Louisa ‘Bang Bang Lulu’ Hawton is set to return to the ring for just the second time since 2019.
The 39-year old contender faces Viviana Ruiz in a scheduled ten-round flyweight bout on Sept. 7 at HBF Stadium in Perth, Australia.
The bout marks a homecoming for Hawton (11-2, 6 knockouts), a former WBO 108-pound titlist who hasn’t fought in Perth in nine years. It will come in supporting to the Thammanoon Niyomtrong-Alex Winwood WBA strawweight title fight.
The fight will see Hawton jump up two weight classes. Despite the seven pound jump, she is confident of showcasing the results of a productive training camp in the U.S.
“I’ve been over in the States, training over there in Vegas with Derrick Harmon at the Top Rank gym, which has been amazing,” Hawton told The Ring. “Training has been going great. I always love my training, so I always put in 120% effort when I’m in the gym. It’s a place where I feel like I am able to feel at one with myself.
“I’m going up a couple of weights. When the opportunity came up to fight in front of a crowd and back in Australia for the first time since 2015, I couldn’t turn it down. Fighting in Perth is something that I really wanted to do for a long time, so you have to take the opportunity when it presents itself, right?
“It’s special for me because it’s been so long. I have a lot of people who always want to see me fight and ask me when I am fighting back in Australia, back in Perth. I’m excited to be a part of this card, in particular, because Alex is headlining for a world title. He’s someone that I’ve worked with over the years and we’ve sparred together, so to see him on that level is amazing. To be part of this show together with him, I think, is special.”
The connection between Hawton and Winwood goes back further than the gym.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but Alex grew up in the town that I grew up in,” said Hawton. “He’s younger than me, but we actually went to the same high school. Erin McGowan went to the same high school as us too. She’s older than me.
“So if Alex gets this job done and becomes a world champion, then there will be three world champions who have come out of Coodanup Senior High School. How’s that for the odds?
“That tells you a lot about the school, right?” she added with a laugh. “Champions are made in hardy places.”
Hawton is a skilled boxer with slick footwork and a good kit of punches.
Her body attack is exceptional, particularly the left rip. Working downstairs consistently will be critical for Hawton against the naturally larger Ruiz (8-1, 4 KOs). The plan is to slow down the hard-hitting 41-year-old Colombian-born Australian, also a noted body puncher.
“I think it’s gonna be a great fight,” said Hawton. “I think it’s definitely going to be a crowd-pleaser. I’m sure we can steal the show as well. Viviana, she’s got an amateur pedigree and now she’s stepped into the pros. I know she’s gonna bring the fire and she’s gonna bring the fight and she’s coming in to defend her (regional) title, so it’s going to be a good fight.”
The move up to 112 pounds is only intended to be a temporary one.
At just 5’0”, Hawton has boxed the bulk of her career at atomweight. She can still easily make strawweight, where The Ring champion Seniesa Estrada (26-0, 9 KOs) reigns supreme.
“I would love to fight Seniesa Estrada,” said Hawton. “That’s a fight that I would love to have, especially since she’s holding undisputed at my weight. Then you’ve got Yokasta Valle; she fought her for the undisputed championship. Both of those two fights, I think, are great fights for me that I would love to make in the really, really close future.
“They’re the fights I’m looking and the ones I’d love to somehow bring back to Australia. Perth is definitely putting in a lot to bring big events back to Western Australia.”
The West Australian government has recently shown a great appetite for hosting big sporting events. The most notable example was the Vasiliy Lomachenko- George Kambosos Jr IBF lightweight title fight in May.
It wasn’t that long ago that this would have seemed like a pipe dream. Now, it could be a real possibility.
“It was amazing, it was so good,” said Hawton. “Our premier, Roger Cook, is investing a lot into bringing events to Perth to show off our beautiful city for tourism and things like that. To be part of this show and potentially looking at making these big fights and bringing it back to Perth, that’s something I really want to push for.”
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