Tysie Gallagher: “I just want to test myself. I want to be in with the best fighters in the world.”

Tysie Gallagher: “I just want to test myself. I want to be in with the best fighters in the world.”

Time hasn’t been kind to Tysie Gallagher of late. Family tragedy. Beyond dark times. A career put on hold. Fights falling through. A year of inactivity has stalled all the momentum of a fighter who should be fighting for world titles.

Gallagher ended that year-long ring hiatus on Saturday night with an emphatic and impressive victory over the previously unbeaten Ellie Hellewell in Sheffield to successfully defend her British and Commonwealth super-bantamweight titles. The WBO international bauble was also on the line.

“I was happy with my performance,” Gallagher told FightPost over Zoom. “I am my biggest critic, too, to be honest with you. There are loads I could pick out from it, but overall, I am happy with my performance. I stuck with what I needed to do.”

Hellewell made a decent enough start to the fight, arguably winning the opening two rounds. But Gallagher stamped her authority and superiority from the third round onwards and won a comprehensive unanimous points decision.

“The first few rounds were just feeling her out, finding my distance and getting my angles right,” Gallagher said of the fight. “I had to be more disciplined in being patient and not trying to force things. I was making her do the work, and then I was countering her, and that was working.”

“I think so,” the Luton fighter added when I asked if the manner of her victory yet again proved that she was world-class. “What more do I need to do and show? But that performance has put me in good standing for whatever is next.”

In terms of fighting for a world title again, Gallagher is somewhat in limbo. Ellie Scotney and Mayelli Flores Rosquero will clash next month with the undisputed super-bantamweight titles on the line. Gallagher understands, at least for the immediate future, that she will have to wait before her turn comes around again. But equally, Gallagher believes her opportunity will materialise at some point in 2026.

“Obviously, all the belts are tied up at the moment,” Gallagher told me. “Regardless of what happens in November, the belts should get freed up a little bit. I think Ellie will win, but there is talk of her moving up after the fight. If she doesn’t, she will have to defend the belts. With me defending my belts on Saturday, it should put me in a good position with the WBO to fight for that title.”

Gallagher seemingly has a plethora of opponents ready and waiting for her. Ramla Ali, Skye Nicolson, and Fran Hennessy are perhaps the most obvious ones. Gallagher is ready to fight any of them.

“I want to be in the mix with all the girls,” Gallagher added. “MVP has signed a lot of girls in my weight division, including Ramla Ali. It’s never beef. It’s just that I want opponents, really. MVP has some girls that I could fight, so I think let’s get it on. It’s about opportunity, and those fights are there to be made, and I don’t know why those fights don’t get made.

“I’ve also got Fran Hennessy. I mentioned her the other night as well. I am definitely interested in that fight. Fran is probably ready to push on, test herself, and start getting titles. Skye Nicolson is boxing at super-bantamweight as well now. So she is in the mix. Those fights are there to be made, and I am ready. I genuinely want to keep testing myself to see how far I can go. I believe I can go all the way, and I want to try and do it and test myself against all the best girls. If I mention names, it’s because I rate them, and they are highly rated. The sky is the limit, and I don’t want an easy route. Win, lose, or draw, I just want to test myself. I want to be in with the best fighters in the world.”

In many ways, it’s been incredibly tough of late for the 27-year-old world title contender. But Gallagher always believed the well-documented dark times would finally turn into some semblance of light. “It’s been a frustrating year,” Gallagher admitted. “It’s been a rollercoaster of different emotions. But the one thing I remained was dedicated and disciplined. I kept training and getting good sparring. Nothing really changed in that aspect. But it was so frustrating. Even with the Ellie Hellewell fight, I didn’t believe it would happen until I was in the ring. It was more of a relief to get back in there under the lights. It was a special night.”

After that extended hiatus from her craft, Gallagher wants to make a quick return to action. “I would like to get back out again around November time. I want to get out before Christmas. There are a few options, and we have to try and find the right one.”

“Realistically, probably Fran Hennessy,” Gallagher said when I asked who she would like to face next. “I wouldn’t mind that fight. But anyone, really, literally anybody who builds my ranking. It all has to make sense, of course, but I am ready for any of the girls.”  

Photo Credit: GBM Sports