Latest news with #SkyeNicolson
Daily Telegraph
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Boxing Aussie Skye Nicolson blasted over outclassed comeback opponent Carla Camila Campos Gonzalez, AO Arena, Manchester
Don't miss out on the headlines from Boxing/MMA. Followed categories will be added to My News. Skye Nicolson dominated her comeback fight against Bolivian Carla Camila Campos Gonzalez in Manchester on Sunday (AEST). It was the Aussie's first fight since losing her undefeated record and WBC featherweight world title in a split decision defeat to American Tiara Brown in Sydney in March. UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3 | SUN 20 JULY 12PM AEST | One of the most iconic careers in MMA history will come to a close, as UFC veteran Dustin Poirier makes his final walk to the Octagon for a trilogy with current BMF Champion Max Holloway. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Nicolson dropped down a weight division to junior featherweight and while boxers and their promoters often choose a lower-ranked opponent following a loss, the choice to take on 24-year-old Gonzalez brought some strong backlash for the Australian. While Gonzalez had a solid 9-3 record coming into the bout at AO Arena, those nine wins came against fighters that had a combined total of zero wins in their careers. Watch the end of the fight in the video player above Skye Nicolson's fight with Carla Camila Campos Gonzales (right) looked a mismatch from the outset. (Photo by) Four of them were debutantes and three others had just one fight on their resumes, including her two foes prior to taking on accomplished fighter Nicolson, who is now 13-1 for her career. So it was little surprise that Nicolson had the insane odds of 1/100 to win the fight and duly dispatched Gonzalez barely 40 seconds into the second round of a proposed eight-round fight. Afterwards, the Queenslander was relieved to have another win under her belt. 'It was good, a little sigh of relief,' she said on Matchroom Boxing. 'It almost half felt like my debut tonight, Skye 2.0's debut. It was good to get back to winning ways. 'There were so many lessons learned from my last outing and I feel like a completely different person now, completely different fighter, and that showed tonight and I'm going to keep showing that.' Nicolson taunts Gonzales in their one-sided bout. (Photo by) The shy smile that Gonzalez showed when the boxers touched gloves was not a good indicator for a fighter that goes by the name 'La Princesa'. While the Bolivian did attempt to throw a few punches, very few found the target as the taller, noticeably stronger Nicolson landed heavy punches almost at will. In two-minute rounds, the Aussie southpaw worked on her combinations in a fight that resembled little more than a sparring session. The commentary team at least did their best to call the fight. 'She's really focused and can go about her work and start to prove people wrong,' one commentator said. 'One thing we know for sure, she's a very good boxer She's looking aggressive and extremely spiteful here in this opening round.' After finishing a three-punch combo with a heavy left that rocked Gonzalez's head back, Nicolson then threw another six punches in quick succession as the referee ended the contest. After it was all over, the commentator called the referee's decision 'a fantastic stoppage' as the clearly outclassed Gonzalez copped a load of punishment. Fellow commentator and former world champion Barry Jones added: 'That was a really good display and also you announce yourself in the weight division. 'Regardless of who you're fighting against, to be dominant like that and show a different side to your game than people have seen before, people will take notice for sure.' Many of those watching on weren't impressed by the quality of opponent, however, taking to X to vent their disappointment. Nicolson barely broke a sweat against Gonzales. (Photo by) 'Gonzalez has never beaten a boxer who has even a single pro victory. Disgusting match making,' was one comment. 'Nicholson was facing a below average boxer,' said another. 'Does her opponent work in a library as a cleaner?' asked one fan somewhat cruelly. Another X user with the username The Menace was having none of it, tweeting twice after the result. 