Natasha Jonas speaks to Boxing Social about coming to terms with defeat, and why beating Terri Harper and winning two world titles will complete her boxing journey…
Natasha Jonas can still remember the pain and frustration that her first professional defeat made her feel.
It’s a feeling she never wants to experience again, and it’s a feeling that is fuelling her unwavering desire to dethrone WBC and IBO super-featherweight champion Terri Harper when the duo clash at Matchroom Boxing’s ‘Fight Camp’ in Brentwood on August 7.
Back in August 2018, the Liverpudlian former amateur standout was riding high, with an 6-0 pro record and a glittering amateur career under her belt. Her path to the world title dream that had fuelled her decision to turn pro the previous year looked unobstructed.
Then – on a bleak night in Cardiff – Jonas ran into Brazil’s rough and tough Viviane Obenauf. A shocking TKO defeat followed and – suddenly – Jonas’ dreams were in tatters and her future in the sport in doubt.
“For a long time afterwards I was annoyed,” the 36-year-old tells Boxing Social, in a typical display of brutal honesty from a fighter who possesses no pretence and filter.
“My ego and pride had been hurt. I’d never been stopped like that. It hurt. I was emotional and I reacted emotionally. I remember telling [trainer] Joe Gallagher on the way home: ‘That’s it. That’s me done’.”
“But then I went away on holiday not long after. Those breaks from boxing make you realise how much you miss it. Not only that but I had time to reflect on what I did wrong, what I did, what I didn’t do, what the lessons were, and I think I’m better for that now.
“The defeat is something that happened. I’ve learned from it, you have to move on, if you keep hold of it and get emotional about it, it’s not going to improve you in any way. You learn from it and move on. That’s what I’ve done.”
Now she is on the brink of world title glory. Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom.
Renewed and refreshed by her restorative holiday, Jonas shelved her retirement plans and decided to come back fighting.
To those who have followed her career closely, her decision came as no surprise. After all, Jonas is a born fighter. Her glittering unpaid career saw her land five national titles, European bronze and silver medals and a world championship bronze.
However, her life in boxing has also been characterised by an ability to bounce back from adversity – whether it be the disappointment of elimination against Katie Taylor in a barnstorming London 2012 quarter-final, or a serious injury sustained at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Therefore, once she had decided that the Obenauf fight was not the way she wanted to end her pugilistic career, it was no surprise that Jonas came back firing in 2019, winning three fights, two by stoppage.
Nevertheless, she is honest enough to place those comeback fights in context. “I’m not unrealistic about the three fights I had last year,” she says. “They weren’t against anyone of any great quality but I wanted to keep ticking over and I could only fight who was put in front of me.”
Winning, of course, is a habit, and one that Jonas is confident will continue against the 23-year-old Harper (10-0, 5 KOs).
“She’s young, she’s hungry, she’s ambitious and the pressure is on,” Jonas admits. “But I think those same things will be her undoing as well. Apart from age there’s nothing – when you break it down – that I think she’s better than me at. She’s talked a lot about me being older, slow … whatever. She really thinks that will be a factor? We’ll see!”
Photo: Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom.
Remarkably, Harper vs Jonas is the first ever all-British showdown between two female boxers for a world title. However, it is the personal milestone the fight represents for Jonas that is uppermost in her mind.
“The WBC belt is arguably the most prestigious belt in professional boxing,” Jonas enthuses. “The IBO is another great belt to have so to be fighting for the two of them on the one night is definitely going to be the biggest moment of my professional career so far. That’s why there will be no stone left unturned in my preparation.
“If I win it will make everything worth it. All the sacrifices, all the blood, sweat and tears. I came back because I had unfinished business with boxing. So to win will make it feel like I’ve done it. It’ll be complete.”
Both combatants’ preparations for the fight have – of course – been disrupted by the Coronavirus crisis. Jonas – typically – has taken Covid-19 in her stride, and is unfussed about fighting without a paying audience to roar her on.
“It’ll be very different. But at the end of the day boxing is boxing – it’s my job to get in the ring and do the business. It’s just gonna be me versus Terri – that hasn’t changed. The surroundings might have but the job in front of me hasn’t.”
Photo: Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom.
Indeed, Jonas (9-1, 7 KOs) even argues that the extra preparation time may have aided her cause.
“When the fight was originally announced, I had several weeks to get down to the weight and fight. Lockdown has meant I’ve had a longer time. I’ve had like 10 weeks now. Obviously, there’s no swimming, which we normally have in our training programme, because there’s [been] no local pools open so that’s been taking out.
“But we’re still getting on the track, we’re still running on the road. As I say, we’re also back in the gym and doing S and C [strength and conditioning] with our S and C coach. So everything is pretty much the same apart from swimming.
“Yes, when lockdown first came I was frustrated. I was shocked. The fight was taken away from me and there was no clear sign of when it would be, or even if it would be. So I was frustrated. But there was no point getting worked up about it, or getting mentally worn out or stressed about it because it was nothing that I could control.
“Now it’s here, I’ve had a long time off. I didn’t punch anything for a good 12 weeks, so I was very happy when I was back in the gym on the first day and I haven’t moaned since! I’m in a very good place mentally and physically.
“It’ll be different. It’ll be mad. But our job is in the ring. We can’t control anything outside of that. We just have to abide by the rules like we always do. It’ll be different but my job in the ring is still the same. It’s still boxing.”