Jamie Mitchell makes the first defense of her WBA Bantamweight title against Carly Skelly
Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom or Melina Pizano/Matchroom
Jamie Mitchell (7-0-2 4 KOs) and Carly Skelly (4-0-1) came face-to-face for the first time today at a press conference in downtown Phoenix as they meet for Mitchell's WBA Bantamweight title at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday night, live worldwide on DAZN.
Known as 'Thumper' for her punching power, Skelly's last fight on a Matchroom Boxing show ended in disappointment as she was handed a draw at the end of a thrilling battle with Amy Timlin, despite believing she had done enough to win.
Skelly and Timlin opened the Chisora-Usyk show on Halloween night in 2020 with the vacant Commonwealth super-bantamweight title on the line. Skelly dominated the contest from the first bell, but her younger opponent by 13 years battled back bravely to get one scorecard at 96-95 in her favour and the others were returned at 97-95 to Skelly and 95-95 evens.
The feeling of being shortchanged is still fresh in the Liverpudlian's mind, so she talked about leaving nothing to chance in her world title challenge this weekend when questioned by promoter Eddie Hearn at the final presser.
“It’s come from nowhere getting this shot and I am absolutely made up for it,” said Skelly, a full-time nurse and mother of two boys. “It’s an opportunity that I am going to take with both hands.
“As soon as I saw the message about the fight, I didn’t even process it, I 100 per cent wanted this fight. I was at the fight in Liverpool when Jamie and Shannon fought, and I wanted to call out the winner for a fight that I want and one I can win.
“I have been given a draw before that I didn’t agree with, so I know that I have to go and give everything to win that belt. I am a fighter, I am going to come forward and make it hard work, I’ve got so much more about me than just work rate, I’ve got skills and I am going to show it all on Saturday.”
The defending WBA World Bantamweight champion has other ideas, “I am definitely ready to defend my title, it’s going to be a great night,” Mitchell enthused. “Carly is a great opponent for me, but I am going to show everybody why I am a World champion. Nothing has been given to me at all, I am going to go out and show my skills and capabilities. I have tremendous coaches and a great manager, and the belief I have in myself is phenomenal, so I have all the confidence I need to be a World champion.
“I’m not giving up nothing but ass-whoopings – no-one is getting this belt.”
Skelly won the WBC International super-bantamweight title in her last fight in October 2021. This weekend will be her third title contest in a row and first ever world title bid.
American southpaw Mitchell ripped the WBA belt away from Shannon Courtenay in her last fight from the away corner in Liverpool on the Smith-Fowler undercard.
Skelly is a 9/2 underdog to cause an upset abroad.
20 Things you didn’t know about Carly Skelly
Cuadras vs Rodriguez
Carlos Cuadras (39-4-1, 27KOs) and Jesse Rodriguez (14-0, 10KOs) clash for the vacant WBC World Super-Flyweight title in the main event at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, February 5.
Raymond Ford (10-0-1 6 KOs) defends his WBA Continental Featherweight title for the second time against Edward Vazquez (11-0 3 KOs), Fernando Diaz (10-1-1 3 KOs) was set to face Rodriguez but now meets unbeaten Phoenix man Lorenzo Smith (10-0 8 KOs) another new Matchroom Stateside signing Aaron Aponte (4-0 KOs) looks to extend his unbeaten start to life in the paid ranks against unbeaten Canadian Louis Jourdain (2-0 1 KO), Light Heavyweight talent Khalil Coe (1-0-1 1 KO) also meets Dylan O’Sullivan (1-0 1 KO) and there’s a big stage for two Arizona fighters, Heavyweight Adam Stewart (12-1-1 8 KOs) and Middleweight Elijah Garcia (9-0 8 KOs).
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