Challenge Over Comfort: Kelsey Leonard Looks to Climb Rankings Ahead of Belfast Bout
Kildare’s Kelsey Leonard looks to extend her unbeaten run as a professional this weekend, as the Naas fighter faces experienced Hungarian Beata Dudek in Belfast on the 8th of November.
The decorated amateur faces a step up in class for her third outing as a professional, opting for a more seasoned opponent rather than chasing an easy win.
Leonard told Irish-Boxing.com that she was offered an opponent with a less favourable record and the bout “would’ve been an easier option to take” but has her mind on rising through the ranks by taking a riskier fight, as opposed to padding her record early on.
“I think it’s definitely worth the investment, it’ll bring me up the rankings, it’ll boost the step that I’ve taken into professional boxing… it’s worth the risk” said Leonard.
Leonard, who trains under Niall Barrett at UNIT 3 Health & Fitness in Naas, thinks the fight reflects her willingness to back herself as her career gathers momentum.
“If you’re not with a big promoter it will cost to get better opponent and better opportunities, if you’re willing to make the investment to fund that, it will really work in your favour, I’m hoping that it’ll push me up the rankings and push me onto bigger things” said the eight-time National Title Winner.
The 26 year old has shown composure and discipline in her early bouts, particularly in her last outing in the National Stadium, emerging victorious on the judges scorecards against a determined opponent.
Leonard said her last outing was “a really good challenge, and a good test” that she “didn’t want to get in and do something stupid and get caught… I followed the gameplan and got the win.”
Now for the first six round bout of her career, she believes that the longer distance will suit her style better, and feels that she “could’ve done an extra two rounds after (her) last fight, I was just getting going in the fourth round… the four rounds are over in a flash, I think the six will suit me a lot more.”
Still not taking Dudek lightly, she has no intention of getting into a ‘scrap’ and intends to “keep her head switched on” before jokingly saying that “Niall would kill me if I did!”
Outside the ring, and still in the infancy of her career, the Haringey Box Cup winner gratefully stressed the importance that financial backing and community support has played in sustaining her journey as a professional stating that “without any of it, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing.”
