Women’s boxing is in the doldrums but one simple solution can save it

On Saturday night in Birmingham, Chantelle Cameron won for the second time in what has been a bad year for professional women’s boxing in Britain and Ireland.

So far, too many of the main attractions have been either absent or they have fought just once this year. It is not a crisis yet, but it is being talked about in boxing’s corridors.

Katie Taylor fights next week in Texas for the first time in 2024, Savannah Marshall has not fought since July 2023 and there are no plans to get her back in a boxing ring, having experimented with MMA in a bout with Mirela Vargas in the Professional Fighters League in June this year. Marshall and Taylor had been in seven major fights in the two years before the start of 2024. They are missed.

Cameron switched promoters earlier this year, landed with Frank Warren and finished the year holding the WBC’s interim super-lightweight title; it is the same title she retained and then lost to Taylor in two epic fights last year. Cameron, obviously, wants Taylor again, but Taylor has her own agenda, and it starts with a rematch against Amanda Serrano on a night when Mike Tyson gets back in the ring at 58 for a fight with Jake Paul.

In 2022, Serrano and Taylor made over a million dollars each and sold-out Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was a good year for the women and just six months later, Marshall met Claressa Shields at the O2 in front of nearly 20,000 fans. On the glorious night at the O2, there were 11 fights on the all-woman card.

So far this year, Ellie Scotney, Lauren Price and Natasha Jonas, all holding world titles, have only fought once and it is unlikely that they will suddenly be attached to one of the existing fight nights. Jonas fought in January, Scotney in April and Price in May. Scotney added the WBO super-bantamweight title to her IBF version, Jonas was in a contender for fight-of-the-year when she beat Mikaela Mayer and Price boxed like a dream to stop Jessica McCaskill in Cardiff.

Sandy Ryan fought twice, beating Terri Harper and then losing her world title in New York to Mayer. Harper recovered from the stoppage loss to Ryan, dropped down two divisions and beat Rhiannon Dixon for the lightweight title. Dixon was only having her 11th fight; she will feature in more fights. The Ryan fight in New York went under the radar until Ryan was attacked outside her hotel and covered in paint just hours before the first bell. The Dixon and Harper fight took place in front of about 2,000 fans.

There was a first loss for Raven Chapman in a featherweight world title fight on a Riyadh Season card in October; Chapman was beaten by Australian Skye Nicolson, who has lived and trained in south London for three years. Nicholson fought three times in 2024, and all were overseas; Chapman had two fights.

Ebanie Bridges, who many in the boxing game find a divisive character, has not fought in 2024 and is currently pregnant. Bridges was in some fun fights on major nights and her pulling power should not be ignored. Bridges seemed like a big, big part of the growth and popularity of women’s boxing in Britain.

There are potential fights between the British women and Caroline Dubois could feature in several over the next few years. Dubois, the sister of heavyweight champion Daniel, is still only 23, unbeaten in just ten fights and she holds two versions of the lightweight world title. She fought and won twice with shut-out points victories in 2024, but she needs a name on her record. Dubois is, in theory, the very best lightweight in the world and that means she might have to wander in weight and move closer to Ryan, Jonas and Cameron for truly high-profile fights. She does also have Harper at her weight, holding a version of the title and that fight makes sense.

The end of 2024 is close and hopefully the February and March schedule will feature some of the missing women from 2024; Taylor should not be part of the planning, but a grudge fight between Ryan and Cameron would be great and Jonas against Price has been talked about. Scotney is desperate to move up four pounds and fight Nicolson. The fights are there, they just need to be made and, what is more, they must be made.