Shona Whitwell: “If Harli and I could get on the same show, that would be unreal.”

Shona Whitwell: “If Harli and I could get on the same show, that would be unreal.”

In April, Shona Whitwell impressively moved to 3-0 when she stopped Joanna Fraszczak in the 6th and final round of their fight in Northampton. It was her second consecutive inside-the-distance victory. After a slow start to her professional career, the former elite amateur is now building plenty of momentum.

The 28-year-old has a quick turnaround and, on 7th July in Brentwood, will fight Victoria Lomax in a scheduled six-rounder on a Top Tier Promotions card.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Whitwell told me over Zoom. “Obviously, it’s a bit of a step up. But that’s what we wanted. At the start, you start with the journeywomen, and that’s fine, but it gets to a point where you need that step up. She will be coming to win, and that’s what we wanted. She is like a stepping stone to the next stage of my career. I am looking towards titles, and we wanted a live opponent. My previous opponents haven’t really given me much, and it’s very hard to open up those kinds of opponents. I feel that I haven’t really showcased my skills because I have had to fight in a way that I am not used to. And it’s hard to look good. But I think this fight will definitely bring out the best in me.”

Lomax, who is now based in Malaga, has an extensive kickboxing career behind her. A knee injury forced the switch to boxing, and after losing her first three fights, Lomax is now 3-4 in her career. The 35-year-old is coming to Essex with plenty of ambition and believes she will be the first real fight in the pro ranks for Whitwell.

“On paper, it’s like a 50/50 fight,” Whitwell says. “But I know I am levels above her, although she will be the ideal opponent to showcase my skills. She will actually open up and give me those gaps, which I haven’t had so far. But I don’t know why she is so concerned with my defence; she needs to worry about her own defence when my jab is in her face.”

Lomax has questioned Whitwell’s previous opponents. But the highly-touted prospect knows she is at the beginning of her professional career, and her amateur run proves she will fight anyone. “If you look at my amateur career, I was boxing the best in the world right up until my very last amateur fight.”

“I am not used to it, to be honest,” Whitwell adds when I asked if the strong pre-fight words of Lomax bother her at all. “As an amateur, you find out who you are fighting a couple of days before. And that’s that. You don’t hear them or see them until you get in the ring. My previous opponents haven’t been big talkers. It’s just something I will have to get used to.”

Fight number feels different for Whitwell. An opponent who will come with much belief. But the preparation has taken a step up also.

“My camp has gone really well,” Whitwell shared with me. “I started training camp sparring with Katie Taylor. It doesn’t get any better than that. It was a week after my last fight, and we got a call to go and spar with her in the Netherlands. So we jumped at that because that is an opportunity you can only dream of. It was a career highlight for me. An unbelievable experience. Katie had time for everyone. In and out of the ring, she is just incredible. When we got back, we got news of the fight date. So we have basically had back-to-back camps. We have also been sparring with Jasmina Zapotoczna nearly every week, and that has been really good. I have been doing ten rounds with her. We brought Zara Breslin over as well. So we have had some really good sparring. It’s put in a really good place for this fight.”

Whitwell will experience Johnny Clark’s impressive Top Tier Promotions for the first time as a fighter. Clark is doing big things for small hall boxing and is heavily investing in the female side of the sport. “It’s a no-brainer for me,” Whitwell says of fighting on a Top Tier card. “They put on good shows, and it’s televised. So it’s really good exposure for me. We will see where it goes after.”

The former top-class amateur has previously shared her frustrations of life as a professional boxer. They remain, but there is an acceptance now, and a belief that things will eventually change for her. “I had high hopes that I would be signed by a promoter because of my amateur pedigree. I was promised these contracts by UK promoters. I chased them up, and it just didn’t happen. It was frustrating. You see people with nowhere near the experience that I have, and they are getting signed. And it’s crazy.

“We have been in contact with MVP. They are keeping an eye on me. But I think they want you to get to some sort of level in the UK before they sign you. That’s what I am seeing anyway. I was frustrated, but now I think everything happens for a reason. I am doing it the hard way. As I always have done. It builds character. It builds a good story. It shows my persistence and resilience in the sport. I am just rolling with it now and just seeing what happens.”

The domestic super-featherweight ranks are stacked with talent. Jade Pearce has recently won the Commonwealth title. But fighters like Jade Burden, Lillie Winch, Liv Holmes, Jessica Barry, Amy Andrew and Bianca Johnson are just a few of the names that reside in and around the division.

“There are some good fights to be made,” Whitwell says. “All of a sudden, the division has got lively. Jade Pearce would be a really big fight. That is one I will definitely have my eyes on because she has now got the Commonwealth. That is a fight of interest to me. But I need to make sure I do it at the correct time. We will push towards something like that.”

With all those names, it’s a mystery why the British Board of Control haven’t yet created a Lonsdale belt for the super-featherweight division. Whitwell is keen on fighting for it if they do. “I am waiting for the British title to come in my division. I would love to be the first one to fight for that belt.”

Harli Whitwell is the younger sister of Shona. An unbeaten prospect in her own right, but has been recovering from knee surgery in recent times. Thankfully, her return is edging ever closer. Fighting on the same show later this year is already on the mind of the older sibling. “If Harli and I could get on the same show, that would be unreal,” Whitwell told me. “Two sisters fighting on the same card. I am sure Johnny would love to get behind that and promote that. If we could make that happen for October, I would definitely be up for that.”