MY IDOL SISTER
Champ Natasha comes off second best to ‘Auntie’
NATASHA JONAS is happy with her title of ‘mum’ – even if her world titles have not earned her idol status with her daughter.
That’s because she has competition from auntie Nikita Parris, one of England’s Euro 2022 heroes.
Jonas, 38, is looking to add the IBF light-middleweight crown to her WBC and WBO straps when she faces Marie-Eve Dicaire at Manchester Arena tonight.
Daughter Mela, six, is her own inspiration, though she knows sister Nikita gets the higher praise for her sporting achievements.
Jonas said: “My little girl’s biggest idol is her auntie. She doesn’t care about me, I’m just mum. Nikita is something else.
“She went to every game but the final. It was some tournament and she was shouting, ‘That is my auntie.’ I’m boring mum and she is her auntie. She sits on the couch with my belts at night and thinks that’s normal.
“But when I went to the school and I brought my belts and gave a little talk, she was like, ‘Yeah, that’s my mum.’”
Jonas believes the country was inspired by the Euros success.
The Liverpool fighter said: “I remember standing outside of Wembley and watching 90,000 people walk out and I remember thinking about all those people who would say, ‘Nobody wants to watch women’s footy’ and ‘We don’t want to watch women’s boxing.’
“I was so proud of my sister and the team. It was some achievement.” Jonas takes the next step on her own journey tonight as she faces Canadian Dicaire with becoming undisputed champion the aim. She almost walked away from the sport in the past when she suffered defeat to Viviane Obenauf in 2018 and a draw against Terri Harper in 2020. But being a fighting single mum keeps her inspired. “Just because you have a child, it doesn’t mean you have to stop being you,” added Jonas. “Mum is a very big job, she’s the biggest thing I’m proud of, she is my biggest achievement, but I still have to go and do things for me. “I don’t see myself as different than any other working mum. My job is just a little different.”