Latest news with #NatalieZimmermann
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Harper vs Zimmermann: The unbeaten prospects on the undercard
Terri Harper is set to defend her WBO lightweight title tomorrow night against Natalie Zimmermann at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster. The Doncaster fighter will defend the WBO belt she acquired last year, beating Rhiannon Dixon over ten rounds to become a three-weight world champion. She goes up against Natalie Zimmermann, an unbeaten yet untested fighter from Germany. The undercard is stacked with more homegrown talent looking to make a statement in South Yorkshire. Here is what you need to know about the unbeaten prospects on the supporting cast. Joe Hayden Joe Hayden, 17-0 (1 KO), is a football convert, having made the move to boxing due to a knee injury during the Covid-19 pandemic. The man from Conisbrough was picked up by Dave Allen, who has been Hayden's manager since his debut in 2022. Hayden said to the Yorkshire Times last year: 'It's thanks to my manager Dave Allen, the 'White Rhino', that I've had so many bouts and I appreciate his faith in me. I began serious training on Dave's patio three years ago, and I've got more drive now than ever. ' This fight with Booth will be Hayden's first over eight rounds and he is hoping that it is the next step on his way to challenging for his first title. He said: 'I trust Dave [ Allen ] totally. He'll decide when it's time for me to step up to eight rounders and then maybe next year I'll be looking at a ten-round area title fight challenger' Ebonie Jones Originally a kickboxer from Portsmouth, Jones, 6-0-1, started boxing when she was 12 and had a successful amateur career with a record of 60-5, winning the European U-22 championship in 2018 and competing at the world championships later that year. After taking a brief hiatus from the sport in 2019, Jones returned to the ring as a professional in 2021, beating Vaida Masiokaite on points at Wembley Arena. A draw in her second fight was quickly rectified with five consecutive wins. Jones trains out of the Steel City Boxing Club in Sheffield and said this was a move for the good of her career. She told BBC Radio Solent: 'I moved up here to concentrate on my boxing. I was on Team GB in Sheffield before, so I know the area a bit, but I do miss my family back home.' In her last outing, the former kickboxer beat Consolata Musanga for the Commonwealth Silver featherweight title via unanimous decision. Now unbeaten in her first six fights professionally, Jones is taking a step down in weight but a step up in opposition when she takes on Tysie Gallagher for the British and Commonwealth super bantamweight titles. Ellie Hellewell Ellie Hellewell, 6-0 (1 KO) is another of the Yorkshire natives on the undercard. She has campaigned at featherweight but will move down to super bantamweight this Friday and trains out the Steffy Bull gym in Conisbrough, alongside the headliner Terri Harper. She had a short career as an amateur but won a national title in 2021 before quickly turning over to the paid ranks to make her debut in 2022. The 24-year-old has curated a record of six fights unbeaten and one knockout. She will now have her fight ten-round fight against Stevi Levy as a final eliminator for the Commonwealth super bantamweight title that Ebonie Jones will challenge for later on the card. Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Meet Natalie Zimmermann, the German challenger to Terri Harper's WBO lightweight title
in Doncaster. This will be a homecoming for Harper who has not fought in Doncaster since 2018 when her career was in its infancy. She will face combat sports veteran Natalie Zimmermann, who will be hoping to claim her first recognised world title. Zimmermann has had a long multi-disciplinary career and will be looking to add a professional boxing title to her list of accolades. Who is Natalie Zimmermann? DAZN news has what you need to know… Record Total fights: 13 Wins: 13 (3 KOs) Losses: 0 Rounds: 67 Height: 5' 6' Age: 42 Background Boxing was not the first choice of Zimmermann, who spent the first ten years of her combat sports career in taekwondo before moving to kickboxing. It was in the latter that she would have her first taste of success. She credits watching the film 'G.I Jane', starring Demi Moore for inspiring her to take up marital arts whilst training to become a physiotherapist. As a kickboxer, she won three consecutive German national championships from 2017-2019 and registered over 100 wins. Then at 38-years-old, Zimmermann made the move into professional boxing, debuting in 2020. Since then, she has put together an impressive thirteen fight unbeaten run to land a shot at Harper's WBO title. She has also held the unrecognised WIBF title, claiming it in 2023 by beating Edina Kiss via unanimous decision in Germany. Fighting, however, is not Zimmermann's only passion, as alongside her professional boxing career she also runs a physiotherapy practice in Hamburg where she trains under Andre Walther and former world champion Artur Grigorian. This fight with the Doncaster native will be Zimmermann's first outside of continental Europe. She has fought primarily out of Germany and her two most recent fights against Orsolya Moldovan and Katerina Dvorakova were in Spain. Now 42-years-old, the German will face her first opponent with a winning record, but as someone who has taken a path against the grain to get to boxing, she will be hoping to upset the odds one more time and dethrone Harper in her hometown. Zimmermann said to Boxen1: "My thanks go to GBM Sports, for giving me this world championship chance. It has always been my dream to prove myself against fighters like Terri and showcase my skills. My coach and I will be developing strategies for the fight. There will certainly be some surprises for my opponent.' Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
‘Horrendous' – Moment boxer Terri Harper clashes heads with Natalie Zimmerman to leaves her with horror ‘blood mask'
NATALIE ZIMMERMANN was left with a horrific gash on her head after her world title fight with Teri Harper. The German challenged the Doncaster destroyer for the WBO women's lightweight title at the Keepmoat Stadium on Friday night. 6 6 6 6 Zimmermann turned in a spirited display but was outclassed for 10 straight rounds on her way to suffering a unanimous decision defeat. And the 42-year-old suffered a horrendous cut in the final round thanks to a nasty clash of heads. The deep cut was just above Zimmermann's right eye and leaked enough to prompt the referee to call a timeout. But the ringside doctor deemed the cut not worthy of a TKO stoppage and allowed Zimmermann to see out the last minute and fifteen seconds of the round. Commentator Adam Smith said of the cut: "Oh it's horrendous. "A bloody mask as Terri Harper continues to throw quality shots. "And Zimmermann, how is she still standing? Zimmermann was unable to land the Hail Mary punch she needed to end Harper's reign as WBO queen, with all three judges turning 99-91 scorecards. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 6 The win on home soil stretched three-weight world champ Harper's record to 16 wins, two defeats and two draws. And the 28-year-old has set her sights on a domestic dust-up with her WBC counterpart, Caroline Dubois. She said of a showdown with Dubois: "Yes. 100 per cent, that gets my fire burning. "I said in the press conference she rubs me the wrong way. "I think it makes a cracking fight and it makes sense. "This was a very special night for me, very special training camp. "Massive thanks to my opponent for putting on a great show in my hometown. "She's tough. She started strong, I thought I needed to stay switched on. 6 "Once I let the nerves settle and the occasion settle, I found my way in the fight. "It's given me memories I will treasure for a lifetime. "Not just in my boxing career, but as a person away from the sport. "I don't know what's next. "For me, I want to go on to fight the other champions of the division and really step up. "I'm going to take some time off and see what happens, see if any contracts get sent over, get back to my team and work out a plan."
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Boxing's like a cult' - meet the new promoter hitting the big stage
Terri Harper v Natalie Zimmermann - WBO lightweight titleVenue: Eco-Power Stadium, Doncaster Date: Friday, 23 MayCoverage: Follow live text commentary from 20:00 BST on BBC Sport website & app Izzy Asif exudes the same levels of confidence as any established boxing promoter."I can talk the talk with whoever I need to talk to," he boasts. "I can make business deals and then roll with the street guys."But it's never easy being the new kid on the Sheffield-born GBM boss outlined his plans to become a boxing powerhouse when he promoted his first show in March 2022. His ambition was met with raised eyebrows."Boxing promotion is a cult - it is so hard to break through," he adds."I said I was in this business to be the best - everyone just looked at me as if to say 'who the hell is this British-Pakistani guy?'"On Friday, GBM will host its first world-title fight when Terri Harper defends her WBO lightweight title against Natalie Zimmermann in front of an expected 8,000 fans at Doncaster's Eco-Power TV and radio broadcast deals and another stadium event scheduled in Ireland next month, GBM has enjoyed a rapid rise from small hall shows in to BBC Sport, Asif shares his journey from hustling football tickets on Sheffield's terraces to a businessman looking to disrupt the British boxing scene. Built by hardships in life and escapism of sport Asif, 42, and his family emigrated to Britain from the mountainous Kahuta region of Rawalpindi, the same area former world champion Amir Khan, now retired, and unbeaten super-middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz's families are from. "There must be something in the water," Asif says. With his grandfather toiling away in Sheffield steel factories, the first decade of Asif's life was spent sharing a five-bedroom house with 24 members of his extended family."There were five or six of us in a room," he for an identity, to feel a part of a group, Asif fell in love with football aged 