NINA HUGHES only returned to boxing to lose baby weight – now she is a world champion while still working in a completely different job.
The super-mum turned professional in 2021 after a successful amateur career and won the WBA bantamweight title after just five bouts.
But a career in boxing was never something she could have ever contemplated when going to her first boxercise class at 25.
It was only after six months of actual training and persuasion from her trainer that Hughes decided to step into the ring.
She told SunSport: “I joined the boxing gym purely for fitness, no intention of boxing. But my coach at the time talked me into it!”
Within a year and Hughes was fully hooked and even won a national title which later earned her a spot on the Team GB squad.
But Hughes missed out to Nicola Adams in the London 2012 Olympics, which was the first to have women’s boxing.
So she decided to hang up her gloves and start a family, welcoming first born son Leo into the world shortly after.
But little did Hughes know that becoming a mum for the first time would also bring her back to boxing again.
She said: “I stopped boxing for a few years and didn’t think I’d ever get back into it to be fair.
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“I had my first child, put on loads of weight and thought, ‘Right, I’m going to start training again to lose the weight.’
“I set myself a target of having one fight to motivate me, because I knew I’d have to make the weight then.
“Then I just fell back in love with it and started enjoying it again. More for a hobby than anything else but I was still winning and was selected to box for England.”
Hughes went onto become a four-time national amateur champion and did not slow down even after her second son Caelin was born.
In fact, she even boxed right up until her last week of maternity leave was due to end.
Hughes wanted to add one more amateur title to her name until those dreams were KO’d by the coronavirus pandemic.
But, after seeing the rise of women’s boxing throughout the lockdown period, Hughes was inspired to also turn pro, at 39.
She said: “I was watching these girls that were doing well and there were people that I’ve sparred and that I’ve boxed and I was looking at them thinking, ‘I can still beat them.’
“That’s what made me think that I had to give it a go.”
Hughes turned pro and went part-time at her legal secretary role, which she still works in to this day.
It means training and running on her lunch breaks and working a reduced week.
Hughes, 42, revealed: “They were all really supportive.
“My bosses, they’ve been to most my fights. One of them and another colleague even flew out to Dubai to watch my world title fight.
“They’ve been really supportive. I work from home two days, I only have to go into the office one day so I can get my extra training in, training on my lunch breaks.
“They’ve made it easier for me and really helped me out.”
Hughes travelled to Dubai in November 2022 as an outsider against Jamie Mitchell, who had beaten Shannon Courtenay for the belt a year prior.
But Hughes stunned the American, 38, on points to become a 40-year-old world champion.
She said: “We were always fighting for that opportunity and when it came there was no way we were turning it down or come back empty handed.
“We’d watched Jamie Mitchell previously and it was always a fight that I believed I could win so even though I was an underdog, I was going into the fight 100 per cent confident.”
Hughes had chased a unification with Ebanie Bridges, 37, until the Aussie star lost the strap to Miyo Yoshida, 35.
So now she has turned her attention to Yoshida on route to becoming the undisputed 118lb queen.
Hughes said: “For me now, I want to unify first and then become undisputed. That is the main goal now.
“I’ve been chasing the Ebanie Bridges fight for a long time ever since she had the belt but she’s no longer got the belt so now I really want the Yoshida fight.
“That’s the main one we’re targeting. And then hopefully fight Dina Thorslund who has the other two belts for undisputed.”