'She fights bums that's why Brown beat her ass,' was the first comment. They then followed up with: 'No way she feels tough over this weak ass cherry pick match … overhyped!!! She needed a confidence boost.' Others were just happy to see Nicolson back in the ring. Nicolson defended her WBC featherweight title against Raven Chapman on October 12, 2024. (Photo by) Before losing it to Tiara Brown (right) in March this year. Picture: Matchroom Images One tweeted: 'She's so good.' A second wrote: 'Damn, she wasn't playing. Nice work.' Promoter Eddie Hearn also spoke after the fight and conceded Nicolson would likely need another fight before she starts thinking about a shot at a second world title. 'I think another fight,' he said. 'Obviously that was a step down from the level she's been fighting at and when you do step down to that level, you've got to be getting them out of there quickly, which is exactly what she did. 'But sometimes when you rush through to the world championship, you don't really get the ring time to work on that transition and work on what she's been doing in the gym. She's hurting people sparring, she's throwing combinations, tonight was really the first time you saw her sit down on her punches and throw four, five punch combinations in her whole professional career. Nicolson alongside Mexican great Canelo Alvarez in 2022. Photo: Supplied 'She's going to be a huge super bantamweight at 122 (pounds, 55.3 kgs) and a phenomenal talent, we know that. 'But just this activity, sometimes when you're fighting world championship fights, you just fight three times a year and it's difficult to get in that flow. 'She did that tonight, box ticked, obviously the opposition is going to step up now as you go. 'But hopefully another (fight) maybe in Australia, end of August, early September, something like that and then a world title shot at the end of the year.' Nicolson's trainer Eddie Lam said after the fight: 'She'll fight anyone.' Many fans will just be hoping she takes on a more recognised opponent next up as she continues her journey towards a shot at another belt. Originally published as Aussie boxer Skye Nicolson blasted over outclassed comeback opponent
News.com.au
06-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Aussie boxer Skye Nicolson blasted over outclassed comeback opponent
Skye Nicolson dominated her comeback fight against Bolivian Carla Camila Campos Gonzalez in Manchester on Sunday (AEST). It was the Aussie's first fight since losing her undefeated record and WBC featherweight world title in a split decision defeat to American Tiara Brown in Sydney in March. Nicolson dropped down a weight division to junior featherweight and while boxers and their promoters often choose a lower-ranked opponent following a loss, the choice to take on 24-year-old Gonzalez brought some strong backlash for the Australian. While Gonzalez had a solid 9-3 record coming into the bout at AO Arena, those nine wins came against fighters that had a combined total of zero wins in their careers. Watch the end of the fight in the video player above Four of them were debutantes and three others had just one fight on their resumes, including her two foes prior to taking on accomplished fighter Nicolson, who is now 13-1 for her career. So it was little surprise that Nicolson had the insane odds of 1/100 to win the fight and duly dispatched Gonzalez barely 40 seconds into the second round of a proposed eight-round fight. Afterwards, the Queenslander was relieved to have another win under her belt. 'It was good, a little sigh of relief,' she said on Matchroom Boxing. 'It almost half felt like my debut tonight, Skye 2.0's debut. It was good to get back to winning ways. 'There were so many lessons learned from my last outing and I feel like a completely different person now, completely different fighter, and that showed tonight and I'm going to keep showing that.' The shy smile that Gonzalez showed when the boxers touched gloves was not a good indicator for a fighter that goes by the name 'La Princesa'. While the Bolivian did attempt to throw a few punches, very few found the target as the taller, noticeably stronger Nicolson landed heavy punches almost at will. In two-minute rounds, the Aussie southpaw worked on her combinations in a fight that resembled little more than a sparring session. The commentary team at least did their best to call the fight. 'She's really focused and can go about her work and start to prove people wrong,' one commentator said. 'One thing we know for sure, she's a very good boxer She's looking aggressive and extremely spiteful here in this opening round.' After finishing a three-punch combo with a heavy left that rocked Gonzalez's head back, Nicolson then threw another six punches in quick succession as the referee ended the contest. After it was all over, the commentator called the referee's decision 'a fantastic stoppage' as the clearly outclassed Gonzalez copped a load of punishment. Fellow commentator and former world champion Barry Jones added: 'That was a really good display and also you announce yourself in the weight division. 