Catford fighter Ellie Scotney targets world title shot by the end of this year

Ellie Scotney has a clear goal – to be a world champion by the end of 2022.

The 23-year-old from Catford is facing the biggest test of her career tomorrow night at Alexandra Palace in north London when she takes on Jorgelina Guanini for the vacant WBA Inter-continental super-bantamweight title.

Guanini has not won a bout since September 2019 but that does not tell the whole story.

The Buenos Aires-born fighter is a former IBF world flyweight champion and went the distance with Rachel Ball for the vacant WBC Interim world super-bantamweight strap in late 2020.

“She is legit,” Scotney (3-0) told the South London Press. “She has been in a lot of world championship fights. It’s going to be answering the questions that I need to be asked.

“I want fights that mean something. From the Mailys Gangloff fight I’ve taken fights that people wouldn’t necessarily be taking this early on.

“I’m ranked 30th in the world and she [Guanini] is 10th – so it shows the jump I’m willing to take.

“If you look at who some people fight against for world titles you wonder ‘how have you done that?’

“I’ve got to deliver. Winning this fight, and doing it in a style that makes people take notice, that has got to put you in the mix then. My dream fight this year is anyone with a world title.

“My shot will probably be at bantamweight. I started my career at just above super-bantam.

“My ambition is to go through weights [winning world titles]. So if I can make bantamweight, then why not do that? And there are tastier fights down there for me.

“I want to make sure that when I get to that top level I’ve ticked boxes en route. One hundred per cent [a world title fight this year is the aim].”

Women’s boxing is growing in stature with Ireland’s undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor set to headline at New York’s Madison Square Garden against seven-weight world champion Amanda Serrano at the end of April.

Legendary fight promoter Bob Arum, 90, sparked anger when he claimed that the female fighters “don’t get attention” when asked about that match up clashing with one of his own shows.

“He’s from that generation that is old school,” responded Scotney. “Regardless of whether he is in boxing or not, if you get a man off the street at that age and say: ‘Come and watch this girl fight’ then he’d go: ‘I can’t watch that’.

“That’s his opinion, but maybe don’t voice it. It wasn’t great timing. Katie’s fight got announced and women’s boxing took 10 steps forward. Then he said that and it felt like taking nine back.

“It’s always going to be a battle between the past generation and us – but it is getting better.”

Luckily Scotney fights under the Matchroom Boxing banner with managing director Eddie Hearn a staunch supporter of the female fight game. YouTube star Jake Paul is co-promoting the Taylor-Serrano fight with Hearn.

“Eddie can see the value in women’s boxing and now that door has been opened it is starting to really catch fire,” said Scotney. “He took the jump and now other people are starting to invest in it.

“It’s mad it has taken people like that [Paul] to change our sport. Eddie has been in the driving seat for women’s boxing.”

Scotney switched trainers in October – moving from Adam Booth to Shane McGuigan.

“It’s about the set-up of the gym – with Adam it was kind of a backburner,” she said. “With where I want to go, I needed to learn. Just stylistically it wasn’t working for me. It was telling in how I was feeling.

“I knew that it was a change I needed to make sooner rather than later.

“If you walk into Shane’s gym then you see the time he puts into every individual, whether you’re about to debut or defending your world title.

“I went in there thinking ‘he’s got nine fighters, how is this going to work?’ But he grafts his arse off. Barry [Shane’s dad] comes in and gives us little tips as well.

“It’s been a no-brainer. I’ve not shown a glimpse of what I’ve learned yet.”

PICTURE: MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING