Rio medal hopeful Shelley Watts sparring with Aussie world champion Shannon O’Connell

PRO boxers are yet to fight at the Olympic Games but one world champion will have a have a big impact on Aussie medal hope Shelley Watts’s Rio campaign.

Shelley Watts with new sparring partner Shannon O'Connell in Brisbane. Pictures: Jack Tran

PROFESSIONAL boxers are yet to fight at the Olympic Games but at least one will make a big impact as Aussie medal hope Shelley Watts heads for Rio with the backing of Logan’s world champ Shannon O’Connell.

Watts, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist from the NSW mid-north coast, has been sparring in Brisbane this week, pitting the skills of amateur boxing against the professional punches of the WBC silver super-bantamweight champ and mother of two from Slacks Creek.

Despite producing some of the best professional boxers of all time, no Australian, male or female, has ever won Olympic gold and no Australian has won an Olympic boxing medal since Spike Cheney’s silver in 1988. Watts, though, is a huge medal hope and depending on the draw may need to win just one fight to score bronze.

Shelley Watts (L) with new sparring partner Shannon O'Connell (R) and top boxing coach Shara Romer. Pictures: Jack Tran

Not that the 28-year-old law student will be satisfied with anything but gold. After qualifying for Rio at a tournament in China in March she withdrew from the 60kg final with injury and said it was a shocking feeling to be standing on the medal dais in second place.

“I said to myself then and there that if I get on the dais in Rio I want the gold medal. It’s just the worst feeling when you come so close and finish second.’’

The favourite in her 60kg division, Ireland’s London Olympic gold medallist Katie Taylor has lost twice this year and Watts says with Shannon O’Connell’s help she can repeat her 2014 success in Glasgow.

Watts upset the odds to win Commonwealth Games gold and was almost as thrilled as her family back in Laurieton, near Port Macquarie.

“It was 3.30 in the morning back home when I won,’’ she said. “My dad was so excited that he forgot about the time and ran outside into the street shouting ‘Yes, Yes!’

“He stopped for a minute because he thought he’d woken everyone up but then he saw everyone else had their lights on, too. They were all up watching and cheering as well.’’

Rio-bound boxer Shelley Watts shadow boxing in Brisbane. Pictures: Jack Tran

Women’s boxing is going through a boom period in Australia with two other female fighters, Sydney’s Kaye Scott (silver) and Yatala’s Skye Nicolson (bronze), winning medals at the world championships in Kazakhstan last month.

Watts and O’Connell have gone through some torrid sparring together this week under the watchful eye of Australia’s top female boxing coach Shara Romer.

“The sparring has been terrific, the best I’ve had in 12 months,’’ Watts said.

“When Shelley was an amateur representing Australia she had a totally different style to the way she fights as a professional. She’s a lot more aggressive and doesn’t bounce around as much now. It’s great preparation for me because you have to cope with all sorts of styles when you’re fighting.

“Pro boxing and amateur boxing are totally different sports but at the Olympics you have to cope with opponents from all sorts of backgrounds and techniques.’’

While male professionals have been invited to compete at Rio, no big name fighters have taken up the offer. The invitation has not been extended to female fighters as yet.

O’Connell is defending her 55kg world title in Melbourne in August.

Watts leaves on the weekend for a month-long training program at high altitude in Colorado Springs. She hopes to soar even higher in Rio.

Originally published as Rio medal hopeful Shelley Watts sparring with Aussie world champion Shannon O’Connell