Walsh & Nesbitt Earn Impressive Victories At Peach Boxing's Lethal Ladies Fight Night
Erin Walsh and Emma Nesbitt put on a show this past Saturday on their way to earning unanimous decision wins over their opponents.
Saturday night's 'Lethal Ladies' card more than lived up to its name as a packed-out ABA Stadium in Auckland witnessed two cracking professional female fights.
Peach Boxing's Erin Walsh and Emma Nesbitt scored unanimous decision wins after going toe to toe with Fiji's Sera Bolatini and Laite Nanovu, respectively. However, the Fijian fighters, both of whom were making their pro debuts, made the local fighters work for their victories, with both fighters pushing the pace right from the outset.
Nesbitt and Nanovu kickstarted the professional portion of the card with a four-round flyweight contest. Nanovu burst out of the traps in the opening minute, throwing shot after shot, before Nesbitt began to gain the ascendency.
The former Muay Thai fighter soon began to take control of the bout, landing several clean combinations and continuing to disrupt her opponent anytime she looked to reestablish her rhythm.
"It was very hard, but I learned a lot from that fight, and I think it was a fight that I really needed to take, " Nesbitt said following the matchup.
"For the first time in my career, I felt a bit overwhelmed with the way that she came at me. I wasn't prepared for it mentally, which was my fault. So next time, I'm going to go in prepared and ready for however they come at me."
Nesbitt is still in the development stages of her boxing career, and Saturday's night encounter was one that will no doubt help in her progression as a fighter.
A special moment at the end of the bout was when a cousin of Nesbitt honoured her victory with a haka, providing a salient reminder for everyone in attendance of the importance of a family and team for all athletes who step inside the ring.
"They are the reason I fight," Nesbitt explained.
"They are my whole being, my world, everything. I love them. I couldn't do without them. So to see them here and to know how many would be here if they could, that's what matters to me."
It would be a sentiment no doubt shared by Walsh, who, as she walked into the ring, could not have missed the number of Irish flags and supporters in attendance and would have known that her family back home in Waterford would have been tuning in on the live broadcast.
Bolatini came into the contest having missed weight, and looked to use this to her advantage throughout the fight. The Fijian may not have had the same boxing pedigree as Walsh, but she used her height advantage and strength to make life as uncomfortable as possible for Walsh.
" I didn't underestimate her because I knew she was a rugby player; I knew she was going to be tough. I was also told that her style was come forward; I was expecting a fight; I didn't expect her to be that strong and full on, " Walsh said after the contest.
"I have to say, it was thanks to my corner, and I'm going to listen to my corner because they were telling me that I had to just stay relaxed; everything was okay, " she said."
"They told me that I was winning the rounds, and they just kind of kept me composed. However, after the first round I was a little bit rattled because I was like, Oh, she's very strong, and her punches were very crisp."
A head clash early in the second round saw a cut open on Walsh's forehead, but thankfully, the fight was able to continue. While Bolatini's gritty performance meant Walsh did not have everything her own way, the Irish fighter's relentless pressure and the barrage of heavy shots she landed saw her exit the ring a worthy victor.
"I'm really happy to get a hard fight like that in my second pro fight. Like I said, I didn't expect to be that tired and full on, so I'm really happy it went the four rounds, and I really dug deep, so I'm quite proud, " Walsh said afterwards.
The fights may have been challenging, but for trainer Isaac Peach, this was precisely what he wanted for his two fighters.
"I need these guys to get hurt. I need them to get cut. I need them to put them into positions that they're not comfortable in those first ten fights so that when you have the big fights, you are ready."
The night's pro fights were preceded by amateur card, which showcased the depth of the local boxing scene and indicated that 2024 could be an exciting year for local fight fans.