Katie Smith vs. Jade Burden Cancelled

Katie Smith vs. Jade Burden Cancelled

It was gut-wrenching news that came earlier today. Just three days out from their Commonwealth Silver super-featherweight title fight on Saturday, Katie Smith and Jade Burden got that dreaded phone call to say that their fight wouldn’t be happening. The entire Portsmouth show has been cancelled, and Smith and Burden have seen all their hard work go to waste.

The 34-year-old Burden posted a heartfelt message on her social media platforms to announce that her title fight had fallen by the wayside.

“The promoters had some bad health news, and the whole show this weekend is off. I don’t even know what to say if I’m honest. I’m absolutely heartbroken. This isn’t just a hobby for me, it’s my livelihood. Weeks of graft, sacrifice, money spent, everything put into this… gone just like that.

“I’m 34, living out of my overdraft, and it gets to a point where you have to be real with yourself. I love this sport, but I can’t keep going through this kind of uncertainty and heartbreak without thinking about what’s next and what my future looks like. Right now I’m just gutted. Properly gutted.”

“It’s absolutely gutting this late in the week,” Smith told me this afternoon.

Gutted is the key word. Things happen. Shows get pulled. But it’s the fighters who have to go home without any reward. It’s difficult not to have immense sympathy for both fighters. That Commonwealth Silver title can open the door for bigger things down the road.

Smith and Burden would have given everything throughout their training camps. Mentally and physically. There would be additional costs that very few people see. Physio, nutrition, travel expenses, time off work, etc., etc. Everything has a cost, as one fighter once told me.

Sadly, it happens all too often. The likes of Megan Redstall and Maiseyrose Courtney have experienced the exact same thing in recent times. I can remember Louise Orton having multiple fights falling through in fight week. Natasha Jonas and Rhiannon Dixon lost out on potential fights for different reasons on a Matchroom card in Liverpool several years ago. Both lost out on paydays just days before the fight. I could go on. And on. A familiar story. While some things are unavoidable, in most cases, the fighters deserve better.

Katie Smith (4-1) and Jade Burden (4-0) have missed out on a golden opportunity to move their careers to another level. Even bigger fights could have come with a win on Saturday. It’s an extremely unfortunate situation for all parties, especially when I am told the venue was completely sold out. Hopefully, and in the not-too-distant future, Smith and Burden get to finish what they started. A good fight that needs to happen sooner rather than later.