'Regardless of who you're fighting against, to be dominant like that and show a different side to your game than people have seen before, people will take notice for sure.' Many of those watching on weren't impressed by the quality of opponent, however, taking to X to vent their disappointment. 'Gonzalez has never beaten a boxer who has even a single pro victory. Disgusting match making,' was one comment. 'Nicholson was facing a below average boxer,' said another. 'Does her opponent work in a library as a cleaner?' asked one fan somewhat cruelly. Another X user with the username The Menace was having none of it, tweeting twice after the result. 'She fights bums that's why Brown beat her ass,' was the first comment. They then followed up with: 'No way she feels tough over this weak ass cherry pick match … overhyped!!! She needed a confidence boost.' Others were just happy to see Nicolson back in the ring. One tweeted: 'She's so good.' A second wrote: 'Damn, she wasn't playing. Nice work.' Promoter Eddie Hearn also spoke after the fight and conceded Nicolson would likely need another fight before she starts thinking about a shot at a second world title. 'I think another fight,' he said. 'Obviously that was a step down from the level she's been fighting at and when you do step down to that level, you've got to be getting them out of there quickly, which is exactly what she did. 'But sometimes when you rush through to the world championship, you don't really get the ring time to work on that transition and work on what she's been doing in the gym. She's hurting people sparring, she's throwing combinations, tonight was really the first time you saw her sit down on her punches and throw four, five punch combinations in her whole professional career. 'She's going to be a huge super bantamweight at 122 (pounds, 55.3 kgs) and a phenomenal talent, we know that. 'But just this activity, sometimes when you're fighting world championship fights, you just fight three times a year and it's difficult to get in that flow. 'She did that tonight, box ticked, obviously the opposition is going to step up now as you go. 'But hopefully another (fight) maybe in Australia, end of August, early September, something like that and then a world title shot at the end of the year.' Nicolson's trainer Eddie Lam said after the fight: 'She'll fight anyone.'
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Top strength and conditioning coach reveals the three exercises no boxer should be without
Building a boxer is a balancing act. Yes, you need muscle, but not so much that it hampers mobility or means an athlete misses weight. Yes, you need endurance, but not so much that an athlete neglects the fast-twitch muscle fibres behind their knockout power. Instead, coaches must craft a multifaceted training programme capable of balancing the many attributes required by a successful fighter. Sonny Cannon knows this only too well. The experienced strength and conditioning coach specialises in boxing, with athletes such as Johnny Fisher and Skye Nicolson among his client roster. He says there are 'still a lot of bad habits in boxing, in terms of training methods', with some athletes wasting time on exercises that offer poor return on investment. By contrast, there are three exercises that Cannon says should be non-negotiables in pretty much any boxer's training plan, offering impressive bang for your buck. Trap bar deadlift for developing absolute strength View this post on Instagram A post shared by Origin gym performance Vo2max & Metabolic Testing. (@theoriginperformance) Absolute strength is the maximum amount of weight a person can lift for a single repetition – e.g., a one-rep max. 'Absolute strength underpins all power and speed, so developing this is a must for me,' Cannon says. 'In the same way we understand that a good aerobic base is the foundation for the cardio-respiratory system, the same principles apply with absolute strength for our anaerobic energy system and the strength continuum.' The strength continuum describes the various ways muscles can produce force. It comprises absolute strength, strength speed (the ability to move a relatively heavy load quickly), speed strength (the ability to move a relatively light load quickly and explosively) and absolute speed (the ability to move at maximum speed). As a boxer, it is imperative to be able to express force across all of these areas. Without a good level of absolute strength, the relative weights you move during more-explosive exercises will feel heavier, leaving you less able to generate speed and power. For this reason, absolute strength lays the foundation for all strength training. Cannon says the trap bar deadlift, performed with a hex bar, is his go-to method for developing absolute strength. It is a compound exercise that allows you to engage large muscle groups across the upper and lower body while lifting heavy loads. It also puts less stress on the spine than a conventional deadlift, reducing injury risk. During Jonny Fisher's preparations to take on Dave Allen, his goal was to work up to lifting 2.2 times his body weight. Cannon says this is a solid general target to shoot for. