Louisa Hawton: “I’m looking to become the undisputed champion at 105 and really take it to the next level!”

Louisa Hawton is an undefeated world champion fighter, currently holding the WBO World female light flyweight title. Hawton is making big leaps in her career as her first 3 fights were against debuting boxers, but in only her 7th professional bout she won a world title, taking that belt from Kei Takenaka. Hawton is hoping the world title win will help her gain more notoriety and opportunity in boxing.

In my interview with Louisa Hawton I talked to her about how she got started in the sport of boxing and her rise to winning a world title. Hawton also talks about her goals for this year and how she would feel about traveling to Mexico to face the other champions for the weight class. Additionally, Louisa talks women’s boxing and what promoters need to do to shine a bigger light on the female divisions. Here is what Louisa had to say.

Robert Brown: Can you tell the fans how you got started in boxing?

Louisa Hawton: I’ve been boxing for coming up on four years now. What really made me go into it was my best friend who wanted a training partner to go to a fitness class with her, so I just went along with her and I really fell in love with everything about boxing. From that moment on, I was pretty much hooked.

I started in kickboxing and had a few fights in kickboxing and then I crossed over to boxing because I just enjoyed using my hands a bit more and the movement of that. It’s been an exciting journey definitely and a fast journey, which is just who I am, I guess. I’m really enjoying it.

Robert Brown: In August of last year you won the WBO title. What was that like?

Louisa Hawton: Yeah I’ve been working towards it from the moment that I stepped in the gym. I automatically thought that was the direction that I wanted to go in, and I’ve been working hard on it for the last few years. To be able to get that opportunity and come out victorious was just such a great feeling. To be there and share my journey with my friend as well was really an awesome feeling to get a shot at a world title and be the world champion. I was pretty proud and pretty pumped. I was very excited to represent Australia on that level.

Robert Brown: What are your goals for this year? Would you like to fight the other champions and unify the titles or move up?

Louisa Hawton: Yeah I actually fought that world title fight coming up two weight divisions \, so I’m looking to become the undisputed champ at 105 and really take it to the next level and push it as hard as I can on that level. I’d love to be able to unify in that weight category and just see where that takes me. I got big goals and big aspirations, so I’m really working hard every day to make them happen and try and make them truth.

Robert Brown: Are you confident that if you travel to Mexico and fight the champions there that you will get the decision? I hear it can be hard to get a decision in Mexico over a Mexican fighter.

Louisa Hawton: Yeah I do hear that definitely, that Mexicans have a huge boxing support, especially the women over there, they are really respected. I hear that it’s a difficult task but we went to Japan to fight for the light flyweight world title and it was a great experience. I got the decision over there and put on a good show, it was entertaining.

I’m currently not signed with anyone at the moment but I’m looking to establish with someone overseas with a top promotion that can take me to the next level. I really think that I’m an exciting fighter with a lot of energy, so I can become the star that they are looking for, especially with womans boxing coming up on the rise and people starting to pay attention to us.

Robert Brown: What do you think we can do to encourage promoters to invest in female fighters?

Louisa Hawton: I really think that to encourage promoters to actually have a look and get behind it is being able to broadcast us on TV and things like that so the networks and the media gives us more recognition. We really have to start looking at the athletes that are presented whether we are male or female, it doesn’t matter. Like Eddie Hearn said when he signed Katie Taylor, “Don’t look at the fact that she’s a female, watch her fight and when you watch her fight, that says enough.”

When you get a fighter that exciting, it doesn’t matter whether you are a male or a woman. It will get you to sit on the edge of your seat and be completely engrossed in the fight and watching the fight for every movement. That’s what promoters are looking for, they are looking for someone that can bring that to their stable, someone that can bring excitement. They should be broadcasting women regardless of being a woman or not, that really shouldn’t matter, especially in this day and age.