Gemma Richardson: Beyond The Ropes

Gemma Richardson: Beyond The Ropes

Boxing is all about timing. Taking the right fight at the right time. It matters all the way through the sport, but probably even more so for an up-and-coming prospect.

Gemma Richardson will hope she has picked the right moment to roll the dice in her career later this month. The unbeaten prospect will take a calculated gamble on August 29th in Birmingham when she takes on the former two-time European champion Kirstie Bavington.

It will be her second appearance on an MVP show. A freelance fighter for now, but Richardson will hope a victory over the vastly more experienced Bavington will lead to her being signed and becoming a permanent member of that ever-increasing elite roster of fighters.

The five-time national champion turned professional in 2025, and has done little wrong in moving to 4-0. Richardson won every round in June when she outpointed Jana Duchonova in Bolton. But the 24-year-old will face a much tougher test of her credentials against Bavington.

There is something so refreshing about the attitude of Richardson. She could have made her excuses and continued to build up her record against far lesser opponents than Kirstie Bavington. “I want to show people why I did so well as an amateur,” Richardson told me last month. “I want to make my name as a pro now.”

After just four fights, a fight with someone like Bavington is a considerable step up. But the unbeaten hopeful is seemingly relishing testing her skills against someone who has mixed in elite company. “I have taken a big step up that not many fighters would have taken at this stage in their careers. I am showing that I want it, and I am showing that I will fight anyone.”

The MVP card on August 29th promises to be a tremendous night of boxing. Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron clash in the main event. The likes of Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper will also grace the main card. But there is plenty to like about the early preliminary fights.

Mayer and Cameron will quite rightly get much of the attention. But I have a feeling that Gemma Richardson and Kirstie Bavington could be a little gem of a contest. Richardson is highly-touted and is tipped for very big things in the pro ranks. Bavington will tell us plenty about just how golden that future could be.