Lily Bassett: “I want to be remembered in history as one of the greatest fighters of all time.”

Lily Bassett: “I want to be remembered in history as one of the greatest fighters of all time.”

“It was really fun being out in Germany for ten days. I had four fights, and I obviously won all of them.” The opening words of Lily Bassett, as we connected over Zoom. Bassett was just a few days removed from winning yet another European title.

“Yes,” a simple answer to my question of whether she expected to come back from Germany with a gold medal. “It is my third time winning a European title.”

The sixteen-year-old Tooting-born fighter has an almost unblemished resume. Thirty-eight fights. Just one defeat on points to Serena Mali in 2022. Bassett hasn’t lost a fight in three years. A plethora of titles to her name. A multi-time National champion, with gold medals at the Tri-Nations and Nations Cup. I could go on. Like many, Bassett only started her sport of choice as a result of a family connection. “I only started boxing when I was about seven because my brother used to box, and I decided to go with him one day,” Bassett told FightPost. “I liked boxing from my very first session.”

“Training hard, putting all the hours in at the gym,” is what the young fighter attributes her success to. “At first, I just enjoyed going to the gym and having some fun, and meeting new people. I realised I was good at this when I won my first national title.”

“I get to travel the world,” Bassett added when I asked what boxing gives her. “It gives me discipline, helps me stay fit and gives me a healthy body, and allows me to meet new people.”

Despite all the titles and the glory, there are all the hours spent in the gym that go unseen to the naked eye. “The training,” Bessett says, is the hardest part of her sport. “The things that people don’t see behind closed doors. It is a nice feeling when you win, because it shows all the hard work is paying off.”

There is an impressive confidence about Bassett. No arrogance, just a firm belief in her talents inside the record. Her resume indicates that confidence isn’t misguided. But she takes solace and inspiration from all those around her at the TM Boxing Gym she trains at. “I look up to everyone in my gym who puts all the hard work in. It’s like one big family.”

Lily Bassett is at the start of her boxing career, albeit with an already impressive collection of titles to her name. Despite her young age, Bassett is already having fleeting thoughts of what lies ahead. “I should be going to the Youth Olympics and the Youth World Championships next year,” Bassett told me. “I want to go and win the gold medal there. After that, I want to go to the 2028 Olympics, win gold, and then turn professional. I want to be remembered in history as one of the greatest fighters of all time.”