Skye Nicolson is confident this will be the night where she registers her first pro stoppage.
The 2020 Olympic quarterfinalist for Australia has gone to the scorecards in all six fights to date, including the full ten-round distance in each of her last two fights. Nicolson acknowledged an awkward style match which led to an uneven performance in a win over unbeaten Tania Alvarez in their WBC featherweight title eliminator on February 4 in New York City.
A far more fan-friendly affair is expected in her eight-round matchup versus Peru’s Linda Lecca (15-6-2, 3KOs) this Saturday in Cardiff, Wales.
“I feel like my last fight was a learning opportunity,” Nicolson noted. “We’ve learned a lot in the gym. I feel like I’m a much more complete fighter now.
“I want to show a lot more aggression and spite in this fight, something we haven’t really seen in my early fights.”
Nicolson-Lecca headlines the DAZN ‘Before The Bell’ preliminary undercard preceding the main DAZN show this Saturday from Cardiff International Arena. Nicolson (6-0, 0KOs) appeared in this venue last June 4, where she went the eight-round distance for the first time in her young career. The bout was her fourth through just three months as a pro, which led to a break and a return home to Australia for her first ten-round bout.
A clear-cut victory over Alvarez (7-0 at the time) saw Nicolson earn the right to eventually challenge for the WBC featherweight title held by undisputed champion Amanda Serrano (44-2-1, 30KOs). It is expected that she will first enter an interim title fight while Serrano figures out her next move, though Nicolson agreed to a quick turnaround in a stay-busy fight.
The opponent selection will be used for comparative measures. Lecca went ten rounds in a lopsided defeat to fast rising featherweight Raven Chapman (6-0, 2KOs) just four weeks ago in Telford, England. Chapman boasts an extremely high ceiling and is pegged as a can’t miss future champion.
“I watched her recently fight recently against Raven who is a great fighter,” stated Nicolson. “She’s definitely durable, strong and tough. That’s what I want. I believe she will bring out the best in me as well.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox