A local boxer is gearing up to fight for the Super Flyweight Commonwealth title in London next month, making her the first woman in Wiltshire to compete for the prestigious title.
Megan Redstall, also known as the “Frontline Fighter”—a nod to her work as a paramedic—will face Emma Dolan on Sunday 8th December at York Hall in London. This will be her fifth professional fight.
“I’m feeling good; I’m feeling relaxed, and that’s the main thing,” says Megan, who trains at the Contender Gym in Melksham. “A relaxed fighter is the best kind of fighter. If I go into a fight nice and calm, that’s when I perform my best. If I get caught up in the pressure, that’s when things don’t go the way you want.”
At 23, Megan said that a victory in this fight could put her on the path to world champion status. “I’m taking each fight as it comes—that’s all you can do,” she says. “Every fighter, especially a pro-fighter, wants to go in and be a world champion, we all want to get to the top,” says Megan. “There is a goal but taking each fight as it comes and learning from each fight will get you there.”
In a sport traditionally dominated by men, Megan is determined to make her mark and inspire others. “The long-term plan is to become a world champion, and it would be incredible to have someone from Wiltshire, not just from big cities like London, achieve that,” she says.
“There is a real boom in women’s boxing right now and I think that is down to how explosive and exciting it can be. Women’s rounds are two minutes, a minute shorter than men’s, which makes the fights fast-paced and thrilling to watch. It’s really gaining popularity.”
Megan is also passionate about the benefits of boxing for women. “Boxing is fantastic for building confidence. At the Contender Gym, we have women-only sessions, and it’s wonderful to see women supporting each other. Boxing can be intimidating, but seeing others grow in confidence is really rewarding. It’s also great for your mental health—like any exercise, you always feel good afterwards.”
Having always practised martial arts, Megan started boxing when she was around 17 years old with Mark Kent at Avonside’s Contender Gym. “It is just something I have always done. Mark and I have been training together for the past seven or eight years now and have never stopped. I have never been with any other gym. He asked if I was ready to turn over as a professional, and here we are.”
Megan will be heading into the fight next month with weeks of preparation behind her. She said, “There has never been a doubt in my mind that this isn’t the right thing for me to do. Every fight I have had I have enjoyed and the day you don’t enjoy it is the day you need to give it up. I have never had a moment where I have ever questioned it. Those moments should be in the gym when I am getting pushed to my limits by my coaching team and that is where I feel uncomfortable.”
The highly anticipated fight for the Super Flyweight Commonwealth title will take place on 8th December and will be broadcast live on BoxNation. “There is no pressure with this fight,” says Megan. “Emma is the one with the belt; I am going in to contend for it, so there is no lose situation for me, it is an opportunity I couldn’t miss.”
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