Natasha Jonas looks to become a two-weight champion when she fights for her fourth world title on July 1, live on Sky Sports; Jonas will box Canada's Kandi Wyatt for the vacant IBF welterweight title on the undercard of the Franchon Crews-Dezurn vs Savannah Marshall undisputed title clash
Monday 19 June 2023 17:52, UK
Natasha Jonas will bid to become a two-weight world champion in her next fight on July 1, live on Sky Sports.
Jonas, already the unified WBC, IBF and WBO super-welterweight titlist, will move down to welterweight to fight Kandi Wyatt for the vacant IBF championship at 147lbs.
Liverpool's Jonas takes on the Canadian at the AO Arena in Manchester on July 1, live on Sky Sports, on a bill topped by Savannah Marshall's undisputed super-middleweight showdown with Franchon Crews-Dezurn.
The first female British boxer to qualify for an Olympic Games, Jonas now has the chance to enhance her legacy further.
This championship fight is the Liverpudlian's first bout of the year, following a blistering run in 2022 when she leapt up three divisions to seize three world titles at 154lbs. The feat saw her become the first woman to be crowned British Boxer of the Year at the British Boxing Board of Control annual awards.
Wyatt has challenged for world titles three times before. She took on undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill in 2021 and has also boxed Kali Reiss and Christina Linardatou for world honours.
Most recently she boxed in the UK and was victorious, beating Kirstie Bavington to win the WBA Inter-continental belt.
But Jonas warns Wyatt against hoping to continue that success against her in Manchester.
"Every camp I am improving, I'm evolving, I'm learning new skills and reaching new levels, so to me it would be foolish to stop now. The best-ever version of Natasha Jonas will be stepping into that ring on July 1," Jonas said.
"Every time I think I've done enough in the sport, another opportunity presents itself to step things up. If there's one thing that I always try and impress upon my daughter and on young people in general it's to keep going, work hard and try your best."
The move down to 147lbs will put Jonas on course for further big fights at welterweight, if she is victorious.
"I'm very excited to see Natasha Jonas at welterweight because I feel like it's actually her more natural weight. When you look at what she's achieved in the last year alone - three world titles and the Fighter Of The Year 2022 award from the British Boxing Board of Control - you know you're looking at an extra-special competitor," BOXXER promoter Ben Shalom said.
"Becoming a two-weight world champion, holding belts in two weight classes at the same time, is an incredibly difficult thing to accomplish, but it's exactly the kind of challenge which brings out the best in Natasha Jonas.
"She's inspired a lot of Britain's female boxers - not least her fellow Olympian and BOXXER welterweight Lauren Price - and I'm looking forward to watching her write another chapter of her incredible story in Manchester on July 1."
Jonas-Wyatt features on a July 1 bill at the Manchester Arena that includes Olympic star Ben Whittaker, hard-punching super-middleweight Callum Simpson and the Crews-Dezurn vs Marshall undisputed super-middleweight clash, live on Sky Sports.
