BBC Sport's British women pound-for-pound rankings

Yahoo

07-03-2025

Friday's all-female card at London's Royal Albert Hall will mark International Women's Day by celebrating the depth of women's boxing in the United Kingdom.
The event is headlined by the unification fight between welterweight world champions Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price.
Unbeaten lightweight champion Caroline Dubois defends her WBC title against Bo Mi Re Shin.
In homage to the female code, BBC Sport - with the help of Scotland's former middleweight champion Hannah Rankin - has compiled the top 10 pound-for-pound rankings for active British fighters.
"These rankings are not solid, though", Rankin says.
"In women's boxing, unlike the men, the best always fight the best. So there are a number of fighters who can shoot up or down the list after one good win or a bad performance."
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10. Nina Hughes (Former WBA bantamweight champion – 6 wins and 1 loss; age 42)
9. Rhiannon Dixon (Former WBO lightweight champion – 10 wins, 1 loss; age 29)
8. Sandy Ryan (Former WBO welterweight champion – 7 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw; age 31)
7. Caroline Dubois (Current WBC lightweight champion, 10 wins and 1 draw; age 24)
6. Terri Harper (Three-weight and current WBO lightweight champion – 15 wins, 2 losses and 2 draws; age 28)
Newport-born Price is flying the flag for Welsh boxing. After capturing gold at Tokyo 2020, she made the transition to the paid ranks with real ease.
In just her seventh fight, Price become her nation's first professional female boxing world champion and 14th world title holder beating welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill.
Price would raise her profile even further with a win over veteran Jonas.
"I've sparred hundreds of rounds with Lauren and to see her achieve everything she has done in such a small time is incredible," Rankin says.
"Put simply, I've not seen her put a foot wrong in any of her fights."
Knockouts are generally tough to come by in women's boxing, but Hartlepool's 33-year-old Savannah Marshall is the exception to the rule.
The former undisputed super-middleweight world champion, who also won a title at middleweight, has stopped 10 opponents in 13 fights.
"It's what makes Savannah so special," Rankin says. "It's why we all tune in - you're expecting the knockout blow at any point."
Marshall is the only woman to beat the self-proclaimed GWOAT, Claressa Shields, as an amateur.
Shields did avenge that defeat in 2022, though, which is the only blemish on Marshall's record.
"I'd be excited to see the rematch between her and Claressa, maybe even at heavyweight. I think we would see a different Savannah," Rankin says.
Londoner Ellie Scotney is an unbeaten WBO and IBF super-bantamweight champion who quietly goes about her business.
Unlike Marshall, there is a lack of knockout power with all of 10 of her bouts going the distance.
But the 26-year-old more than makes up for that with some exceptional boxing ability. She is a fluid mover who glides around the ring and, as Rankin puts it, "showcases what being a boxer is all about."
Scotney retained her title in October and has eyes set on Australia's WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicolson.
"Ellie has been matched so hard throughout her career - she's never had an easy fight. She has fought different styles of fighters and has improved and shown something different in each of her wins," Rankin says.
"I think she could become two-weight, undisputed world champion and leave a real mark on the sport.
Natasha Jonas is is a fighter who has crossed eras in women's boxing. In London 2012 she became the first British female boxer to compete in the Olympics.
She, alongside the likes of Ireland's Katie Taylor, has spearheaded the sport's rise in popularity ever since.
The 40-year-old - who has won 16 pro fights, lost two and drawn one - is now enjoying a golden period in the twilight of her career.
After capturing the much-sought-after world title in February 2022, she has not taken a step back. Her next two wins were in unification bouts and she then moved to light-middleweight to win two more titles.
"Natasha is a real role model for all young fighters. She suffered a crippling defeat early on in her career and rebuilt, showing just what it takes to overcoming adversity," Rankin says.
"She is so knowledgeable about the sport. Natasha is just an asset to the sport."
The top spot goes to Chantelle Cameron - a former undisputed world champion with 20 wins and one draw and a fighter who stunned the great Katie Taylor in her own backyard.
Cameron, 33, is a terrific boxer with a solid jab, timing and ability to control the distance.
She won her first world title- the WBC light-welterweight strap - in her 13th fight to very little fanfare.
She would become England's first undisputed champion in the four-belt era, but still very few were talking about the Northampton fighter.
Cameron's breakout moment, however, came in the most emphatic fashion when she inflicted a first career defeat on Taylor in 2023.
"I had absolutely no hesitation in putting Chantelle at number one," Rankin says.
"They say 'to be the man you have to beat the man'- the same applies to the women. Katie is regarded one of the world's best female fighters, maybe of all time. For Chantelle to beat her was incredibly impressive."
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