Preston boxer Lisa Whiteside eyes up first title as a professional

The 34-year-old is scheduled to appear at the Bolton White Hotel once again on December 20 on a fight show organised by MTK Global.

It will be the third time the flyweight has fought at that particular venue, following victories in her previous two outings over Claudia Ferenczi and Evgeniya Zablotskaya.

The reigning Commonwealth Games champion does not know who her opponent will be at this stage, but she is hopeful that the bout will be her first 10-rounder and will be a step up in class with a potential WBO interim belt on the line.

When she first turned pro at the beginning of this year, Whiteside was keen to make progress quickly and had targeted a shot at a world title by the end of 2019.

However, the reality – and politics – of the sport has certainly been an eye opener for the Chorley-born star, who is trained by Mick Day.

She admits there has been an element of frustration that she has only had three bouts since announcing her decision to turn professional in February. The chances of a potential British blockbuster against long-time rival from the amateur ranks Nicola Adams still look remote.

Adams – who was presented with the WBO world championship without fighting after the previous holder had to relinquish the belt due to injury – retained her title last month, but only by the skin of her teeth after a draw with Mexico’s Maria Salinas.

Whiteside needs more bouts under her belt, but the possibility of a 10-round fight at the end of this year will give her world ranking points and hopefully set her up for big fights over the next 12 months.

“We are trying to get some sort of title for my next fight – maybe a WBO interim belt, she said. “There are so many different rules in the pro game – I am still learning.

“I don’t really know what the rules are and how you get ranking points – I just go with the flow and prepare the best I can for my fights.

“I had my first fight in May and I only will have fought four times in eight months by the end of this year. We have got this fight coming up in December which we’re hoping will be a 10-rounder and will be for some sort of title.” 
Whiteside says she has been inspired by the exploits of former training mate Scott Fitzgeraldm who became British champion this month.

“I’ve always got on with Scott and it’s great to see him become British champion,” she said. “We have both kind of bounced off each other – he became Commonwealth champion then I did.”

Whiteside is still looking for sponsorship to support her during training camps, if you are able to help please contact her via her email address on [email protected].