14. Today, he holds a corporate box at Sheffield United - but in mid 1990s he attended matches at Bramall Lane without the approval of his father."My dad would say football is full of racists. He was a taxi driver and all he heard was the p-word, being told to go back home," Asif says."He was one of the abiding generations who didn't want any trouble, kept their head down and accepted it."Asif got involved with "the wrong type of people" on the terraces and was thrown out of college after a confrontation with a sport provided the defiant youth with an outlet. Asif spent his childhood playing cricket, featuring alongside future England skipper Joe Root for the renowned Sheffield Collegiate in 2002 he discovered boxing and the 6ft 4in cruiserweight would go on to make his professional debut before retiring in 2012. 'I bought a £28,000 house with £3 in my pocket' Asif's entrepreneurial spirit can be dated to his early teenage years, selling tickets for Blades' it was the death of his younger brother from leukaemia in 2005 which forever changed his life."We were told my brother wouldn't make it on a Monday and he was gone by Wednesday," Asif says as his voice begins to break."He was like a son to me. I was 23 at the time, he was 12. It knocked the life out of me. From then on, I promised my dad - who was heartbroken beyond belief - that he would never have to work again."Asif speaks at length about his working-class background and reflects on a time when he couldn't even afford petrol for his business fortunes changed when he took a punt on a house at a property auction."I shook hands on a £28,000 house with £3 in my pocket. I borrowed, sold a car and moved back in with my parents to make it work," Asif says. The property developer turned promoter While Asif built a business empire through his property profile, he coached at a community boxing 2019, he received a call from Amir Khan to help train the former world champion for his fight with Billy taste of the big stage lit a one to ever downplay his contribution, Asif says he "ran the show" in Saudi Arabia."Lennox Lewis told me I had a knack for this promoting business," he gained a British Boxing Board of Control manager's licence but soon realised he could be began GBM. Asif acknowledges there are questions from some insiders about both him and the promotion company's meteoric growth."I'm a risk-taker who has a knack for building businesses from scratch," he says. "I've invested in a care home and property businesses which have earned me a very comfortable living."I've worked non-stop day and night. You can find me putting out chairs at the start of shows and doing whatever it takes to succeed." Can GBM become a major player? Asif believes his in-ring experience makes him stand out. "How many other British promoters can say they got punched in the face for a living?", he after small hall promoter beginnings, he has his eyes firmly on joining the likes of Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren at boxing's top table."If they gave me the same money as Eddie right now, I'd be a serious powerhouse in this country," he true Asif fashion, he continues to talk a big game and dream even feels it could just take one event - one headline fight which captures a big sporting audience - to make GBM a serious player in British Sport understands conversations have previously taken place for GBM to promote the grudge rematch between former world champion Billy Joe Saunders and bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr."It's very realistic," Asif says of the possibility. "In the meantime, I'll keep pushing, building the fighters, our reputation, our brand and giving the fighters the good deals."
The Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Terri Harper vs Natalie Zimmermann: Stream, TV channel, start time and full card as Brit defends her title in Doncaster
TERRI Harper looks to continue her reign as WBO lightweight champion when she clashes Natalie Zimmermann. Harper defends her title in her hometown of Doncaster on Friday, May 23. 2 2 She is a multi-weight strap holder, and makes her first defence of her new title after beating Rhiannon Dixon for the title last September. The 28-year-old puts her world title on the line at the stadium of Doncaster FC. Her opponent, German Zimmermann, comes into the fight with a record of 12-0-0, with three wins coming by way of KO. Harper has two losses to her name, but with a record of 15-2-2, with six wins coming by KO, she holds an experience advantage. How to watch Terri Harper vs Natalie Zimmermann and is there a live stream? Terri Harper defends her WBO lightweight title against Natalie Zimmermann LIVE in the UK. The whole card will stream live via DAZN to over 200 countries. DAZN subscriptions start at £14.99 per month for an Annual Super Saver subscription, or £24.99 for a Monthly Flexible pass. When does Terri Harper vs Natalie Zimmermann start? Terri Harper takes on Natalie Zimmermann on Friday, May 23. Coverage of the card starts at 6pm BST. Harper and Zimmerman are expected to make their ringwalks around 10pm BST. The full card will stream live from DAZN. Full card
