Ellie Scotney, the unified and Ring Magazine world champion boxer, is set to make her BBC debut this Saturday as a pundit for the Frazer Clarke vs. Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva bout. This marks a significant milestone for the 27-year-old from Lewisham, London, whose own scheduled fight on Jake Paul's undercard was recently cancelled due to an injury.
A Career Forged in Adversity
Scotney's path to the top has been anything but conventional. Just five years ago, she was working shifts at B&Q, a far cry from the bright lights of world championship boxing. In a 2020 interview, she revealed she left the DIY retailer after securing a sponsor, humourously noting she kept her orange bucket hat and friends-and-family discount card.
Her professional journey began with a bold move: sliding into the DMs of YouTube sensation Jake Paul. When that initial message went unread, she persisted, contacting his right-hand man, Nakisa Bidarian, which ultimately set her career in motion.
Setbacks and Controversy
Scotney's career has not been without its hurdles. Back in 2023, she was controversially removed from the Taylor v Cameron card in Dublin. She took to social media to express her devastation, claiming that fellow fighter Chantelle Cameron had insisted on her removal due to Scotney's trainer, Shane McGuigan.
Cameron responded, apologising for how Scotney felt but explaining that her own mental health was a priority, citing a difficult past experience with McGuigan's team that she was unable to discuss in detail due to a non-disclosure agreement.
More recently, Scotney's planned fight against Mayelli Flores on the undercard of Jake Paul's exhibition was cancelled after she sustained a training injury. The entire card was subsequently scrapped, with Paul instead arranging a fight with Anthony Joshua.
A Champion's Future
Despite these setbacks, Scotney's future shines brightly. When she next steps into the ring, she is set to become the youngest British boxer ever to fight for the undisputed world championship. This follows her impressive victory earlier this year at Madison Square Garden in New York, where she defeated Yamileth Mercado on a historic Netflix-broadcast event.
Her rapid ascent from selling DIY equipment to offering expert analysis on the BBC is a testament to her talent, resilience, and the unconventional path that led her to the top of the sport.
