Beyond The Ropes: Megan Redstall vs. Maiseyrose Courtney

Beyond The Ropes: Megan Redstall vs. Maiseyrose Courtney

The upcoming fight between Megan Redstall and Maiseyrose Courtney is not only a good fight between two good fighters, but it also has the potential to open the door for similar fights down the road. You would suspect Jasmina Zapotoczna, Chloe Watson, and Nicola Hopewell would all have an interest in fighting the winner.

Redstall and Courtney should have fought earlier this year, but when a hand injury ruled Courtney out, Redstall had to adjust to a new opponent. Redstall claimed the vacant Commonwealth bantamweight title courtesy of a commanding points victory over late replacement Consolata Musanga. The 24-year-old has now moved back to her more natural weight to take on Courtney for the WBO International flyweight title. The lower weight division is also of more benefit to Courtney. The rescheduled fight is now at their primary fighting weight and carries far more significance for their immediate fighting futures.

The winner in July could have a triple-threat of British-based fighters waiting in line for them. Three fighters that could offer enough intrigue to tempt Redstall or Courtney. And of course, they might have something they want as well. Potential fights that have enough mutual benefit to get made.

Jasmina Zapotoczna is the current European flyweight champion, but has struggled for fights of late. A talented fighter who holds wins over Courtney and Chloe Watson and is highly-ranked on the world stage. Boxing News rates Zapotoczna the 4th-best flyweight in the world. If Courtney defeats Redstall, the chance of revenge would surely be too great to resist. Courtney has spoken previously about wanting to run that fight back. A Redstall victory could give her the chance to add the European bauble to her collection. Whoever wins in July, for different reasons, Zapotoczna would surely be of interest to them. In truth, it’s the obvious next fight for either Redstall or Courtney.

Chloe Watson is another possibility for the winner. The former European flyweight champion has only won one fight in four. Defeats to Zapotoczna, Shannon Ryan, and Teresa Makinen have taken away some of the momentum that was earned at the start of her career. But that bare statistic doesn’t quite tell the full story. The defeat last March to Zapotoczna was a wafer-thin split-decision. The fight with Ryan was prematurely halted after four completed rounds due to an accidental head clash. Watson is coming off another close call to the unbeaten Makinen. The fights with Ryan and Makinen were also at super-flyweight and bantamweight, respectively. If Watson does see her future at flyweight and gets another win on the board, then Redstall or Courtney might just fancy a fight with the former European champion.

Nicola Hopewell is coming off a second-round stoppage defeat to Shannon Ryan. Hopewell took the opportunity at super-flyweight because the fights at flyweight were not coming her way. But the Worksop fighter still holds the IBO flyweight title, and while it might not carry the weight of a WBC, WBA, IBF, or WBO belt, it might still offer enough value to tempt either Redstall or Courtney. Hopewell, after feeling the power differential of Ryan at super-flyweight, knows her future lies at flyweight, or even lower. If nothing else materialises for her, Hopewell could look at either Redstall or Courtney for her next opponent. It ticks a lot of boxes for all parties.

But Megan Redstall and Maiseyrose Courtney will only have eyes for each other for the time being. Top Tier promoter Johnny Clark deserves credit for rescheduling the fight and also for his investment in women’s boxing. Clark will hope that, at the second time of asking, Redstall and Courtney finally get to share a ring together.

Redstall and Courtney could reignite the domestic flyweight division and even be the catalyst for the British Boxing Board of Control to create a Lonsdale belt for the flyweight ranks. Finally, and belatedly, springs to mind.

But regardless of the future, the upcoming fight between Redstall and Courtney might go under the radar somewhat, but make no mistake, it is a very good fight between two good fighters. The winner will move up, and the loser will undoubtedly come again. Both deserve immense credit for rolling the dice when either could have gone down a much safer route.