Gemma Richardson adds name to Hartlepool boxing hall of fame

There can be few places on earth which could boast the sort of incredible array of female boxers of this town so meet our latest champion.

Gemma Richardson won the WBO International light-welterweight belt on Saturday night in Newcastle where she comprehensively outpointed Canada’s Carolyn Redmond after 10 rounds.

While not a born and bred Poolie, the 25-year-old from Scunthorpe has made Hartlepool her boxing home, training under John Stubbs at Headland ABC and living on Bishop Cuthbert.

It is the same Northgate gym made famous by Savannah Marshall, the former two-weight world champion and one of the greatest-ever female boxers on the planet.

Catholic Club’s Amanda Coulson was the first lady of Hartlepool boxing, an amateur great as a four-time national champion, GB champ, and a multitude of international medals, including two World Championship appearances.

Danielle Marshall was a national champion with Catholic Club ABC and Sadie Thomas, from Headland ABC, represented her country at the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Richardson is therefore the latest in an illustrious list and coach Stubbs hopes to see his unbeaten talent box for the British title next.

“Hopefully, we are looking at the British championship if we can find an opponent,” he told Life.

“Charlie Sutton is fighting Jordan Barker-Porter, a North-East girl, in Hull later this month and we’d love to take on the winner.

“A British title would be another step forward in Gemma’s career.”

Highly decorated as an amateur, including a Commonwealth Games silver medal, Richardson’s professional journey is running beautifully after this sixth straight triumph and first belt.

What you see with Gemma is what you get. Bright and bubbly outside the ropes, her personality shines just as strongly in the ring, with a high degree of violence thrown in.

Even what would be described as a wardrobe malfunction in round four, when her uniform required adjusting in her corner, it did not put her off her stride. She laughed it off and set about raining in punches to her opponent.

Richardson was brilliant to watch from round one to 10, unless you were Redmond or her team, with her fans from Scunthorpe and Hartlepool cheering her every punch in the Vertu Motors Arena.

Little was known in advance about Redmond, though it was noted that she was a respected amateur at domestic level in Canada, who recently recorded two professional wins in Spain.

The 35-year-old was certainly not shy in coming forward in Newcastle, but for every punch she threw, she’d get three, four or five back from the energetic Richardson.

Gemma’s combination work stood out and even when Carolyn tried to up the aggression levels in rounds five to eight, Richardson picked her off brilliantly.

At no point did she ease her foot off the gas and a 100-90 shut-out was the inevitable scoreline from all three judges, Ron Kearney, Jose Ignacio Martinez and Darren Sarginson.

“I’m so pleased for Gemma,” said Stubbs. “She had a very difficult camp, but everything came to fruition on the night.

“She lost her uncle, was ill for a couple of weeks and when she got back into the gym, she sparred poorly.

“But it speaks volumes for Gemma that she pulled it around on the night and won brilliantly against a very, very tough girl.

“She was able to peak at the right time and in her first 10-rounder she still had loads left in the tank. I’m so proud of her to win her first pro title, the first of many.”