If Mikaela Mayer has to wait for her undisputed showdown with Lauren Price, Kirstie Bavington is ready, willing and able to box the American star in the interim.
Bavington has fought Lauren Price and Sandy Ryan, both of whom would go on to win world titles. She is the current European welterweight champion, as well as holding down a full-time job as a school teacher.
Bavington had been due to box Olympic star Cindy Ngamba at the Royal Albert Hall in March, only for a medical issue to rule Ngamba out the day before the fight was going to take place. It was devastating for Ngamba, but the incident also meant that Bavington has not yet boxed this year.
Mayer beat Ryan to win and retain the WBO welterweight world championship. The American revealed to Sky Sports that she expects the undisputed fight with WBA, WBC and IBF titlist Price to happen eventually, but not as soon as she’d hoped.
Highlights of the WBC, IBF and WBA welterweight world title fight between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price.
Bavington is eager to fight Mayer first if the champion is looking for a challenger.
“One hundred per cent,” Bavington told Sky Sports. “I’ll fight Mayer, then I’ll fight Lauren again.”
Bavington boxed Price in the first ever women’s British title fight, losing a unanimous points decision.
“I felt like I held my own. Like the first few rounds with Lauren I was putting it on her a bit. She was just sharper towards the later rounds,” Bavington said. “I feel like I did better than [Natasha] Jonas. I just want to fight now.
“I deserve a chance now. I deserve a shot, what my goals are I deserve to go all the way with it.”
On her pro debut Ryan outscored Bavington. They have been sparring each other recently but with Ryan looking to come back from her defeat to Mayer, Bavington would also rematch her former opponent for the European title.
“I’d fight her again, I’m sure she would as well,” Bavington said. “It’s just any fight now because you get to a point where you just get itchy knuckles, you get frustrated. You’re training all the time, you just want to fight. You get to a point in camp where you’re training hard and you’re just ready to go.”
Highlights of the WBC, IBF and WBA welterweight world title fight between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price.
Bavington combines her boxing with a career teaching in school, a rare feat for a champion fighter. Not that the children are particularly overawed by that status.
“They still answer back, I’ll tell you that!” she said. “You walk through the playground and it’s kids shouting ‘Bavvo, Bavvo’ wherever you go. Say I’ve got a black eye, then that’s it then, they all want to know about it.
“It’s just graft. I always speak to the kids about time management and stuff,” she added. “I want to teach the kids that you can manage your time, get your exams done as well as playing sport. That’s why I train before work and after work.”
She wants to set an example and holds out hope that her efforts can lead her to the summit of the sport.
“I just want to get back on the biggest stage,” Bavington said, “and hopefully that will happen.”
This news was originally published on this post .
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