Jonas Meets Namus for WBO Super Welterweight Belt
Vacant Title Up for Grabs Saturday in England
Namus vs Jonas: Fighting for Consolation
It’s a last-minute title fight as the United Kingdom’s Natasha Jonas pivots to face Uruguayan Chris Namus. Jonas’ original opponent, Ewa Piatkowska contracted COVID-19 and had to withdraw. The boxing odds are still percolating for this one but expect the hometown hero, Jonas, to be a potential favorite.
- Date: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET
- Venue: AO Arena, Manchester, Lancashire, UK
- Watch on: ESPN+
Chris Namus and Natasha Jonas were unsuccessful in their recent title fights. But a consolation comes in the way of the vacant WBO super welterweight title. Namus (25-6-0 1 NC, 8 KOs) gets a week’s notice to cut down to fight Jonas (10-2-1, 7 KOs), who is fighting on her own turf.
Fight Confirmed ✅ New opponent. Same Dream.
History maker, ‘Miss GB’, @TashaJonas, must now beat former world champ, Chris Namus to make her dreams a reality and become a world champ 🙌#ChaseYourFuture #KhanBrook | Feb 19 | AO Arena Manchester | @skysportsboxing Box Office pic.twitter.com/8YUp67FyAP
— BOXXER (@boxxer) February 11, 2022
Late in 2020, Namus lost to Ema Kozin, who in turn lost to Claressa Shields, the self-proclaimed “GWOAT” (greatest woman of all time). Namus has double the experience of Jonas and made her pro debut 10 years before her. But can she win with little time to prepare?
Jonas Going for It All
“No risk, no reward.” Natasha is jumping up two weight classes in her third bid to win a world title. There was no shame in her two losses. She lost to Katie Taylor, the pound-for-pound best female boxer on the planet, and drew Terri Harper in a bout most believed she won.
Jonas told Sportsmail that winning this title would be “everything” for her. “It’s peace for me,” Jonas said. “I could finally say I’ve got what I deserve. ‘I’ve had my ups and downs, but I still believe that I’m good enough to win a world title.”
The 37-year-old Liverpudlian has been a favorite amongst the locals since she was competing in the amateurs. Jonas captured the bronze medal at the 2012 World Championships as a lightweight and the silver in the 2014 European Championships as a light welterweight. Winning a world title would be her crowning achievement as the online sports betting odds have this as a one-sided fight.
Namus: Past Champion
Unlike Jonas, Namus can proudly claim that she was once a champion, having captured the IBF junior middleweight title in 2017. Namus has shared the ring with some of the best, including Cecilia Braekhus to Marie-Eve Dicaire. However, she fell short in these championship bouts
Namus’ record in title fights leaves much to be desired. She’s fought in six and won just two. However, she’s also been the same size if not smaller than some of the opponents she’s fought. Fighting Jonas, Namus will be significantly bigger even if their reach is the same.
Her nickname El Bombon Asesino translates to “The Killer Bombon,” which alludes to her feminine but lethal nature. Namus is not renowned for her knockout power. But she is aggressive and can use her size to her advantage. Betting online on her to do that against the smaller Jonas could be a winning proposition.
