(OCT 13) Last Saturday night, 6th October 2018 at the Morningside Arena, Leicester, England before a near capacity audience of 3,000 people, and an even larger audience on British Telecom TV, NICOLA ADAMS from Leeds, England, fought probably the hardest fight of her boxing career - Amateur or Professional. It was her first fight over 10 rounds. Her opponent ISABEL MILLAN, a Professional boxer, lawyer and gym owner from Jalisco, Mexico was a very experienced opponent with an impressive record.

Nicola came through with flying colours - winning 97 to 93 on points over 10 fast paced rounds.

She had won her first professional World Championship. As the Bookmakers 40 to 1 favorite she had proved them right.

On 2nd March 2017 at Buckingham Palace , London His Royal Highness , Prince William, Duke of Cambridge acting on behalf of his Grandmother , Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2 of Great Britain had created Nicola an “ Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire ” ; a British Order of Chivalry created in June 1917 , and awarded to men and women for prominent National Achievement. Nicola, for her services to Boxing, and in particular womens’ boxing in Winning Gold Medals, as an amateur at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.

This public recognition by the Head of State has transformed the view of womens’ boxing in Britain.

It is now a recognized sport. Nicola’s achievements have played a major role.

Credit must also be given to Nicola’s manager and promoter – the world Famous FRANK WARREN, who after many years refusing to promote women, has publicly admitted that he had been wrong , and has now thrown the weight of his very large and powerful organizations Queensbury Promotions Ltd and BoxNation behind Nicola.

This has been a transformation. Frank makes things happen !.

His 11 bout tournament featured 10 men's ( including 2, WBO Intercontinental, and a WBO European Championships ) and this women's WBO Interim World Flyweight Championship fight.

This woman’s fight was the eighth bout on the card.

First Into the ring’s Red Corner, MILLAN a slim 5ft 5inch tall woman with auburn hair platted into a small pig tail and a bronzed tattooed physique in a white sports bra and green, white and red satin skirted shorts.

Then Into the ring’s Red Corner, ADAMS a muscular 5 ft 3 inch woman with short black “Afro” hair clad in a black sports bra with her long black/white shorts with gold side stripes and with “ Lioness “ emblazoned across her bottom

The Master of Ceremonies announced the fight as a WBO World Championship over 10 x 2 minute rounds and that the Weigh In ( the day before ) ADAMS weighed 7stones, 13 pounds and 10 ounces whilst MILLAN weighed 7 stones , 13 pounds and 4 ounces.

Round 1

Referee Phil Edwards called the women from their corners and they both came out to fight.

A measured start. MILLAN, swaying from side to side tried taking the fight to her opponent from the centre of the ring, but it quickly became clear that a large number of shots were thrown by her which did not reach their intended mark.

ADAMS continued to pick her off with two handed quick combination hooks and jabs to the head and body.

Working from the inside ADAMS quickly showed herself the more accurate puncher of the two.

ADAMS won this round

Round 2

The fight moved into its natural rhythm. MILLAN moving forward to launch her principally two handed wild swinging attacks , but being punished by a smiling ADAMS who caught her with fast two handed ripostes. MILLAN had difficulty making her punches tell against a wily opponent.

ADAMS is a master technician. She has a very wide arsenal of blows which she rains upon her unfortunate opponents with speed and intensity. She constantly varies her attack form the body to the head and vice versa. She is moves constantly, able to catch from the inside an opponent with scoring blows. Her attacks vary from southpaw to orthodox - so it is difficult for her advisories to box her in traditional fashion. At one stage she pushed her advisories head down. This was a good round for ADAMS.

ADAMS won this round.

Round 3

Similar pattern of fighting , but MILLAN a bit more successful.

MILLAN won this round – just !

Round 4

Similar pattern of fighting.

ADAMS won this round

Round 5

MILLAN kept coming forward with her attacks. ADAMS threw a lovely right hand which knocked out MILLAN’S gum shield . After this had been returned the two women fought toe to toe in the center of the ring.

ADAMS hit the canvas near the Red Corner, from what looked like a swinging left hook from |MILLAN but ADAMS was up in a flash and Referee Phil Edwards did not begin a count.

ADAMS won this round

Round 6

Swaying from side to side to off put her opponent MILLAN attacked but in a violent exchange of blows received a bruised right eye.

In the closing seconds of this round MILLAN threw a punch after the bell had sounded. This caused a roar from the crowd and an admonition from the Referee.

ADAMS won this round

Round 7

MILLAN threw a massive right hand swinging hook which missed as did her uppercut and follow up blows. She did succeed with more precise straight punches.

MILLAN won this round on a split decision.

Round 8

MILLAN got through with a good right hook, but did not have the power to take her opponent out. ADAMS switched from Southpaw to Orthodox as part of her plan to confuse her opponent. MILLAN missed again with big swinging punches’

The Referee gave ADAMS a warning for using her elbows.

