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NEW YORK – It hasn’t been a bad start at all to Skye Nicolson’s pro career.
A former amateur standout who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics last summer, Nicolson (2-0, 0KOs) once again finds herself in the presence of boxing royalty just two months into her journey. The latest such instance comes in a supporting bout to the historic showdown between undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor (20-0, 6KOs) and record-setting, seven-division titlist Amanda Serrano (42-1-1, 30KOs) this Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“It’s amazing to be a part of this event. A lot of pinch-me moments this week,” Nicolson told BoxingScene.com following her open slot at the fight week open workout Wednesday at Chase Square at MSG. “I’m actually in the MSG building now. A lot of attention has been drawn to this event and it’s only Wednesday.
“The hype is going to keep getting bigger and bigger as the week goes on. I’m just ready to put on a show.”
A who’s who list of the top female boxers in the sport today will be on hand this weekend at MSG, where Taylor-Serrano represents the first-ever women’s boxing to headline in the main room of the iconic venue. Nicolson, a 26-year-old southpaw from Yatala, Australia appears on the undercard in a scheduled six-round featherweight bout with Houston’s Shanecqua Paisley Davis (3-1, 0KOs).
Nicolson found herself in a similar setting days ahead of her pro debut in San Diego, when the sport’s leading box-office attraction and male pound-for-pound king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (57-1-2, 39KOs) held court to formally announce his challenge of WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol (19-0, 11KOs). The announcement presser for Canelo-Bivol preceded the March 5 DAZN show also in San Diego, where Nicolson made her pro debut on a card headlined by legendary former four-division champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (51-3, 41KOs).
Three weeks after that came an appearance on the undercard of Josh Warrington’s IBF featherweight title-reclaiming stoppage win over Kiko Martinez last March 26 in Leeds, England. Immediately after the fight, Nicolson called for promoter Eddie Hearn to get her back in the ring as quickly as possible. Not only did Hearn deliver, but did so on as big a stage as can be asked for any fighter in Nicolson’s position.
“The whole thing has been very surreal to be honest,” admitted Nicolson, a quarterfinalist as a featherweight in the Tokyo Olympics. “I’m very honored, very humbled to be here as a part of history that’s about to take place this weekend.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox