Double Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones has revealed her arrival in professional boxing with a impressive second-round knockout victory. The athlete from Wales, who claimed Olympic gold medals in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics, defeated Egypt Criss in her boxing debut at Misfits Duel 2 in Derby. Jones needed just two rounds to secure victory, defeating her opponent with three consecutive left hooks. The 32-year-old competitor from Flint made the daring transition from taekwondo after 20 years in the sport, pursuing an ambitious target of becoming a world champion in two separate sports. Her maiden bout marks the beginning of an extraordinary new chapter in her sporting career.
From Taekwondo Supremacy to Boxing Triumph
Jade Jones’ shift from taekwondo to boxing represents one of sport’s most fascinating career pivots. After investing two decades perfecting her craft in taekwondo and achieving the sport’s pinnacle with successive Olympic gold medals, the Welsh champion decided she needed a fresh challenge. At 32 years old, Jones made the courageous decision to exchange her taekwondo gloves for boxing ones at the beginning of last year, starting a completely novel professional journey in a sport where she had no earlier competitive experience.
Jones has surrounded herself with skilled direction to accelerate her development in the boxing ring. Training under the watchful eye of ex-pro boxer Stephen ‘Swifty’ Smith at the renowned 4 Corners Gym, she has received top-tier training. Additionally, Jones finds motivation in her former room-mate Lauren Price, a unified world boxing champion who skillfully balanced her own diverse athletic pursuits before focusing exclusively on professional boxing. Price’s example of competing at the highest levels in multiple combat sports and football before finding ultimate success in boxing has provided Jones with a roadmap to her ambitious goals.
- Gold medals at the Olympics earned in London 2012 and Rio 2016
- Training at Liverpool’s iconic 4 Corners Gym with Swifty Smith
- Inspired by unified champion Lauren Price’s multi-sport success
- Ambitious target of achieving world champion in multiple sports
A Stunning Performance in the Ring
Jade Jones’ boxing debut at Misfits Duel 2 in Derby proved to be a spectacular statement of intent. Facing Egypt Criss, child of music legends Anthony ‘Treach’ Criss from Naughty by Nature and Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton from Salt-N-Pepa, Jones displayed the explosive power and technical precision that defined her taekwondo career. The Welsh champion’s performance suggested that her move across disciplines would not be merely ceremonial but authentically challenging, as she dismantled her opponent with clinical efficiency and devastating striking ability.
The fight showcased Jones’ innate physical prowess and her capacity to convert her combat sports expertise into the squared circle. Despite possessing no boxing credentials, she displayed the mental toughness and spatial awareness characteristic of a seasoned fighter. Her win was far more than a close decision but rather a dominant display that left no doubt her credentials as a credible professional boxer. The quickness and strength of her striking sequences indicated that her Olympic background would serve her well in this next phase of her sporting career.
The Pivotal Second Round
The crucial juncture came in the next round when Jones delivered a brutal series of strikes that concluded the fight. Three successive left hooks were too much Criss, with the final blow knocking her down and compelling the referee to stop the bout. The knockout triumph was decisive and precise, demonstrating Jones’ ability to identify and exploit her opponent’s weaknesses with perfect timing. This dramatic conclusion captured the essence of her boxing debut—swift, definitive, and utterly convincing.
Jones’ second-round knockout reinforced her lofty aspiration of winning a world title in multiple disciplines. The impressive nature of her debut victory points to that her target is not merely aspirational but realistically attainable considering her commitment and elite-level coaching. The speed with which she dispatched Criss indicated that the transition from taekwondo to professional boxing may be easier than many expected, setting the stage for an compelling path toward championship glory in her new discipline.
Preparation and Motivation Underlying the Success
Jones’ swift ascent in the boxing ring did not stem from a vacuum but rather from a carefully structured training program under the direction of veteran coaches. Since starting her boxing career at the outset of last year, she has been training under former professional boxer Stephen ‘Swifty’ Smith at Liverpool’s iconic 4 Corners Gym. This collaboration has proven instrumental in converting her taekwondo expertise into proficient boxing form, allowing her to maintain the precision and explosiveness that marked her Olympic career while adapting to the particular requirements of professional boxing competition.
The decision to pursue boxing marked a deliberate choice to pursue new challenges after two decades of dominance in taekwondo. At 32 years old, Jones showed remarkable courage in leaving a sport where she had achieved the peak of success—Olympic gold medals in both London 2012 and Rio 2016—to begin anew at a beginner’s level in a different discipline. Her lofty target of becoming a world champion in two sports provided the motivation to embrace this significant career transition, turning what could have been a retirement into an exciting new chapter of athletic achievement.
Training under Boxing Professionals
Jones has gained substantial inspiration from unified world boxing champion Lauren Price, who was her former room-mate and shares a similarly diverse sporting background. Price’s own path across multiple combat sports—including football for Wales, kickboxing, and taekwondo—before transitioning to professional boxing offered a strong blueprint for success. This mentorship from someone who had already navigated a comparable path proved invaluable, offering practical insights and mental support as Jones started her own boxing career with determination and confidence.
- Working out at 4 Corners Gym under coach Stephen ‘Swifty’ Smith’s specialized coaching
- Receiving guidance from unified world champion Lauren Price’s cross-sport expertise
- Utilizing 20 years of Olympic taekwondo knowledge to boxing at the professional level
High Aspirations in a Fresh Sporting Venture
Jones’ decision to pursue boxing came with a remarkably bold objective: to become a international champion in two different sports. This challenging objective served as the driving force behind her shift away from taekwondo, where she had already attained the discipline’s top accolades. At 32 years old, rather than relying on her Olympic laurels, Jones chose to challenge herself in an wholly unfamiliar arena, showcasing the competitive spirit that had shaped her lengthy career spanning two decades in taekwondo. Her goal reveals not merely a wish for a new beginning, but a commitment to establish her legacy as one of the sport’s most adaptable and skilled competitors across various sports.
The path to global championship standing in boxing creates a substantially different challenge from her earlier successes. Unlike taekwondo, where Jones had invested years mastering technique and accumulating expertise, she enters the boxing world as a newcomer to the sport competing against fighters with lengthy competitive histories. However, her devastating debut performance—a second-round knockout victory featuring three consecutive left hooks—suggests she possesses the innate ability and foundational technique necessary to progress rapidly through the ranks. If Jones can sustain this path while ongoing development of her boxing skills under professional guidance, her ambitious dual-championship dream may prove far more achievable than first seemed.