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sonny The Cannon (@sonny_cannon_) Plyometric press-up for developing explosive punching speed and power Plyometric training involves eccentric loading (the lowering phase of an exercise) followed by an explosive concentric phase (the lifting portion of an exercise), utilising a muscular process called the stretch-shortening cycle. It is used to develop power by challenging athletes to perform explosive exercises such as jumping and bounding. It should also, says Cannon, be used to target the upper body through exercises like plyometric press-ups. 'This is not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination, but plyometrics can bridge the gap between gains made in the weight room and the ability to generate power and speed,' he explains. For example, he adds, incorporating plyometric press-ups into your training can carry over to improved punching power. A 2022 study published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health set out to see whether 12 weeks of speed strength training (largely plyometric exercises including plyometric press-ups) could improve the punching speed, punching power and punching effectiveness of members of the Chinese women's boxing team. After a series of pre- and post-study tests on an experimental group and a control group of athletes, researchers reported that the former saw improvements in speed strength. 'With the improvement of the athletes' speed level, the athletes' punching power and punching speed were directly improved so that the athletes could better play the technical characteristics when attacking with straight punch, swinging punch and hook technique,' the study concludes. '[ It also ] improved the athletes' striking effect, thus increasing the possibility of winning the match.' Fan bike intervals for developing maximum power output and repeat power ability There are three energy systems; the phosphagen system (prioritised during high-effort, very low-duration activities), the glycolytic system (prioritised during short, intense efforts) and the oxidative system (which uses oxygen to create fuel indefinitely during longer efforts at a moderate intensity or below). 'Boxers generally do some form of strength training and have a good aerobic base,' says Cannon. This latter point means they are capable of taking in and using plenty of oxygen during exercise, allowing them to sustain moderate-intensity, steady-state activities for long periods. ' However, he says that anaerobic training is often a missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to boxing. He explains: 'Breaking down and understanding the ATP-PC [ or phosphagen ] system, then specifically training this energy system for maximum power output and repeat power ability, is a must for boxing.' The phosphagen system is the primary energy system used during short (10 seconds or less) explosive efforts such as sprinting, attempting a one-rep max lift or, critically, punching. A 2023 narrative review of energy system contributions during combat sports, published in the Metabolites journal, states that the phosphagen system accounts for 10 per cent of energy during boxing matches, with the oxidative (or aerobic) system contributing 86 per cent. However, it is explosive movements that often decide a boxing match, so it pays to practise accessing them at any given moment. The research explains: 'The ATP-PC system has a higher metabolic power (i.e. rate of energy transfer per unit of time) due to a low number of reactions needed to resynthesise ATP, but a low capacity (i.e. total amount of energy that can be released) due to limited substrate stores.' In other words, it is an immediately available, yet incredibly limited, fuel source. To develop this system, allowing you to generate power quickly and repeatedly, Cannon prescribes intervals on a fan bike. 'I would typically start with a 10-second max effort, followed by 50 seconds of rest, then repeat between 12 and 15 times,' he says.
