Ashley to fight for WBC Super Bantam title

"I am the happiest person in the world today. I am excited and ready to go," Jamaica's Alicia "Slick" Ashley, the former World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Bantamweight champion, told The Gleaner yesterday after it was announced that she would get the opportunity to regain her title on March 10.

Ashley will face Dana Thorslund of Denmark in her home country at Struer Energi Park.

The United States-based Jamaican lost her title to Kenyan Fatima Zarika on October 1, 2016, by way of a controversial split decision, and despite a return-fight clause in her contract, she has been unable to get Zarika to make the fight happen. Word recently is that Zarika is injured and unable to fight, so the WBC has given permission for Ashley and Thorslund to fight for the title, with the proviso that the winner must meet Zarika next.

There was happiness in both camps yesterday. An obviously happy Ashley said, "This is the best news that I have had in a long time. My last fight was in March last year, and I have been training consistently for fights that fall through repeatedly. I never stop training, so all I have to really do now, starting tomorrow, is to focus on what needs to be done for this fight."

The 50-year old veteran, who has a 24-11-1 record, has had the distinction of being the oldest female boxing champion in the world, and a victory next month would embellish that achievement.

"I am planning to regain my title, and even though I have to go on the road to do it, it does not matter. My opponent is young and aggressive, and I have to be well prepared," she added.

Thorslund, who is 24 years old and has a 10-0 record with six knockouts, had this to say: "I'm very excited for my first world title fight. My opponent, Ashley, is a very experienced boxer, so I have a lot of respect for her and I'm expecting a really tough fight. I'm really happy that this fight is happening in Struer as I want to give something back to the city that has supported me. This is an important fight for me and the first step to collecting all the belts. "