EVEN Hannah Rankin’s holidays have a boxing flavour to them now. The Scot sat deep inside the Hydro late on Friday night, bruised but content, having made history by retaining her IBO and WBA belts against the plucky Alejandra Ayala who swung away frenetically until she finally ran out of steam, as Rankin expected she would.
Becoming the first female to headline at Scotland’s biggest indoor venue would have become less of a proud moment in her career had she been stripped of her belts but once the fight reached the championship rounds it became clear there was only going to be one winner.
The Hydro wasn’t quite the raucous setting that had been hoped for when promoters Fightzone took the decision to move the contest from the smaller Braehead Arena but Rankin soaked up the energy that still pervaded the room and powered her way to a stoppage.
Bigger fights in the super-welterweight division await, with the Luss fighter and her potential opponent, the Englishwoman Nathasha Jonas, both amenable to what would be an appetising Battle of Britain encounter later in the year.
Rankin will take the next week to recover before flying to South Africa to fulfil a commitment that again showcases her commitment as a boxing and humanitarian ambassador.
“I’ve got a week off and then I’m off out to South Africa to do some work with a charity called Boxwise Foundation,” she revealed. “We do a lot of outreach work and it’s our first foray into Africa, to Cape Town. I’m running a project for women and girls out there and getting them involved in sport and hopefully giving them some opportunities for future careers.
“It stems from my fight down there. When I was there I really wanted to make a difference for women in sport and when I came back Boxwise were planning on branching out over there. It’s been a nice reconnection for me with South Africa and hopefully I can do some real good over there.”
Her wounds – including a keeker on her cheek – will have healed and her body will have recovered from that test of endurance by the time she steps on the plane. Ayala was a game, lively opponent although tired suddenly in the eighth round as Rankin rained body blows down on her.
The eventual outcome was never in doubt even if the referee hadn’t stepped in, leaving Rankin drained but content.
“I’m really happy. There are always things to improve on in each performance but I showcased the things that I’ve been working on in the gym.
“And it was incredible to do it all at the Hydro. I’m still a bit overwhelmed at making history for my country. I have to give a massive thanks to my team around me because this is only possible because of them.
“They took this leap of faith and put me on at the Hydro, the Scottish people got behind me and I’m so proud about that. I could feel the energy in the eighth round when the room suddenly erupted. Everyone was getting excited so I thought, ‘let’s go!’
“I’ll have a little bit of a rest and have got some things to sort out. I’ll speak to my team and see where they want to go next. The super-welterweight division is really exciting at the moment. There are a lot of great names in there.
“I’ve got two of the belts and want all five of them. That’s my long-term goal. But I’ll enjoy this moment, a history-making moment.
“Natasha Jonas has the WBO belt, Marie Dicaire has the IBF and Patricia Berghult has the WBC – I know all the girls so it shouldn’t be too hard to make a fight with one of them.
“The Jonas fight is a great fight potentially. Two British boxers in the same division, Scotland vs England – everyone likes that fight. It would be really good for women’s boxing as well as you don’t usually have two fighters in the same division in this country.
“Obviously I want to fight at home in front of my fans. I want to make the Hydro my home as any Scottish boxer would. It’s a fantastic arena and a brilliant place to box. But I’ve fought all over the world so wherever it is put the ring up and we’ll go.
“I don’t want that to be a one-off at the Hydro. The energy you get from that is absolutely incredible. I’d love to have my home here in Glasgow.”
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