No such thing as mission impossible – Nathasa Jonas not ready to genuflect in front of boxing queen Katie Taylor

Natasha Jonas [9(7)-1(1)-1] is adamant she doesn’t face an Ethan Hunt styled impossible mission in Manchester on Saturday night.

The Liverpudlian renews acquaintances with old amateur rival Katie Taylor [17(6)-0] in Manchester this weekend – and goes into the undisputed lightweight world title fight adamant the Irish sensation is beatable and even more confident she is the fighter to beat her.

The 36-year-old is aware she is the underdog going into the Sky PPV broadcast clash – but points out she proved how little that means when coming within a bad scorecard of defeating super featherweight world champion Teri Harper last time out.

The former Team GB boxer, who was upset with how she was written off ahead of that Harper clash, claims that performance proved Mission Impossible is an impossibility in itself – and is confident she can continue to prove as much against the best female fighter on the planet.

“People saying that I can’t, brings out the best in me. From the Harper fight, the odds and bookies were absolutely ridiculous – they’ll never do that again. Even though I am the underdog for this fight, it’s not the same odds as Harper, it’s a lot closer,” Jonas says.

“I’ve got nothing to lose and if you’re in a fight for the four belts on the biggest stage, the biggest platform and you can’t get yourself up mentally then you’re probably in the wrong sport. I’ll be presenting the best version of myself mentally and physically on the night and she has to be able to deal with that.

“I proved last time I am world level. I know I have to be that and better for Taylor. I wanted a challenge, I want to stay at this level, I want to be competing at this level and be winning at this level, more importantly.”

The fact Jonas is not a wider underdog than the Harper fight is a reflection on how the bookies now rate her rather than the oddsmaker believing Taylor isn’t as good as the Steffy Bull trained super featherweight world champ.

Taylor is still deemed queen of the female castle, the best to have done it and the best to be doing it.

Jonas has never refuted the skills of the fighter she lost three amateur bouts to but she certainly doesn’t feel the need to genuflect to the Bray fighter.

“I know that I’m not boxing the aura that is, the legacy that is, the legend that is Katie Taylor, I’m just boxing another human.

“Everyone’s got weaknesses, everyone’s human, and I will be trying to capitalise on them and put my best foot forward.

“Everyone mentions the Persoon fights but styles make fights and I’m not Persoon, but what I do think Persoon did was make her look human.”