Skye Nicolson and Raven Chapman aren’t the first pro women boxers to compete in Saudi Arabia — that was Ramla Ali’s knockout of Crystal Garcia Nova in 2022 — but Nicolson’s upcoming bout with Chapman will be the first-ever women’s title fight in the kingdom.
Nicolson is scheduled to defend her WBC featherweight belt against Chapman on October 12. Their bout is on the undercard of the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitriy Bivol fight in Saudi Arabia for the undisputed light heavyweight championship.
“I feel so honored to have this privilege and also this responsibility,” Nicolson said in a recent interview with Louis Hart of Boxing Social. “Raven and I have a responsibility on our hands here to put on a show for the fans, to be in a real fight where we showcase that women can fight, that women can be strong and feminine. I feel like it’s a really empowering position to be in, to inspire women as well. I feel very honored to be in this position and to be part of this movement, and hopefully a step in the right direction, hopefully the first of many. Hopefully we can start seeing women’s fights on all of the Riyadh Season cards. While it’s an honor, it’s also a big responsibility on our hands. We are flying the flag for women’s boxing over there and for women, women in sport and just women in general.
“It’s a weight on your shoulders that you’re kind of proud to have,” Nicolson soon added. “I know that I’m a role model. I know that I’m someone that young girls are looking up to. You know that you are being watched all around, from girls in Australia, from girls in the U.K., America, Saudi Arabia, everywhere. I know I have a responsibility and that’s why I do try to, I guess, always represent myself with respect. I’m always trying to inspire that next generation of girls and women that they can do anything they want to achieve.”
Nicolson fought in the 2020/2021 Olympics and then entered the paid ranks in 2022. The 29-year-old from Australia, won the WBC’s interim featherweight belt in her eighth pro fight.
When Amanda Serrano ditched the full WBC title, Nicolson then picked up the vacant belt in April with a wide decision victory over Sarah Mahfoud and defended it in July with a shutout of Dyana Vargas. She is 11-0 (1 KO).
Chapman is 9-0 (2 KOs). The 30-year-old from England is coming off a July shutout of 10-0 Yohana Sarabia.
The Beterbiev-Bivol undercard also features many recognizable names from men’s boxing, including cruiserweight champ Jai Opetaia against Jack Massey; lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson against Joe Cordina; middleweight Chris Eubank Jr. against Kamil Szeremeta; and a rematch between heavyweights Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke.
“Being on such a big world stage, especially on this card, this card’s unbelievable,” Nicolson said. “The names that I’m on an undercard with is just like a pinch-me moment in itself. To be on the biggest of world stages, it’s definitely a responsibility, but one that I’m honored to have.”
Follow David Greisman on Twitter @FightingWords2. His book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
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