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Japanese Female Boxing Icon Miyo Yoshida
Is Going To Texas ‘To Win The World Title’
Only World Boxing Council (WBC) World Super Bantamweight
Champion Skye Nicolson (16-1, 3 KOs) stands in the way of
3-time, 2-division World Champion Miyo Yoshida’s (19-5, 1
KO) quest to capture yet another world title but at a new
weight class.
Nicholson vs. Yoshida will clash November 8th in a ten-round
title fight on the “MVP 07” card, airing live on ESPN from
Arlington, Texas.
“Sky is an Olympian and a very skilled southpaw,” Yoshida
said. “She has very good distance control, footwork, and
times, as well as being very good at scoring points while
using her movement. Skye is naturally bigger than me. I
respect her abilities, but our styles are different and
that’s why I think this will be a very interesting fight.
“I don’t want to adapt to her style; I want to impose my
boxing on her. I don’t intend to spend the entire fight at
the distance where she is most comfortable. My team and I
have been preparing specifically to prevent her from
fighting the way she wants to fight. Skye is a great
champion, so I don’t expect it to be an easy fight. But I’m
not going to Texas just to have a good fight with her, I’m
going there to win the world title! I’m going to leave
everything I have in the ring and bring that belt home.”
The 38-year-old Yoshida is thrilled with the advancement of
female boxing, illuminated by this outstanding “MVP 07”
event.
“Compared to when I first started boxing,” Yoshida added,
“the environment surrounding women’s boxing has changed
tremendously. We now have more opportunities to compete in
major arenas, receive major media exposure, and have our
fights watched by people around the world. I think it’s very
important to have women’s boxing featured on major stages
like this event. And this didn’t happen overnight; it is the
result of many female fighters from generations before us
gradually creating opportunities and opening doors. Now, I
believe it’s our responsibility to make that path even wider
for the next generation. I hope we reach a point where young
girls watch boxing and naturally think, ‘I want to become a
world champion too.’”
“Miyo has never backed down from a challenge, and this fight
against Skye Nicolson is another example of her willingness
to take on the very best in the world,” commented Keith
Sullivan, President of Sullivan Management. “Miyo has
already proven that she belongs among the elite fighters in
women's boxing. We are putting her IBF number-one mandatory
position on the line to pursue this opportunity at the WBC
World Championship because we believe in her ability to win.
She's a true warrior who has overcome adversity throughout
her career, and I wouldn't bet against her. Miyo and Skye
are among the two nicest, classiest fighters in the sport
today; but in the ring this will be a war. We're not
traveling to Texas just to compete - we're coming to bring
another world championship home.”
Yoshida, known as the "Fighting Single Mother" in Japan, is
a respected role model and recipient of Ring Magazine's 2023
Most Inspirational Female Fighter award. She is among just
23 female world champions from Japan and only the sixth to
hold world titles in multiple divisions.
A former New York State Athletic Commission Deputy
Commissioner, Sullivan also manages undefeated Brooklyn
heavyweight prospect Pryce Taylor (13-0, 8 KOs), Albanian
heavyweight Kristian Prenga (21-2, 21 KOs), Serbian
heavyweight Sanel Hasanovic (10-1-1, 8 KOs), undefeated
Staten Island light heavyweight prospect Arjan Iseni (6-0, 5
KOs), Bronx NYPD officer Nisa Rodriguez (4-1, 2
KOs),lightweight Fei Faiva (6-0-1, 4 KOs) and junior
featherweight prospect Brooklyn “The Big Deal” Barwick (5-1,
5 KOs). Sullivan also co-manages IBF Welterweight World
title challenger Paddy “The Real Deal” Donovan (16-2, 12
KOs) and his cousin, middleweight Jim Donovan (2-0, 1 KO),
alongside coach and ex-world champion Andy Lee.
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