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Amateur star dubbed ‘next Katie Taylor' had text ignored by Eddie Hearn before one sparring sessions changed it all
AMATEUR boxing sensation Tiah Ayton had her message to Eddie Hearn IGNORED - until one sparring session changed everything. Ayton - still just 18 years old - was a standout amateur winning ALL of her bouts as a four-time national champion. 3 3 3 She had an outstanding 21-0 record in the unpaid ranks and over 300 bouts altogether in kickboxing and Muay Thai too. But she had her heart set on the pros - even turning down a Team GB contract - to follow in the footsteps of boxing great Katie Taylor. And like 2012 Olympic champion Taylor - Ayton reached out personally to get herself of Hearn's radar - but to no avail. She told SunSport with a laugh: "I messaged him saying like, 'Hopefully one day you can sign me.' "But he never messaged me back! So hopefully he can message me back now." Despite the aired message, soon Hearn would know who Ayton was. The teenage talent was recruited as a sparring partner by former WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicolson earlier in the year. Watching on at trainer Eddie Lam's iBox Gym in Bromley was Hearn - so impressed by Ayton he cut a deal to sign her there and then. Ayton knew it was going to be no regular sparring session - sensing it was the opportunity of a lifetime. She said: "I had to put my everything into it, like, it wasn't a normal spar. I looked at it as like it was a fight. Terence Crawford starts training camp for huge Canelo Alvarez fight "And it all paid off, so I'm happy with it. He said I was great, he said I looked good, interesting to watch and everything." Ayton is also managed by Brian Peters, who has helped take Taylor to undisputed titles in TWO weight divisions. And Ayton - dubbed "the next Katie Taylor" - has received words of wisdom from the Irish icon herself. Ayton revealed: "I spoke to her on the phone and stuff. She was saying she's excited to watch my debut and everything, she's seen footage of me. "So it's exciting. She's very inspirational for young women to look up to and want to go into boxing." Ayton makes her pro debut on June 21 in Birmingham on Galal Yafai's undercard at super-batamweight.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Aussie boxing champion Skye Nicholson's blunt six-word put-down goes viral after heavyweight star Derek Chisora asked her out on a date
Aussie boxing star Skye Nicolson has set social media ablaze by delivering a very blunt rejection to heavyweight veteran Derek Chisora after he made an awkward attempt to ask her out on a dinner date. The exchange, which took place at London's Copper Box Arena on Sunday, occurred while Chisora, 41, was doing a media interview. Nicolson, 29, was walking past and stopped to say hello to Chisora, giving him a quick hug. The British heavyweight asked how Nicholson was, to which she answered: 'Good, thanks.' Chisora then asked: 'When are we going to grab dinner?' Nicholson's facial expression changed immediately and she backed away from Chisora. Super Awkward here… — Highfield Boxing 🐲 (@highfieldboxing) May 18, 2025 'Woah. Don't be coming at me like that,' she said. Chisora wasn't fazed by her rejection and continued: 'Don't you like dinner?' Nicholson fired back: 'I like dinner… on my own.' The clip, which shared widely on social media among boxing fans, has sparked a mix of reactions. 'Biggest KO of Del Boy's career,' posted one fan. 'Skye is a savage,' replied another. 'The definition of punching above your weight,' posted a third. 'If you have read any comments on anything related to Skye online, you'd know why she reacted like this. Especially when someone is filming. She's a professional athlete & won't be treated any differently,' another commenter said. The Aussie fighter (pictured) came out swinging last year as she defended two female boxers at the centre of a gender row at the Paris Olympics 'Nicholson 10-8 round,' another wrote, referring to how a round of boxing is scored when one fighter knocks their opponent down. Others thought Chisora was hard done by in the situation, with one X user responding: 'Man, she really made something out of nothing.' Meanwhile, Chisora has emerged as a surprise contender to take on IBF heavyweight champ Daniel Dubois later this year. Dubois is eyeing his next fight after overcoming Anthony Joshua last year. Chisora disclosed that he would be especially eager to fight at Wembley or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Nicholson suffered her first pro loss in March after losing her WBC World Featherweight Championship title in a shock defeat to Tiara Brown. She made headlines last year when she defended the two female boxers at the centre of a gender row at the Paris Olympics, saying she had sparred with Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting, saying, 'They have grown up as girls, as females, as women.'
