Opponent change for Nicola 'Hurricane' Hopewell's big title fight

With scheduled opponent Vanesa Lorena Taborda stuck in her native Argentina due to Covid restrictions, the Hurricane will now be blowing in the direction of Belfast's Cara MacLochlainn as part of rthe Battles at the Beach fight night at Brighton’s Hilton Hotel on 4th September.

“I only found out about the change on Monday,” said Hopewell, who boxes out of Worksop' s Boyle's Pro Boxing stable at the Xbox Boxing Academy.

“I knew the Argentinian was going to be a good opponent and about the same height as me or a bit shorter.

“The new opponent is going to be a lot taller than me.

“I've watched her fights back and it's how do I adapt to her?

"But it won't be a massive change. I still have to make it my fight.”

Hopewell goes into the title fight with four wins and four stoppages since turning professional.

“I stopped my last opponent four seconds before the fight ended,” she smiled.

“I was throwing everything at her - body, head - but she was still in front of me.

“You could tell she didn't want to be there but she just wasn't going. Finally just before the end of the fight I caught her with a left hook and that took her legs went from under her.”Since then she has worked meticulously for the European fight with a possibility of a tilt at the vacant

“Preparation has been going well.

"I have not really stopped since the last fight.

“I am feeling pretty confident. I know it would be a big thing to win a European title.

"But I have put all the work in and had a long camp, so I feel like I am ready for it.”

She added: “The possibility of a world title towards the end of the year, fingers crossed, is an extra incentive and motivation.

"But I have got to get through this one first.”

Tickets priced £75 ringside, £58 floor and £43 balcony are available from sportanarium.com and there is a bus leaving Worksop at 10am, returning after the fight, a £30 per person.