Unified champion Natasha Jonas outclassed Marie-Eve Dicaire in Manchester to add the IBF title to her WBC and WBO light-middleweight belts.
The Liverpudlian, 38, received her first world title in February after which unified the division in September.
And she capped a memorable 12 months for herself and girls’s boxing by claiming her third world title in 9 months.
Jonas claimed a unanimous win on points to condemn Canada’s Dicaire, 36, to simply her second skilled defeat.
The judges scored the combat 100-90, 98-92 and 97-93 in favour of Jonas.
“It was very robust, I knew it could be robust,” Jonas advised BBC 5 Live after the combat.
“This has by far been my greatest 12 months in boxing and to suppose at one stage it was virtually over and I almost walked away from boxing.
“Now, 12 months on I’m right here as unified champion with three belts and a Ring (Magazine) belt.”
Great Britain’s first feminine Olympic boxer has now received 13 fights since turning skilled in 2017, with two losses and one draw, whereas Dicaire, whose solely earlier defeat was towards Claressa Shields final 12 months, slips to an 18-2 file.
Jonas ends unforgettable 12 months with one other excessive
It now appears laborious to imagine that Jonas had to banish ideas of bringing her profession to a untimely finish after struggling her first skilled defeat by Viviane Obenauf in August 2018.
And even after rebuilding her profession and being unable to make the most of her first two pictures at a world title, she says that simply 12 months in the past she didn’t know how she was going to become a world champion.
But she realised her dream in February by knocking out Chris Namus, earlier than unifying the division in September with a unanimous points victory over Patricia Berghult.
That earned Jonas the prospect to headline at a significant venue for the primary time as an expert and supply the most recent spectacle in an exciting interval for girls’s boxing.
A brief drive down the M62 from Merseyside dwelling, Jonas was given a rousing reception at Manchester’s AO Arena, and she or he responded by touchdown two pictures in fast succession within the first spherical.
And Jonas continued to land the extra correct punches all through, regardless of Dicaire often choosing a extra agricultural strategy in a bid to throw the Briton off her recreation.
A scrappy second spherical noticed Jonas catch Dicaire with a left hook, and though the Canadian tried to drive the tempo within the third, she walked onto a few strong lefts from Jonas.
Jonas’ jab helped preserve Dicaire at vary earlier than the pair traded blows in a extra expansive fifth spherical, with the Canadian maybe getting the higher of it.
But Jonas started to unload within the sixth, throwing extra combos and touchdown an uppercut in addition to a proper hook.
Several physique pictures within the seventh saved Jonas firmly on prime and whereas Dicaire saved coming ahead, Jonas continued to decide her off to finish an unforgettable year on one other excessive.
What’s subsequent for Jonas?
After such a busy, eventful 12 months, Jonas may very well be forgiven for speaking extra about taking a break than potential future opponents.
But setting the file straight with Terri Harper may nicely be on her listing of New Year’s resolutions.
Jonas shared a controversial draw with her fellow Briton in 2020 at super-featherweight and Harper beat Hannah Rankin in September to turn out to be the brand new WBA light-middleweight champion.
“I’ve had a tricky 12 months, I’m going to have a vacation after which we’ll focus on the perfect choices in 2023,” Jonas stated.
“I’ve to win to preserve all my choices open and alive and I did that tonight.”
Jonas may additionally face light-welterweight Chantelle Cameron, who became the UK’s first undisputed female champion together with her win over Jessica McCaskill final weekend.
A rematch with Ireland’s undisputed light-weight champion Katie Taylor could be interesting after Jonas’ close points loss in May 2021, additionally at Manchester’s AO Arena.
And then, in fact, there may be ‘the GWOAT’, the unbeaten American Claressa Shields.
After her thrilling win over Savannah Marshall to turn out to be the undisputed middleweight champion in October, Shields stated she could be open to coming again down to light-middleweight, the place she was previously undisputed champion, to face Jonas in both the UK or the US.
And talking earlier than Saturday’s win, Jonas’ promoter Ben Shalom stated {that a} combat with Shields in 2023 is “a particular risk”.
