Prospect Watch: Junior Bantamweight Fighter Shannon Ryan

Shannon Ryan Setting Her Ambitions High Early On

UK junior bantamweight prospect Shannon Ryan
Shannon Ryan | Credit: Instagram

Junior Bantamweight Prospect Shannon Ryan Sees World Championships Ahead


Women’s junior bantamweight prospect Shannon “Kaos” Ryan (4-0, 0 KOs) is on a mission to become the UK’s next world champion and a force in the lower-weight divisions.

MAKING THE TRANSITION

The 26-year-old from Watford, England has been active in sports since she was a child. At age five, Ryan was a kickboxer, and picked up Taekwon-Do as a teenager. Ryan had aspirations of making the 2016 British Olympic team in Taekwon-Do. But those dreams were dashed due to a hip injury. She decided to pick up boxing in 2018.

After a brief amateur career, Ryan signed a multi-year deal with Anthony Joshua’s 258 management and made her professional debut in March 2022. As a guest on the BBC podcast, Girls Do Sweat, Kaos talked about the good and bad of boxing.

“The best part is the freedom with doing something that you love. The worst thing is that it is a lonely sport. When people say that it’s a lonely sport, it really is. When you’re in camp, you’re at the gym, you go back out, you go home. You’re just on your own.

But that’s when you figure things out about yourself . . . That is a nice part of it being a lonely sport is that you learn about yourself as an individual.”

Kaos has impressive hand and foot speed, but she’s more than sheer athleticism. Ryan has displayed terrific technique with a sharp jab, good punch distribution, and sound defense. Her style is reminiscent of reigning unified junior featherweight champion Stephen Fulton Jr.

SHE WANTS IT ALL

Ryan says her highlight as a pro so far was fighting on the all-women’s undercard which featured the undisputed middleweight showdown between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall in October 2022. When asked where she thinks she will be over the next few years, Kaos said she has big plans both in and out of the ring.

“In five years times, I definitely want to be undisputed champion in the world in my weight division, all the belts, all the marbles . . . Separate from that, inspire people in life in whatever field that they’re in, don’t neglect your purpose and your passion.”

Skilled, and with a personality that is making her a fan favorite, pundits in the British boxing scene believe Ryan has an unbounded future.

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About Mike W.1943 Articles
Mike is the host of boxing podcast "Pound 4 Pound Boxing Report" and is a Senior Writer for 3kingsboxing.com.