Kristina O’Hara McCafferty to make history on the BBC
Kristina O’Hara McCafferty [2-0] will step into serious TV spotlight when she fights for the third time as a pro.
The minimumweight prospect, who has delivered maximum entertainment since turning over last year, fights at the Magna Centre on a Unified Promotions card on tommorrow.
The Commonwealth Games medal winner will trade leather over six rounds for the first time, taking on teak tough Judit Hachbold [5(1)-16(1)] after original foe Brenda Balderas Martinez [4(1)-3(0)1] secured a world title and pulled out.
Not quite as dangerous a fight as Martinez but Hachbold has challenged for the European title twice, is naturally the bigger fighter, and has tested some well-known names.
The fact she has only been stopped once in 16 defeats also provides the St John Bosco graduate with a chance to make a statement, an inside-the-distance win for O’Hara-McCafferty would make people take note.
The Belfast fighter, who has multi-weight world champion potential considering she is starting so low down the scales, could make that statement in front of HUGE television audience.
The card will be the first-ever female fight card broadcast by the BBC. It will be aired on BBC IPlayer meaning massive reach and sizeable exposure – and if things go to plan and the UK state broadcaster commission a second card, the Belfast talent could end up aligned to a platform that could help her grow into a household name.
Susannah Schofield of Unified Promotions said: ‘The BBC hasn’t shown boxing for a very long time, so I feel very humbled and honoured to be able to put a pilot on for them and see where it goes. There are exciting times ahead. The BBC [showing fights] will help normalise women’s boxing. We want to make sure that women get fairly paid and to make sure that we offer, as I say, a place of wellbeing and safeguarding for those sports, so to be able to normalise that on such a platform is exciting.’
O’Hara McCafferty has impressed in her two fights to date points wins over Maira Dayana Loyola and Camila Erica Avaca and could ramp things up further if things go well on October 7.
