Emma Dolan Retains Commonwealth Title and Adds British Junior Bantamweight Championship
On June 25th, Commonwealth junior bantamweight champion Emma Dolan added the newly established women’s British 115-pound title to her growing collection. In a thrilling 10-round battle, Dolan outboxed and outfought the previously undefeated Shannon “Kaos” Ryan at the Birmingham Arena.
Dolan (7-0, 1 KO), the taller and more experienced fighter, tried to keep the energetic Ryan (7-1) at bay from the center of the ring. However, Ryan, a former taekwondo champion, landed some fast right hands in the opening round, recognizing an avenue to success. Undeterred, Dolan maintained her composure and hurt Ryan with a right hand of her own as the round ended, dropping her to the canvas.
“Though Ryan fought back valiantly in the following rounds, Dolan’s superior boxing skills and punching power proved decisive.”
The 27-year-old champion kept her distance, using her jab and feints to slow down Ryan’s aggressive attacks. Dolan punctuated her dominance with a well-timed left hook in the seventh round, as Ryan’s output began to wane.
A Thrilling Finale
Sensing the need to change the tide, Ryan increased her work rate in the ninth round, landing several clean shots. However, Dolan’s ability to counter effectively prevented her opponent from gaining any real momentum. In a thrilling finale, both fighters left it all in the ring, trading heavy blows until the final bell.
The judges’ scorecards reflected Dolan’s superior performance, with two of them scoring the fight 96-93 and 96-94 in her favor, while the third judge had it 95-94 for Ryan. With this victory, Emma Dolan not only retained her Commonwealth title but also made history by becoming the first woman to win the British junior bantamweight championship.
🔗 Source
