- Nicolson scored a 100-89 shutout over Mariah Turner in Melbourne and called Scotney out by name
- Both fighters are signed to Matchroom Boxing — there is no promotional cold war to navigate
- Scotney is the undisputed 122-pound champion holding all four belts; Nicolson holds the WBC interim
Right Then — The Easy One
Right then. Eddie Hearn has had a busy week. Fury vs Joshua signed for November. Katie Taylor's Croke Park farewell locked for September. The Wardley vs Dubois card on his desk five days from now. But there's one fight that's just been served to him on a plate, and he should grab it with both hands.
Make no mistake — Skye Nicolson vs Ellie Scotney for undisputed at 122 is the easiest fight in women's boxing to make right now. Both girls are signed to Matchroom. Both want it. The crowd wants it. And Hearn knows it.
What Happened On Wednesday
For anyone who missed it — Nicolson went to The Melbourne Pavilion and put on a clinic against Mariah Turner. 100-89 across all three cards. She battered Turner's nose into bleeding from round three and never stopped letting her hands go. Five rounds in she was hooking off the jab beautifully. Class performance, properly Australian crowd, full house — the kind of night that announces a fighter as ready for the biggest stage.
And then she got on the mic and went straight at Scotney. "You've got all the belts. I'm next in line." No fluff, no padding, just the demand. She said it loud and she said it twice.
The Other Side Of The Equation
Ellie Scotney is the undisputed 122-pound champion. She holds the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO. She's brilliant — and I mean properly brilliant. She walks down opponents, she's got a cracking jab, she lands the right hand at angles you don't see coming. She's also from south London and she'd love a big stage at home.
Scotney's last outing was a comfortable defence in March. The next mandatory window is summer. The IBF and WBC mandatories at 122 line up — and the mandatory contender for the WBC interim slot is, would you look at that, Skye Nicolson. The sanctioning bodies will literally force this if Hearn drags his feet.
Where And When?
Here's where Hearn's going to need to be smart. The two natural homes are London — the O2 — and Sydney or Brisbane. Nicolson's pulled a proper crowd in Melbourne; she'd sell out an Australian arena. But Scotney is the champion, and the champion picks the venue. The fair compromise is the O2 in late summer. August or September. Slot it in front of a major card if you can — undercard for a heavyweight night or a Katie Taylor farewell if there's room.
Don't go to Saudi for it. Don't water it down with the Riyadh treatment. This is a British vs Australian women's title fight that the fans on both sides genuinely want. Let the crowds decide it.
The Prediction
Scotney by close decision. Make no mistake — Nicolson is brilliant on the front foot but Scotney has the technical edge in close, she's got better head movement, and she's sharper coming forward. I'd lean Scotney by 96-94 or 97-93 over twelve rounds. But it'll be a proper fight. Compelling boxing all the way, lots of feet movement, plenty of clean shots both ways.
If you know women's boxing, you know this is a top-three fight to make this year. Hearn's job today is simple: get both managers in a room and put pen on paper for August. The fight is right there. Don't fluff it.