Here come the girls

TRIO LEAD RING REVOLUTION Don’t catch monster fine

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WOMEN’S professional boxing is finally ready to flourish.

But there is still a long way to go to ensure this current crop of talented fighters is not just a flash in the pan.

There have been trailblazers over the years including the Hull typist Barbara Buttrick, who went on to win a world title in the 1950s.

Then there was Jane Couch, who fought hard with the British Boxing Board of Control to earn the right to fight for pay in the UK.

There have been false dawns with even Muhammad Ali’s daughter, Laila, unable to make much of an impact in the States.

But step forward Katie Taylor, Claressa Shields and Nicola Adams and the female sport has three superstars in the paid ranks ready to take it to a new level.

All three are Olympic gold medallists and world amateur champions, having helped the unpaid side of the sport prosper, which is why now is the time for women’s pro boxing to grow.

American middleweight Shields, 22, is best placed to be the leading light for years to come. She has already headlined a TV card in the States with her power and aggression an obvious attraction.

Quality

Adams will face Argentina’s Virginia Noemi Carcamo on her pro debut at the Manchester Arena next weekend. She said: “Now that my first opponent has been announced, all I want to do is get in the ring – I’m so excited for my first fight.”

Adams and Taylor are over 30 but have the quality to inspire female fighters in the coming years.

In Britain there are set to be more female boxers switching codes, with former world amateur champion Savannah Marshall and talented lightweight Chantelle Cameron leaving the GB set-up.

When Adams, Irishwoman Taylor and Shields win world titles, which they will, what happens next?

Male boxers usually go for the big money fights, unify divisions or settle long-standing rivalries once they complete their world title dreams, which excites the fans.

But where will Adams, Taylor and Shields go? There are too few fighters able to compete with them and therein lies the problem.

Women’s amateur boxing has been on the rise for two decades.

And foundations are in place to ensure the sport survives beyond the top three golden girls.

It is up to the promoters to build on it rather than let it crumble like it has in the past.

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