Natasha Jonas has named Katie Taylor, Chantelle Cameron and Lauren Price as potential opponents for her next fight; Taylor and Cameron are scheduled to meet in a November rematch, meaning taking on Olympic gold medallist Price next could be more viable
Thursday 3 August 2023 14:45, UK
Natasha Jonas, now a two-weight world champion, is looking to secure the biggest fights with real urgency.
"I don't want to wait around. I haven't got time on my side to be waiting around. It's all about what makes sense," she told Sky Sports.
Looking ahead, Jonas wants to face some of the top names in women's boxing with Katie Taylor, Chantelle Cameron and Olympic gold medallist Lauren Price in her sights.
Taylor edged out Jonas in the 2012 Olympic Games and defeated her once more in the professional ranks on points in a competitive 2021 world title fight.
On the prospect of facing Taylor again, Jonas stated: "I want to have a victory over Katie before I retire. Katie is definitely one of the ones on the hit list."
Cameron handed Taylor a first professional loss in May. Jonas knows better than anyone just how good she is, but that's why she wants the fight.
"Chantelle is the best fighter that we've got on these shores," the Liverpudlian explained. "Chantelle helped me out with the [Terri] Harper fight, she's helped me out with the Katie camps. We've known each other since GB and before that. We've got a long history of being friends and there is no animosity. It's just this is just boxing business."
Cameron will box Taylor once again in a super-lightweight world championship rematch on November 25.
Lauren Price, the star of the Tokyo Olympic Games, is another fighter Jonas is looking at.
Price is highly regarded as one of the brightest talents in British boxing, and added another accolade to her resume when she won the inaugural British women's welterweight title after outclassing Kirstie Bavington over 10 rounds in May.
But Jonas had a word of warning for Price, saying: "It's a bit hard for Lauren because you can go from Kirstie Bavington to me really quick and there's a big jump in class and difference."
Although Price may be inexperienced at the highest level, Jonas isn't prepared to be patient.
"To me, right now it's all about not wasting time," the champion said. "If she hasn't got a fight and she's the one there, then that makes sense for me."
Jonas delivered a dominant display in her last outing against Kandi Wyatt, securing a spectacular stoppage victory in the eighth round to become the IBF welterweight champion.
Dropping down from super-welter saw Jonas become a two-division world champion.
She noted: "The weight wasn't ever an issue. I never wanted to be 154lbs or anywhere near that limit because it was too heavy. In training and in sparring, it was detrimental to my performance. So, I've always weighed in really light because that's the weight I'm better at boxing.
"I knew [Wyatt] was tough and game. You can hit her with what you want, and she'll take it and just keep coming. [You have to be] methodical and break her down."
Jonas is in a position where she can consider putting the final touches on her legacy.
"When you're a fighter in the moment, you're just focused on the results. But when people say it now, it's nice to appreciate the moment and look back and think, 'Oh, wow. That'll be there forever,'" she said.
Despite facing early setbacks in her career, Jonas expressed her new-found confidence and self-belief: "Social media is a cesspit of negativity, and everyone's got an opinion and it's not always the happy place that it should be. But I think for me, it's the peace that I've got with myself.
"I've been saying for so long and trying to make everyone else believe that I was elite world level. Now I don't even care whether they believe it or not. I know I am."
