Natasha Jonas. Queen of Liverpool. Ready to take center stage in front of his hometown fans for what could be one last time. But her journey may not end there.
The city will be moving to its own boxing royalty on Saturday night when Jonas goes head-to-head against Ivana Habazin at the Liverpool Exhibition Center knowing it is likely to represent one of her last steps and final tests. before hanging up her titular gloves.
A career built on unwavering resilience through hardship and perseverance through obstacles has culminated in a legacy as one of Britain's greatest female fighters and a leading flag bearer for the explosion of women's boxing.
Local fighter Frankie Stringer claimed this week that he wanted to emulate Jonas' victory in Liverpool, while Mikie Tallon hailed her as an inspiration. Thousands of fans will join them this weekend to show their appreciation for Jonas' part in bringing boxing software back to Merseyside.
“It's good to be back here maybe for one last time, it's special,” Jonas told Sky Sports. “And yeah, when the fights get tough, when they get tough, a bit sore and you're a bit tired, you get cut off from the energy of the crowd and it motivates you, it's very special.
“There's no place like home.”
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WBC welterweight world champion Ivana Habazin has been left unsettled by speculation about her opponent Natasha Jonas possibly fighting Lauren Price, with Habazin saying the talk has been 'disrespectful'
She had to wait. How she had to wait. Jonas, the first ever female Olympic boxer, staved off an early career loss to Viviane Obenauf in 2018 before overcoming a split draw with Terri Harper and a shock loss to Katie Taylor to continue her quest world title.
The wait was then finally over in February 2022 when she knocked out Chris Namús in the second round at the age of 37, a victory that would be a tool for further success as she won three more world titles over the next year.
She will look to add to her collection in the form of the WBC Habazin belt on Saturday, while it is no secret now that a win would also look penciled in for a British clash with former Olympic champion Price.
Is that an extra motivation? “No one wants to lose!” she says.
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Highlights from the massive IBF welterweight title clash between Natasha Jonas and Mikaela Mayer in Liverpool
“We have these fights like Fury vs AJ, Eubank vs Benn, Amir Khan and Kell Brook, and you have these moments where everyone has to pick a side.
“To be one of the first women to get that fight, yes Chantelle (Cameron) and Katie (Taylor) had the fight but it was in Ireland, it would be fantastic to get that here in the UK .
“It's a big fight but if you don't win on Saturday it won't happen so you have to focus on the fight in front of you.
Both Jonas and Price have been unflinching in their attitude over the weekend, willing to admit that an eventual clash is likely while also insisting that both against potential obstacles in Habazin and Mateus, none of which must be ignored. For the most part, outsiders have been looking in responsible for building a big match for women's boxing.
The gathering took an interesting turn on Thursday when Habazin herself tried to remind viewers of her credentials as anything but a gimme for Jonas. She said constant talk of the Jonas-Price fight was 'disrespectful' and vowed to rip up the script.
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Lauren Price says she has the boxing skills to beat Bexcy Mateus, and if Colombian Jessica McCaskill has similar tactics she will lose too
“I found myself agreeing with Ivana yesterday,” said Boxxer CEO and promoter Ben Shalom. “It's Crash Course for a reason, they've both signed up to fight it the winner – if Mateus wins, if Habazin wins, they will fight.
“When you have three world champions they all think they should be prioritized. Natasha is the queen, Lauren is the gold medalist and world champion, but Ivana is the established world champion and they all want the best.
“Okay, let's keep everyone together, we'll have a road to be clear and the winner will live on.”
Jonas is 15-2-1 when she returns to the ring for the first time since defeating Mikaela Mayer via split decision to retain her IBF world title in Liverpool in January. Habazin comes in 23-5 off the back of April's unanimous decision win over Kinga Magyar, her five losses include the likes of Terri Harper and Claressa Shields.
“This is a real fight, the main event is a 50/50 fight,” Shalom said.
“Every time Natasha fights, I wonder if we'll see signs of her slowing down, so far she hasn't. It was an outstanding performance in a very close fight against Mayer.
“If we see a 10 or 15 percent drop away Ivana Habazin will be there to take advantage. It will be an amazing atmosphere, but it's really 50/50.”
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Opponents Stephen McKenna and Lee Cutler exchanged sharp words again as they clashed in their final press conference ahead of their super welterweight clash.
If all goes to plan on Saturday night, it looks like Price will be waiting in 2025. The Welshman continues to rapidly rise as one of the most talented fighters technically in women's boxing, moving toward both dominance and greatness after already winning a maiden world title.
Jonas knows this will be one of the toughest challenges of her career. Although in some ways, she considers the prospect of a major historical event as an added incentive going into her clash with Habazin.
“When the odds are against me, that's when you get the best version of me and I think that (fight with Price) will be one of them.”
But first, the dangerous Habazin. Despite what awaits in the New Year, there is a feeling that this may be the last time Jonas will be at the heart of the ring in his beloved Liverpool.
While she won't let the event get to her, she won't let it pass her by either.
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Jonas has issued a warning to Lauren Price, saying 'be careful what you wish for'
“I think every time I box now, I soak up the atmosphere because you don't know what's going to happen,” Jonas said.
“One of the biggest regrets about the Olympic experience is that I didn't enjoy the moment, I'm so focused on the result that I didn't take in the experience and I wish I had me that a little. a little more.
“So now I'm living a little more in the moment. “
Jonas vs Habazin live on Sky Sports
Watch Natasha Jonas vs Ivana Habazin and Lauren Price vs Bexcy Mateus on December 14, live on Sky Sports+ from 7 pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 8.30pm, or follow updates via our dedicated live blog on the Sky Sports website and app.
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