Natasha Jonas insists she’s happy about her next fight – despite not securing a match against Hannah Rankin.
Liverpool’s superweight holds the WBO world championship belt in the weight division and has been hoping to meet WBA and IBO champions Rankin in a reunification match later this year.
Jonas (11-2-1, 8 KOs) won the title with a stunning knockout at Manchester Arena in February, ending Chris Namus’s challenge in two innings under Mr. Kell Brook’s victory over Amir Khan.
And the 38-year-old, now under the tutelage of Ben Shalom and Boxxer, quickly turned her attention to Rankin.
Scot has considered an offer to meet ‘Miss GB’ later this year. That is until it became clear that Terri Harper would enter the weight class.
Patricia Berghult (15-0, 3 KOs), WBC weight champion, is now next on the list for Jonas on September 3, live exclusively on Sky Sports.
The match will be Jonas’s first match in her home city as world champion and will take place at the M&S Bank Arena, as part of the supporting cast in Liam’s return to Liverpool. Smith meets former IBO champion Hassan Mwakinyo.
Jonas exclusively told Boxing Social about her next outing:
“Last week I received a text message asking if I wanted to fight.
“The message came in the morning, and by the evening of the same day, it was done.
“We didn’t get Rankin and that’s disappointing, but we’re all very happy and eager to go. It was a really tough fight, it was a prestigious belt and I would probably get more out of this victory than if I had fought Hannah and defeated her. “
Boxing head Shalom says he made an offer to Rankin it was “life-changing” in hopes of getting her into the ring with former track athlete Jonas, but now it looks like Rankin will meet former WBC and IBO featherweight world champion Harper Harper , with Social under the impression of being Harper’s promoter, Eddie Hearn – who once looked after Jonas — is looking to put it on a September show for confirmation.
Jonas added:
“I’m glad Ben did everything he could to do the Rankin battle and even though he couldn’t, he delivered it.
“It doesn’t look like a step down. If anything, it’s a step forward, so we’re all happy and ready to go. “
Berghult was set to meet former undisputed weight queen Cecilia Braekhus (36-2.9 KOs) on August 13 after the woman held at least a 147-pound title for more than a decade. revealed that she was gaining weight.
That fight is over, though, and it’s to Jonas’s advantage as she gets the chance to add to her silverware with a premium code after her glittering amateur stint.
