Nina Hughes: “I could be 50, and I would still beat Shannon Courtenay.”

Nina Hughes: “I could be 50, and I would still beat Shannon Courtenay.”

Nina Hughes is safely in retirement. Or is she?

The former WBA world bantamweight champion last fought in May of 2025, a six-round points victory over Nicholine Achieng. It was a fight that brought Hughes back into the win column after back-to-back defeats to Cherneka Johnson in world title fights in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Hughes announced her retirement after the win over Achieng at the York Hall. But Hughes has stayed in and around the boxing world, recently sparring with Francesca Hennessy, and one name is still very much on her radar. Could a comeback be on the cards?

When Hughes was the WBA champion, attempts were made to match her with Shannon Courtenay. But despite multiple attempts, the fight never got over the line for a variety of reasons. While Hughes seems happy in retirement, she has said that she would end that retirement call to face Courtenay, who is now signed with Jake Paul and his Most Valuable Promotions.

Courtenay is on the comeback trail after losing her world bantamweight title to Jamie Mitchell in 2021. But despite winning three of her fights since losing to the American in Liverpool, Hughes is far from impressed. “She’s fought four journeywomen and lost to one of them,” Hughes told me. “She can’t keep conning the public with soft touches and excuses.”

Hughes 43, is very much interested in fighting Courtenay, who is rumoured to be on the card when MVP host their first UK show in April. “I could be 50, and I would still beat Shannon Courtenay. That’s the one fight I would come out of retirement for.”

Nina Hughes told FightPost that if an offer came her way to fight Courtenay on April 5th in London, she would take the fight.