Natasha Jonas has had a month to rest, relax and savour her latest win, a main event matchup vs. former unified world champion Mikaela Mayer, but the IBF welterweight champion revealed post-fight that 2024 would likely be the final year competing, and she wanted to finish on a high. There are options aplenty, but her promoter Ben Shalom confirmed they remain in the Scouser’s hands.
Shalom: Many options but at this stage, she’s the boss
BEN Shalom said the Natasha Jonas vs. Mikaela Mayer main event in Liverpool last month did big viewing numbers on Sky Sports and while there’s natural clamour for a rematch between the pair on neutral ground, the decision lies with a 39-year-old still searching for two more career-altering bouts on her way out of the sport.
Per BoxingScene, the young promoter hasn’t yet spoken to her about what’s next. When asked about whether a rematch was the way to go, he said:
“Maybe, I’ve not actually spoken to her. I’ve let her enjoy her win, she really deserved a night like that – we’ve got a lot of fighters in that welterweight division with Mikaela, Lauren Price, Natasha Jonas and obviously there’s Sandy Ryan, Jessica McCaskill, so there are a lot of fights. Whether that is next [a rematch] will be up to Natasha and at this stage of her career, she’s the boss.”
Since losing a competitive decision against former two-weight undisputed champion Katie Taylor in 2021, Jonas has captured world titles at light-middleweight and the weight class directly below, where she currently campaigns at.
Taylor has since vacated her titles at 135lbs, instead opting to remain at light-welterweight before a proposed trilogy bout against former undisputed titlist Chantelle Cameron after avenging defeat last time out in Dublin on Nov. 25.
Jonas told me at the inaugural press conference for the Mayer bout that if possible, she’d similarly like the opportunity to avenge her defeat against Taylor – though that is a dream more than a possibility given the existing promotional divide between Shalom’s BOXXER and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stables.
Shalom believes Jonas-Mayer 2 is a great fight and one fans would love to see, though that naturally offers up a trilogy should the American prevail a second time.
Many felt she did more than enough to emerge victorious in Liverpool, both have told me they’d be open to boxing ten three-minute rounds – provided they were paid more for the privilege.
“I can’t begrudge her from taking the best offer on the table, it’s a very difficult fight but if she’s got this year left in the sport, she will take the fights she wants… of course as a promoter, I’d love to promote that fight,” Shalom said on running it back.
WBO world welterweight champion Sandy Ryan defends her title against Terri Harper in Sheffield on March 23, having been controversially denied victory to unify the division against IBO, WBA, WBC titlist Jessica McCaskill in Orlando last September with a split decision draw over ten rounds on enemy territory.
McCaskill is set to return against former champion Ivana Habazin in the 34-year-old’s native Zagreb, Croatia on April 20 while Olympic middleweight champion Lauren Price will likely return to action by the summer months having made sustained noise publicly to also fight for world honours before much longer.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
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