Megan Redstall & The Domestic Bantamweight Ranks

Megan Redstall & The Domestic Bantamweight Ranks

It was a fight that was more than worthy of the headline status it was given. Francesca Hennessy and Ellie Bouttell served up a quite absorbing main event a week ago at the Copper Box Arena live on BBC Two. It was a final eliminator for the WBC world bantamweight title. A high-stakes fight that went somewhat under the radar, with the competition that was going on elsewhere in the boxing universe.

It was intriguing. It was a back-and-forth battle that after ten good hard rounds, nobody was quite sure who had won. Hennessy extended her unbeaten record courtesy of that hard-earned majority points decision. Bouttell lost her unblemished resume, but showed more than enough to show that she has more to give. Two good fighters. The winner moves on. The loser will come again.

The domestic bantamweight ranks are littered with depth, and we could get even more of what we got served up last Saturday night.

Later this month, the unbeaten Megan Redstall will finally get to challenge for the vacant Commonwealth bantamweight title. But yet again, she had to endure the frustration of a scheduled opportunity dropping out through injury.

Laura Pain withdrew from their planned Commonwealth title fight late last year, and history repeated itself earlier this week. A hand injury forced Maiseyrose Courtney out of their scheduled fight on February 15th. But Top Tier promoter Johnny Clark has secured a last-minute replacement in the Kenyan Consolata Musanga, and Redstall will be thankful that Clark has saved the day and she can still fight for Commonwealth glory at the Brentwood Centre later this month.

Redstall should win; Musanga has lost to Ebonie Jones and Ellie Hellewell on previous visits to the UK. The somewhat late call does little to enhance the chances of a different outcome for the Kenyan. Although she is currently riding a two-fight win streak. But if, as expected, Redstall does claim that Commonwealth title, she shouldn’t be short of domestic opposition in the coming months. Big fights that should ramp up the interest for those fighters that reside in and around the bantamweight division.

A British title wouldn’t look out of place with the amount of talent that could fight for it. Laura Pain will soon return from her shoulder injury, and when Courtney returns from her hand woes, both could target Redstall again. A Lonsdale belt wouldn’t look out of place for any of those fights.

I wouldn’t rule out Chloe Watson having a dabble at bantamweight, and Ellie Bouttell has surely earned another big night.

The domestic ranks are also graced by two of the finest prospects in British boxing. Francesca Hennessy might have to wait for her world title opportunity, and she might fancy another all-British affair, with Megan Redstall a potential opponent somewhere down the line. Especially if there is a British or Commonwealth title on the line.

Tiah-Mai Ayton has fight number five in Nottingham a week after Redstall fights for Commonwealth gold, and if Ayton blows away another opponent in impressive fashion, she might just take a look at a domestic challenge in the unbeaten Megan Redstall.

Redstall might have been left a little frustrated about the backdrop to her upcoming fight. The match-up with Maiseyrose Courtney was full of intrigue, but if she beats Musanga, she won’t be short of British rivals to fight next.

Photo Credit: Chris Dean/Boxxer