Karriss Artingstall: Beyond The Ropes

Karriss Artingstall: Beyond The Ropes

There are encouraging signs for Karriss Artingstall. Social media clips of her training. Words that more than indicate that she is in the best shape of her career. A fight would appear to be on the horizon. But apparently that isn’t the case.

There is no word of an impending fight. The frustrations of the former Olympic medallist are obvious. At 31, Artingstall knows the clock is somewhat ticking. These are her peak years. More than arguably, Karriss Artingstall should already be a world champion. On talent alone, there is no argument.

Artingstall hasn’t fought since March 2025. A victory over Raven Chapman earned Artingstall the inaugural British featherweight title. Chapman was dropped in the second round, and found Artingstall a little too much for her at the Royal Albert Hall. That win ended a fourteen-month hiatus. Just two fights in thirty-one months doesn’t need any more words added. Artingstall deserves better. Her career desperately needs better. There might be unavoidable reasons for some of that missing-in-action period. But you would still suspect some fights have been lost for no real reason.

After winning a bronze medal at the delayed Tokyo Olympics, Artingstall turned professional with Boxxer in 2022, and initially found regular ring activity. But fights have been incredibly hard to come by of late. Artingstall is unbeaten in seven fights, and the performance she delivered against Chapman showed us that the former Olympian is undoubtedly a world-class featherweight. Artingstall would have hoped that her seventh pro win would have been followed by an assault on the world title. But her career has stalled once again. Why?

It’s difficult to know what the problem is. Any injuries since the Chapman fight are now seemingly behind her. Artingstall is ready to fight. She wants to fight. What is the problem?

If Artingstall is still with Boxxer, then they should use her. Let her fight, or let her go.

Karriss Artingstall still has time on her side. But this is a critical year for her. A talented world-class fighter who could be involved in some of the biggest fights on the female side of the sport. A fight with Tiara Brown, the current WBC world featherweight champion, is one such fight. After going undisputed at super-bantamweight, Ellie Scotney is now testing the featherweight waters. Scotney vs. Artingstall is a genuine headline fight. A fight with the unified world champion Amanda Serrano is probably out of reach, but a fight with the IBF champion Nina Meinke isn’t. Artingstall has fights out there for her. And plenty of them. As I said earlier, what is the problem?

Photo Credit: Boxxer