Cecilia Braekhus is inspired by Natasha Jonas, but still wants to fight her.
The Norwegian Braekhus was a pioneer in this sport. Her undefeated streak spans 36 fights and more than 13 years. Between 2014 and 2020, she reigned as the undisputed welterweight champion, winning all four major world titles and defending them 10 times.
She first became a unified champion in 2009 and is a veteran of 28 world title fights, of which she lost only two.
She may be 41 years old, but after bulking up, she’s targeting 38-year-old Jonas as her way back to the top.
“Let’s get right to it. I want a title fight,” said Braekhus Sky Sports.
“Both Natasha and Terry Harper are at the top of my list. Both went to 154 pounds, which is my natural weight now.
“I’ve been a big fan of Natasha Jonas since she turned pro. I would love to fight for her belts.
“I love her, she’s an amazing boxer, she’s an amazing representative of the sport in and out of the ring, but I believe 100 percent that I’m going to beat her.”
Jonas had the best year of her career in 2022, when the Liverpool native combined the WBC, IBF and WBO super-welterweight world titles in three fights.
Braekhus beat Victoria Noelia Bustos in Monte Carlo to defend her undisputed title (Photo: Mark Robinson)
Although Breichus considers Jonas a future rival, she has already used her as an example.
“Natasha, she’s a mother, she’s an athlete, I respect her so much that if I feel tired or I don’t want to go to the gym today, I’m like what are you complaining about, this woman is literally a mother, she has a human being that to care for, and she is a single champion,” said Breihus.
“So I love Natasha, I have so much respect for her and I think it’s going to be a great fight.”
Breihus herself had a long and difficult path through the sport. Now she wants to be part of the women’s boxing boom underway in Britain.
“They are at the forefront of women’s boxing at the moment, which is amazing,” she said. “With such amazing role models, I don’t think anyone could have handled it better than them.”
Braekhus’ own ambitions remain
Then she can’t wait to travel to the UK to challenge Jonas. “Fighting her in England, I don’t see any problem with that either,” said Breihus.
“It’s not far from Norway. I know many Norwegians would come from Norway to watch this fight. It would be a great pleasure for the Norwegians to get this fight as well.”
The former champion had to acknowledge the progress of women’s boxing. “When I started boxing, I couldn’t even see anywhere out there what we were doing right now. It was hard to fathom at the time when I was starting out,” she said.
Braekhus has seen women’s boxing come a long way
“Remember we weren’t allowed to join the Olympics, the Olympics were for men only. It was a completely different world.
“It was rough. One of the hardest things was being told every day that you’re less worthy as a woman,” she continued.
“That was the thing I definitely didn’t like at all. It didn’t matter how many people told me I was less than worthy, I would never listen to them.
“I’m so happy that the next generation doesn’t have to be in this position.”
“Where we are today, for us who started back when I started, you just have to wake up sometimes,” Braekhus reflects. “Just realize how far we’ve come.
“We still have a lot to work on, but we’re definitely on our way.”
Pioneering
Tom Loeffler, Cecilia Brakehus’ promoter, emphasized the importance of her legacy and the influence she can still have.
“She is rated No. 1 on Boxrec at 154 pounds, even above Natasha Jonas and Terri Harper. It’s a testament to her career success, moving up from welterweight,” he said Sky Sports.
“She will be fighting both in the UK and she is one of the most famous female boxers in the world. Many accomplishments include selling out a 10,000-seat arena in Norway and pioneering HBO’s first women’s fight in their 45-year history.
“She holds three Guinness World Records for all her accomplishments as longest reigning welterweight champion and longest reigning undisputed champion with most title defenses.”