Gemma Richardson: “I am excited to do my first ten-rounder.”
In August, Gemma Richardson made her second appearance on an MVP show, and extended her unbeaten start to her professional career. Richardson won every one of the six rounds against the vastly more experienced Kirstie Bavington. A 60-54 points decision allowed the former amateur star to move to 5-0. The former Team GB standout is developing into a serious prospect in the pro ranks, and she is already firmly in the title mix.
“It was a lot different to what I expected,” Richardson told me over Zoom. “I expected more from her. I thought her game plan would be different. I thought she would be a lot fitter than she was. I bigged it, which is good in training. It was easier than I thought it would be. From the way she was talking, I expected more. Obviously, she is a two-time European champion. I thought she just tried to make it messy in the end. But I was happy I won every round. If fights are easier than I expected, then that’s good for me.”
The 25-year-old has always been super critical of her own performances, and despite her dominant victory over Bavington, Richardson still sees room for improvement going forward. “I don’t think I am ever going to be happy with my performance,” Richardson says. “I am my biggest critic. There is always stuff to work on, but after watching it back, I was happy. I am happier now than when I came out of the ring.”
Bavington did a good job of selling the fight. The former European was very vocal online pre-fight, a brand new experience for Richardson. “It was good for me,” Richardson told me. “The build-up. All the back-and-forth. All the talking she was doing. It was a good experience for me. When you are fighting a journeywoman you don’t really get that. It was a bit of a shock at first, because I haven’t experienced that before. You don’t really get that in the amateurs. I wasn’t expecting it from her. There was no rivalry. It was just a fight. So it was a good thing to have in your locker to have experienced all that. But it really built up the fight. It caught on on social media, and there were a lot of people looking forward to the fight.”
Fight number six is fast approaching. On October 31st, Richardson will face the 35-year-old Canadian Carolyn Redmond at the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle. The vacant WBO International super-lightweight title will be on the line.
“It was a quick turnaround; I wasn’t expecting it,” Richardson says of her next fight. “I was going to go on holiday; I thought I was done for the year. But I got a phone call asking me if I wanted the fight. When I found out it was for a title and it would give me a world ranking, I jumped at the chance. I have come straight from one fight camp, so I thought it would be good to get another one in before the end of the year. I couldn’t really say no to it.”
It will be her first ten-rounder, but the extra duration holds no fear for Richardson. “We have always been preparing for ten rounds, and I think it will suit me as well. When I was an amateur, the three-minute rounds suited me more than the two-minute rounds. I get fitter as the fight goes on. I think I can get stronger. It should be interesting. I am excited to do my first ten-rounder.”
Redmond (9-2) is coming off three straight victories, and Richardson believes the Canadian will represent her toughest challenge to date in the pro ranks. “I think this fight is a real fight,” Richardson relayed to me. “It’s more of a step-up than the last fight. Carolyn is technically better than Bav. She is technically good. She’s really tall, and she’s game for a fight. When there are two good boxers, you perform better. So it should make a good little fight.”
If Richardson does win in Newcastle, even bigger fights will be on the cards for 2027. Something which clearly excites her, and should rekindle her passion for her sport.
“For a long time I fell out of love with boxing, with everything that happened,” Richardson admits. “When I turned pro, I got the love back for training and things like that. But it’s hard going from the level that I was at. At every tournament, I was fighting the best of the best. I never had an easy fight. So going from that and just fighting journeywomen, there wasn’t the buzz there. But fighting Bav was a good buzz because she was a former two-time European champion. So that made the excitement. This girl I am fighting next is a proper boxer. Next year, going forward, I think I am going to be in those real fights. That’s what really excites me, and helps me get the love back for it.”
With the recent retirement of Katie Taylor, the 140-pound ranks are now wide open for new stars to emerge. Richardson wants to be in the mix for world titles, but she is in no immediate rush to get there. “I wouldn’t want to skip a level to get to a world title. If a British title is there, I would take that. I also back my team. Whatever they think is best for me. I have a lot of trust in them. They want the best for me. They wouldn’t do anything that I wasn’t ready for.”
