Natasha Jonas has heaped praise on her Liverpool roots as she aims to defy the odds once again in her legendary boxing career. The 40-year-old makes her return to the ring tonight to take on Lauren Price in a unification bout at the Royal Albert Hall.
Jonas, who hails from Toxteth, will put her IBF and WBC welterweight titles on the line against her Welsh rival, who is the WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine champion. Miss GB spoke to the ECHO in an exclusive interview last month at the Grand National Weights Lunch and explained how her Scouse upbringing gave her the tools to travel the inspiring path she has been on.
She said: “Your environment and the people that you surround yourself with are big factors in how successful you can be. In this city, we are driven. If there’s one thing that we do well, it is we create athletes and sports stars.”
The bout will top an all-female card at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall on the eve of International Women’s Day. Jonas is a trailblazer in the sport and said her Scouse mentality has been key to smashing down barriers.
She added: “For me, I’m in a male dominated field and I’ve never been scared to be around the males. I’ve never been scared to represent the city and the country in whatever sport I do.
“I think that’s the thing that’s synonymous with Liverpool. I stand up for what I believe in and I don’t care what anyone else says. That hardness is something I’ve taken into my sport and it just so happened to be boxing, which helps.
“[Being from Liverpool is about] standing up for what you believe in and not being forced into a way of thinking, a way of being just because.”
Jonas has been written off many times during her career but has continually bounced back. She was initially on a path to be a footballer before her career was curtailed by a cruciate ligament injury.
Jonas refused to beaten and pivoted to boxing when she signed up for the Rotunda Amateur Boxing Gym. Before Jonas’ rise to stardom, there was a stigma against women competing in fighting sports.
Speaking to BBC Sport, she explained how a heartfelt gesture from light middleweight champion, Liam “Beefy” Smith, helped change attitudes in the gym. She said: “All the lads were like ‘who is she?’. They weren’t used to having a girl in their gym. A
“After a warm-up, the coach asked us to get into pairs to do bags. I thought I’d be the little girl who is last to be picked, like when I used to play football with my cousins.”
However, Jonas was moved when Beefy reached out to partner with her, and she credits this act with shaping her path to become the trailblazing pioneer in boxing she is today. She said: “I don’t know if I would or wouldn’t have stuck it out if he hadn’t done that, but one little gesture from Liam made such a difference. There was no more awkwardness in the gym after that.”
Jonas has since gone on to completely change attitudes across her incredible career, becoming the first British female boxer to compete at the Olympics game in 2012 and later leading a glittering career as a professional. Although she turned 40 last year, Jonas has shown no signs of slowing down as she shared the keys to her longevity.
She told the ECHO last month: “It’s about living well, eating well and looking after yourself. And just taking it day by day. I’m not making big plans for the future. I’m just taking every day as it comes. Trying to be present, and be better than I was yesterday.”
The mum-of-one admitted she was in confident spirts ahead of the fight as she said: “No I don’t normally do [predictions] , but I know I’m going to win. She added: “I’m past the stages of nerves. There’s an optimal level that gets you ready for battle.”
The fight is extra emotional for Jonas as her trainer, Joe Gallagher, has recently revealed he’s been diagnosed with stage four bowel and liver cancer. The 56-year-old, who is Jonas’ manager as well as trainer, received his diagnosis in November.
In an interview with the ECHO, she explained how this has given her added motivation. She said: “Listen, if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know. He has just carried on regardless.
“Joe is one of those people; when he is in the game, he is in the game. I think the minute he stops or takes his head out of the game, then I think it will affect him, so he keeps himself busy, and that is his comfort. It definitely gives me motivation because there is now an extra reason I want to do it, but there are loads of reasons why you want to do it.”
If Jonas gets over the line tonight, she has no plans to hang up her gloves as she hopes to reprise her rivalries with either Katie Taylor or Mikaela Mayer. She said: “I think if I win this fight, there is an opportunity and the potential for a big undisputed showdown with either Katie Taylor or Mikaela Mayer. They are fights that you would be stupid to turn down, especially for one of the biggest prizes in boxing.”