela Mayer. Like Jonas, the American had moved up through the weights and found a new home at 147.

That famous old M&S Bank Arena had seen many a great fight, and it found another in the early weeks of 2024. The iconic ‘Echo’ was rocking as Jonas and Mayer traded blows for twenty unforgiving minutes.

It always promised to be a great fight. Their respective styles were always going to gel. Jonas started the better. Mayer found more success in the second half of the fight. It was a relentless back-and-forth war, a battle raged with the utmost respect between the pair. A fight that didn’t need any bad blood to sell it.

Jonas won a split-decision that many disagreed with. From ringside, I couldn’t split them. Mayer felt that she had won. Many sympathised with her. But it was a much closer fight than a lot of people had it. Mayer was certainly unlucky not to have had her hand raised. But it was no robbery, as some claimed.

But the scoring controversy overshadowed what a truly great fight it was. Jonas and Mayer served up one of the greatest female fights of the modern era.

Katie Taylor: May 2021

In a repeat of their classic 2012 Olympic encounter, Katie Taylor and Jonas ran it back in the professional ranks with the undisputed world lightweight titles on the line.

The Manchester Arena, as a result of the ongoing pandemic restrictions, was practically deserted, but it played host to another titanic affair between the two great rivals.

Jonas was written off prior, but she had a quiet confidence about her all the way through Fight Week. And Jonas very nearly pulled off the upset. The Liverpool gave away the opening two rounds, and that slow start almost certainly cost her a famous victory.

Taylor unbeaten in seventeen fights at the time was made to dig deep as Jonas came roaring back after her indifferent start. After eight rounds, at least on my card, I had it all-square. But Jonas was the fighter who was seemingly getting stronger. In truth, she looked the likely winner.

However, sensing defeat was a distinct possibility, Taylor boxed quite beautifully in the 9th round. Jonas emptied the tank in the last round, and seemed to hurt Taylor at one point. It was some spectacle, and they deserved a packed arena. Taylor edged it on the cards by scores of 96-94, 96-95, and 96-95.

A rematch seemed inevitable, but sadly, it never came. But Taylor and Jonas gave us something quite remarkable in that empty old arena. Not for the first time, Jonas entered the ring knowing many were predicting her career would soon end. But even in defeat, Jonas proved her point.

Terri Harper: August 2020

Natasha Jonas headed into her world super-featherweight title fight with the unbeaten Terri Harper a significant betting underdog. Jonas, after losing to Viviane Obenauf, a few fights previously, was viewed as a virtual no-hoper. At 36, Jonas was perceived as being over the hill and weight-drained. Harper was thirteen years younger and some thought the Denaby fighter was the heir apparent to Katie Taylor.

But Jonas didn’t read the pre-fight script. At the height of lockdown in Eddie’s back garden, Jonas delivered a near perfect performance to come within a whisker of upsetting those long odds.

Jonas made the quicker start, but Harper stayed with her. They exchanged rounds throughout, and if Harper thought Jonas would fade down the stretch, she would be very much disappointed. Harper was badly hurt in the 8th round, and heading into the 10th and final round, her world titles looked almost certain to change hands. But to her immense credit, Harper dug deep in that pivotal closing round to just about save her night.

The scorecards were desperately close. One judge gave it to Harper 96-94, another saw it to Jonas 96-95, but when the third judge couldn’t separate them at 95-95, we had a split draw. I had to Jonas by six rounds to four. It was an incredible fight that only lacked a crowd.

Despite Eddie Hearn saying, “We have to do that again.” They never did.

Marie-Eve Dicaire: November 2022

Natasha Jonas always had a size disadvantage in her stay at super-welterweight. A weight division that was probably a stone or more over her best fighting weight. This was never more visible than the night she fought the Canadian
Marie-Eve Dicaire at the AO Arena in Manchester.

Dicaire, the IBF champion, had only lost to Claressa Shields and was the much bigger fighter when she challenged Jonas for her WBO and WBC 154 baubles in a three-belt unification showdown.

It was a hard night for the much smaller fighter. Jonas swept the opening four rounds on my card. But the Canadian just kept coming, as Jonas was being made to work incredibly hard just to keep her bigger opponent off her. At the halfway point, Jonas was showing signs of fatigue. The effort of keeping Dicaire at a safe distance was beginning to take effect. Jonas appeared to be slowing down, and Dicaire was starting to find little pockets of success.

But the Liverpool fighter found her second wind to close out the fight, although it was never remotely comfortable for her. Jonas won wide on the cards, but it doesn’t really tell the true story of the night.

Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing & Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer