Latest news with #GeorgiaOConnor
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
World champion Harper calls out Dubois after routine win
England's world lightweight champion Terri Harper cruised past the overmatched Natalie Zimmermann to defend her WBO title in front of a spirited home crowd in Doncaster. The 28-year-old dominated from the opening bell, picking her opponent apart without ever really threatening the stoppage. German Zimmermann, 42, became a sitting target and ended the fight badly bloodied because of a clash of heads at the Eco-Power Stadium. All three judges scored it 99-91 as three-weight world champion Harper extended her record to 16 wins, with two defeats and two losses. Afterwards, Doncaster's Harper called for a unification fight with fellow Briton and WBC lightweight champion Caroline Dubois. "That gets my fire burning. I said it the other day in the press conference, she rubs me up the wrong way," Harper said. With the boxing world in mourning this week, there was a poignant moment when those in attendance applauded a 10-bell salute in memory of boxer Georgia O'Connor, who died aged 25 on Thursday. O'Connor lost her battle with cancer and was a hugely popular figure among her fellow fighters. The event was hosted by relative newcomers GBM, in what was the promotional outfit's first stadium card and world-title headliner. After each fight on the main undercard went to points, Harper made her ring walk at the late time of 23:10 BST. Nicknamed 'Belter', she entered to Gerry Cinnamon's folk song with the same title. Several fans had already left, but those who remained gave her a hero's welcome. The gulf in class was apparent as early as the first minute when a left hook from Harper drew chants of "Yorkshire" from the crowd. The former super-featherweight and light-middleweight champion pinned Zimmermann on the ropes and was landing to the head and body. Hamburg's Zimmermann had won all 13 professional bouts, having only started boxing aged 37, but in Harper she faced someone who had gone toe-to-toe with world-class operators such as Natasha Jonas and Alycia Baumgardner. Zimmermann's will to win did not match her talent as she rushed in her punches and struggled to make any openings. She did land a solid uppercut in the sixth as a dejected Harper began to cut a frustrated figure. Blood poured down from Zimmermann's head after the accidental head clash in the final round, but Harper - who before the fight said she would be disappointed with a points win - could not find the telling blow. After years of jumping up and down the divisions in search of big fights and accolades, Harper seems comfortable at lightweight and is confident of halting the hype of the unbeaten Dubois. Dubois, 26, has long been considered as the future of women's boxing, and predicted she would make Harper "crumble" in a potential unification fight. "That fight makes sense," Harper said, adding she will now take a short break before pursuing unification fights. If the Dubois bout does not materialise, Harper may target IBF champion Beatriz Ferreira or WBA title-holder Stephanie Han. "I want to go on to fight the other champions and really step up", she said. Boxing schedule and results 2025 Watch every Born to Brawl episode Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
World champion Harper calls out Dubois after routine win
England's world lightweight champion Terri Harper cruised past the overmatched Natalie Zimmermann to defend her WBO title in front of a spirited home 28-year-old dominated from the opening bell, picking her opponent apart without ever really threatening the Zimmermann, 42, became a sitting target and ended the fight bloodied because of a clash of heads at the Eco-Power three judges scored it 99-91 as three-weight world champion Harper extended her record to 16 wins, with two defeats and two Doncaster's Harper called for a unification fight with fellow Briton and WBC lightweight champion Caroline Dubois."That gets my fire burning. I said it the other day in the press conference, she rubs me up the wrong way," Harper said. Routine win for Harper but no KO as predicted With the boxing world in mourning this week, there was a poignant moment when those in attendance applauded a 10-bell salute in memory of boxer Georgia O'Connor, who died aged 25 on Thursday.O'Connor lost her battle with cancer and was a hugely popular figure among her fellow event was hosted by relative newcomers GBM, in what was the promotional outfit's first stadium card and world-title each fight on the main undercard went to points, Harper made her ring walk at the late time 23:10 'Belter', she entered to Gerry Cinnamon's folk song with the same title. Several fans had already left, but those who remained gave her a hero's gulf in class was apparent as early as the first minute when a left hook from Harper drew chants of "Yorkshire" from the former super-featherweight and light-middleweight champion pinned Zimmermann on the ropes and was landing to head and Zimmermann had won all 13 professional bouts, having only started boxing aged 37, but in Harper she faced someone who had gone toe-to-toe with world-class operators such as Natasha Jonas and Alycia Baumgardner. Zimmermann's will to win did not match her talent as she rushed in her punches. She did land a solid uppercut in the sixth as a dejected Harper began to cut a frustrated poured down from Zimmermann's head after the accidental head clash in the final round, but Harper - who before the fight said she would be disappointed with a points win - could not find the telling blow. Harper targets all-British unification fight against Dubois After years of jumping up and down the divisions in search of big fights and accolades, Harper seems comfortable at lightweight and is confident of halting the hype of the unbeaten 26, has long been considered as the future of women's boxing, and predicted she would make Harper "crumble" in a potential unification fight."That fight makes sense," Harper said, adding she will now take a short break before pursuing unification the Dubois bout does not materialise, Harper may target IBF champion Beatriz Ferreira or WBA title-holder Stephanie Han."I want to go on to fight the other champions and really step up", she said.
National Post
23-05-2025
- Health
- National Post
Boxer dies at 25 after battling for months with doctors over diagnosis
British boxer Georgia O'Connor fought to the very end, ultimately losing her battle with a 'rare and aggressive' form of cancer that she said doctors ignored for months. Article content She was 25 years old. Article content O'Connor, a medal-winning boxer from Durham, England, shared her diagnosis earlier this year while tearing into the English medical system (NHS) and the doctors who overlooked her concerns. Article content In an Instagram post, she shared that she had been diagnosed with cancer after weeks of debilitating pain, and claimed her concerns went ignored by doctors for four months. Article content 'For 17 weeks since the start of October, I've been in constant pain, going back and forth between Durham and Newcastle RVI A&E knowing deep down something was seriously wrong,' O'Connor wrote on Jan. 31. 'I said from the start I felt it was cancer. I KNEW the risks. I have colitis and PSC, two diseases that dramatically increase the chances of getting it. I KNOW how high my risk is and they do too. They always did. Article content View this post on Instagram A post shared by Georgia Cardinali (@georgiaoconnor_1) Article content Article content 'But not one doctor f***ing listened to me. Not one doctor took me seriously. Not one doctor did the scans or blood tests I begged for whilst crying on the floor in agony. Instead, they dismissed me. They gaslit me, told me it was nothing, made me feel like I was overreacting. They refused to scan me. They refused to investigate. They REFUSED to listen. One even told me that it's 'all in my head.' And now? Now the cancer has spread.' Article content Article content 'And if that wasn't enough, throughout this whole time there's been BLOOD CLOTS all over my lungs. That ALONE could have killed me instantly. Article content 'They could have done something before it got to this stage. But they didn't. Because this is the state of the NHS — a broken system that fails young people like me over and over again. A system that makes people suffer, that sends them home in agony, that lets cancer spread whilst the thick, stupid, mindless 'doctors' shrug their shoulders.'
CNN
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
British boxer Georgia O'Connor dies aged 25 after battle with cancer
British boxer Georgia O'Connor has died aged 25 after a battle with cancer, her promotion company, BOXXER, said on Thursday. 'We are heartbroken by the passing of Georgia O'Connor,' BOXXER wrote on Instagram. 'A true warrior inside and outside the ring, the boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon. 'Georgia was loved, respected and admired by her friends here at BOXXER. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this difficult time.' O'Connor said on social media last year that she had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which is defined as 'a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which abnormal reactions of the immune system cause inflammation and ulcers on the inner lining of your large intestine' by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. She described needing to go to the toilet 15 to 20 times a day, as well as suffering 'unbearable bowel cramps.' She also wrote that she had become pregnant and suffered a miscarriage. In January, O'Connor wrote on Instagram that she was diagnosed with cancer after being in 'constant pain.' A fundraising page was set up in O'Connor's honor by her mother in which she wrote that the cancer was 'rare and aggressive' which doctors called 'incurable.' On May 12, O'Connor wrote on Instagram that she had married her partner Adriano and changed her last name to Cardinali. Ellie Scotney, the super-bantamweight world champion, paid tribute to her long-time friend on Instagram, calling her the 'most beautiful human I've ever met.' 'I've probably rewritten this a hundred times, still not with the right words. Because there just isn't any,' Scotney said. 'Life can be so, so cruel. And it seems to be the best of us that are at the end of that. 'Being a pure soul and a good person gets thrown around so much, but you my friend are the definition of every word of that and so much more. I still can picture that timid shy but larger than life young girl walking on her tip toes a few steps in front of me, little did I know that very same girl was going to show not just me but the whole world how special life is and mostly how to live by every second. 'Even when life was on a timer, you never let anything dim that light of yours. A smile that never ever fades, and a heart that will forever live on in so many ways. There was nothing you couldn't do, the world at your very feet no matter what room you entered. I was so blessed with not just a friend for 10 years, but a sister for life.' During her boxing career, O'Connor won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. She turned professional in 2021 and won all three of her professional bouts. Her last fight came in October 2022. England Boxing called O'Connor a 'hugely talented boxer and much-loved member of the boxing community.' 'Georgia inspired many with her achievements in the ring and her spirit outside of it,' it said in a statement. 'Her dedication, passion, and talent made her a role model for young athletes across the country. Georgia's legacy will live on in the hearts of those she inspired, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew her.'
CNN
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
British boxer Georgia O'Connor dies aged 25 after battle with cancer
British boxer Georgia O'Connor has died aged 25 after a battle with cancer, her promotion company, BOXXER, said on Thursday. 'We are heartbroken by the passing of Georgia O'Connor,' BOXXER wrote on Instagram. 'A true warrior inside and outside the ring, the boxing community has lost a talented, courageous and determined young woman far too soon. 'Georgia was loved, respected and admired by her friends here at BOXXER. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this difficult time.' O'Connor said on social media last year that she had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which is defined as 'a chronic inflammatory bowel disease in which abnormal reactions of the immune system cause inflammation and ulcers on the inner lining of your large intestine' by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. She described needing to go to the toilet 15 to 20 times a day, as well as suffering 'unbearable bowel cramps.' She also wrote that she had become pregnant and suffered a miscarriage. In January, O'Connor wrote on Instagram that she was diagnosed with cancer after being in 'constant pain.' A fundraising page was set up in O'Connor's honor by her mother in which she wrote that the cancer was 'rare and aggressive' which doctors called 'incurable.' On May 12, O'Connor wrote on Instagram that she had married her partner Adriano and changed her last name to Cardinali. Ellie Scotney, the super-bantamweight world champion, paid tribute to her long-time friend on Instagram, calling her the 'most beautiful human I've ever met.' 'I've probably rewritten this a hundred times, still not with the right words. Because there just isn't any,' Scotney said. 'Life can be so, so cruel. And it seems to be the best of us that are at the end of that. 'Being a pure soul and a good person gets thrown around so much, but you my friend are the definition of every word of that and so much more. I still can picture that timid shy but larger than life young girl walking on her tip toes a few steps in front of me, little did I know that very same girl was going to show not just me but the whole world how special life is and mostly how to live by every second. 'Even when life was on a timer, you never let anything dim that light of yours. A smile that never ever fades, and a heart that will forever live on in so many ways. There was nothing you couldn't do, the world at your very feet no matter what room you entered. I was so blessed with not just a friend for 10 years, but a sister for life.' During her boxing career, O'Connor won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games. She turned professional in 2021 and won all three of her professional bouts. Her last fight came in October 2022. England Boxing called O'Connor a 'hugely talented boxer and much-loved member of the boxing community.' 'Georgia inspired many with her achievements in the ring and her spirit outside of it,' it said in a statement. 'Her dedication, passion, and talent made her a role model for young athletes across the country. Georgia's legacy will live on in the hearts of those she inspired, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew her.'
