Katie: I’m bringing the belt back home

Healy has her hand raised after another punch-perfect display

WITH her dream world title chance only days away, Katie Healy has vowed: “I’m bringing the belt back to the West Midlands. I know I’m coming back with the belt.”

On Saturday, the Sedgley fight star takes part in the biggest contest of her short, six bout paid career. Under the lights at Wembley Arena she faces Nina Hughes for the Essex boxer’s WBA bantamweight title.

It’s an opportunity taken at fairly short notice. Hughes was to have defended against Shannon Courtenay, but, with a month to go, Shannon pulled out through injury.

“I’d just got to the gym and my coach called me,” 25-year-old Katie – a former kick-boxing star - told Youtube channel Seconds Out. “I had five seconds, maybe 10, to make a decision. I was shaking for the remainder of the session.”

In fairness, Healey was already in camp for a Liverpool contest.

This weekend’s clash is between two unbeaten boxers who have made big strides in a very short space of time.

Hughes, 15 years older than the challenger, has had only five bouts. She collected the Commonwealth super-bantam title in her third outing  and became world champ at the lower weight last time out by outpointing American Jamie Mitchell in Dubai.

That performance was a statement. Mitchell was unbeaten in 10 and had won five of those by stoppage.

She’s shorter than Healy, works well to the body and appears to have the edge in power, with two quick wins.

But Healy is fast, sharp and possesses textbook moves. What’s more, she’s in tip-top condition.

And she, too, has had to travel a long way for glory. In her fifth fight, she went to South Africa and beat Matshidiso Mokebisi for the WBF version of the world super-bantam title.

She told Seconds Out: “When I train for a fight, I’m training 110 per cent for it because I don’t think you can ever underestimate an opponent.

“Whether it’s six rounds or 10 rounds – it depends on the pace you’ve set, the opponent you’ve got. So you’ve got to go into the ring overly fit and overly ready for it.

“Now we know who we are fighting. I didn’t know who my opponent was going to be in Liverpool, so we were just training for a fight. (Knowing who I’m fighting) has made a big difference – it’s made a difference in sparring partners, for example. It’s made a difference in the tactics and the fight plan we’ve got.

“We’ve definitely upped it (the training), we’ve upped it even more than it already was.”

Katie has positively relished the big fight build-up.

“I can’t wait,” she said. “I love boxing. I don’t do it just for the money, I do it because I genuinely love the sport and it’s been a part of me since I was 11-years-old.

“This opportunity is just a dream come true. It’s come a lot quicker than I expected it to, but I just love the build-up, I love doing all the conferences. I’m just going to take in every single minute while I’m there and enjoy every single minute.

“It’s exciting times. You just can’t say no when the call comes because it could be life-changing. I love being away from home when I’m fighting, it’s like being in a different world. You’re shut off, you’ve got that focus. I like being an away fighter.

“I have always been someone who takes each fight as it comes and not get too excited. But I’m 25, I’m young, I’m excited to see where the journey goes.

“Anything can happen on fight night, there are a lot of factors that can come into play. I’ve prepared for more than 10 rounds to make sure I’m 110 per cent ready.”

Jason Lowe, an expert on women’s boxing and co-boss of the award-winning, all-female WBC gym in Birmingham, said: “Katie’s a very good fighter. She needs to keep it long. She can’t let Nina come inside, because Nina does hit and she hits hard to the body.”