ADAMS was not now smiling as much as she had in the earlier part of the fight.

ADAMS won this round

Round 9

Fired up by her Seconds that she was doing well MILLAN launched a more affective attack.

MILLAN won this round

Round 10

ADAMS caught MILLAN numerous times with right and left hand solid punches to the face, jerking MILLAN’S head back. She took a lot of punishment.

40 seconds in to the round, ADAMS taunted her opponent with a soft-shoe-shuffle in the center of the ring to show how fresh she still was after their ten rounds of boxing. This appeared to incense her opponent ( as intended )

Despite this being Adam’s first 10 round contest she had kept up the intensity of the contest to the end.

Adams won the round.

As the fight ended the audience cheered and clapped the two women in appreciation of their skill and courage and such a good fight.

ADAMS was unanimously declared the winner on points by the three judges. “White Judge” Fernando Laguna-Yenes scoring 96-94, “Blue Judge” Howard Foster scoring 97-93 and “Pink Judge” Manuel Oliver Paloma also scoring 97-93.

JOHN HANDLAAR, Vice Chairman of the British Boxing Board of Control, and an Executive Member of the World Boxing Organisation entered the ring to congratulate ADAMS.

NICOLA ADAMS OBE is now the WBO INTERIM WOMENS’ WORLD FLYWEIGHT CHAMPION and moves to 5 wins’ no losses.

ISABEL MILLAN drops to 22 wins, 5 losses 1 draw.

It was not possible to have post fight interviews with these two women boxers, but Adams is on record as having expressed the wish to win and consolidate all the major sanctioning bodies Womens’ World Titles (at her weight) before she retires permanently from the ring.

Her Promoter Frank Warren hopes to entice ARELY MUCINO the Mexican Women’s Flyweight Champion and the World Boxing Association’s Womens’ World Flyweight Champion to England for a World Title fight in the near future. There is also talk of a match against Germany’s RAJA AMASHEH the WBO Womens’ Super-Flyweight World Champion.

Reviewing the fight it is quite obvious that ADAMS deserved to win. Her punching was far more accurate and effective than her opponent. At times MILLAN looked very ragged and amateurship with her two handed wild swinging punches which failed to connect or ended up around the back of ADAMS head – earning her a reprimand from Referee Phil Edwards. It belied her impressive record on paper. Her fighting appeared like an exploding firework – much energy and show but, lacking substance.

The 10 mens’ contests kept the enthusiastic crowd of fans engaged. There were no major upsets - the "Home Team" winning all their bouts, but one, by knockouts or points victories.

Bout 1
CALLUM BROCKLEY, Leicester, England, beat DANNY LITTLE , Driffield, England on points, 40 -36, over 4 x 3 minute rounds in a Welterweight contest.

Bout 2
RYAN HATTON , Tamworth, England, won on points 40 to 37 over PRZEMYSLAW BINIENDA Leszno, Poland, in their 4 x 3 minute rounds International Light-Heavy weight contest.

Bout 3
JOE MAPHOSA Thornaby, England, beat GYULA DODU , Budapest, Hungary, on points 40 - 36 over 4 x 3 minute rounds in their International Flyweight contest.

Bout 4
C.J. CHALLENGER Leicester, England, beat SCOTT JAMES Bicester, England on points 60 - 57 over 6 x 3 minute rounds in their Super Welterweight contest.

Bout 5
MARK HEFFRON, Oldham, England, won by a Knockout over ARYEE AYIYTEV, Accra, Ghana in their scheduled 8 x 3 minute rounds International Middleweight contest.

Bout 6
RAZZA HAMZA Birmingham, England, won by a Knockout in the Second round over JOHNSON TELLEZ , Barcelona, Spain, in their scheduled 6 x 3 minute rounds International Featherweight contest.


Bout 7
SAM BOWEN, Ibstock, England, won by a Knockout in the Third round over HARACIO ALFREDO CABBAL, Buenos Aires, Argentina, in their scheduled 12 x 3 minute rounds televised fight for the vacant WBO Intercontinental Super-Featherweight title.

Bout 9
DANIEL DUBOIS, Greenwich, England beat KEVIN JOHNSON, New Jersey, USA,, on points 100 - 91 over 10 x 3 minute rounds in their televised International Heavyweight contest.


Bout 10
JACK CATTERALL , Chorley, England, beat O’HARA DAVIES, Hackney, England, on points in their 12 x 3 minute rounds WBO Intercontinental Super-Lightweight contest.


Bout 11
ARCHIE SHARP , Welling, England, beat LYON WOODSTOCK , Leicester, England, on points 96 – 93 over 10 x 3 minute rounds in their televised WBO European Super -Featherweight Championship contest