Double Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones has announced her arrival in professional boxing with a stunning second-round knockout victory. The Welsh athlete, 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, dispatching her opponent with three successive left hooks. The 32-year-old competitor from Flint made the daring transition from taekwondo after two decades in the sport, setting herself an ambitious target of achieving world champion status in two separate sports. Her maiden bout marks the start of an remarkable new phase in her sporting career.
From Taekwondo Dominance to Boxing Glory
Jade Jones’ shift from taekwondo to boxing represents one of sport’s most fascinating career pivots. After spending two decades honing her craft in taekwondo and reaching the sport’s pinnacle with back-to-back Olympic gold medals, the Welsh champion chose she needed a fresh challenge. At 32 years old, Jones made the bold decision to exchange her taekwondo gloves for boxing ones at the beginning of last year, starting a completely new professional journey in a sport where she had no earlier competitive experience.
Jones has built a team with professional mentorship to accelerate her development in the sport of boxing. 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 ex-training partner Lauren Price, a unified world boxing champion who successfully navigated her own multi-sport career before focusing exclusively on professional boxing. Price’s example of competing at elite levels in football, kickboxing, and taekwondo before reaching her greatest success in boxing has given Jones a blueprint for her ambitious goals.
- Olympic gold medals won in London 2012 and Rio 2016
- Training at Liverpool’s renowned 4 Corners Gym with Swifty Smith
- Motivated by unified champion Lauren Price’s multi-sport success
- Ambitious target of becoming world champion in two sports
A Impressive Showing in the Ring
Jade Jones’ boxing debut at Misfits Duel 2 in Derby proved to be a striking display of ambition. Facing Egypt Criss, daughter of hip-hop icons Anthony ‘Treach’ Criss from Naughty by Nature and Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton from Salt-N-Pepa, Jones displayed the devastating force and tactical expertise that defined her taekwondo career. The Welsh champion’s display revealed that her move across disciplines would not be merely ceremonial but truly competitive, as she dominated her opponent with clinical efficiency and devastating striking ability.
The bout demonstrated Jones’ natural athleticism and her skill in adapting her fighting background into the boxing ring. Despite lacking any previous competitive boxing background, she showed the mental toughness and spatial awareness typical of a veteran competitor. Her win was not a narrow decision or a hard-fought battle but rather a overwhelming showing that demonstrated beyond question her standing as a credible professional boxer. The quickness and strength of her striking sequences suggested that her Olympic background would benefit her in this new chapter of her professional journey.
The Crucial Second Round
The pivotal moment came in the second round when Jones launched a devastating combination that finished the bout. Three back-to-back left hooks were too much Criss, with the last punch dropping her to the mat and forcing the referee to stop the bout. The knockout victory was dominant and controlled, highlighting Jones’ ability to identify and exploit her opponent’s weaknesses with exact timing. This explosive finish reflected the character of her first professional fight—quick, definitive, and thoroughly impressive.
Jones’ second-round knockout underscored her ambitious goal of winning a world title in two different sports. The impressive nature of her debut victory suggests that her objective is not merely aspirational but potentially achievable considering her commitment and world-class instruction. The speed with which she defeated Criss revealed that the transition from taekwondo to professional boxing may be easier than many expected, creating the foundation for an compelling path toward championship glory in her new discipline.
Preparation and Motivation Behind the Victory
Jones’ quick rise in the boxing ring did not stem from a vacuum but rather from a well-organized training program under the guidance of experienced professionals. Since starting her boxing career at the beginning of last year, she has been partnering with former professional boxer Stephen ‘Swifty’ Smith at Liverpool’s renowned 4 Corners Gym. This collaboration has played a key role in translating her taekwondo skills into proficient boxing form, allowing her to maintain the precision and explosiveness that marked her Olympic career while acclimating to the specific demands of professional boxing sport.
The decision to take up boxing marked a conscious decision to pursue fresh challenges following 20 years of dominance in taekwondo. At 32 years old, Jones demonstrated 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 start again at a beginner’s level in a different discipline. Her lofty target of achieving the status of a world champion in two sports gave her the motivation to undertake this significant career transition, turning what could have been a retirement into an thrilling new chapter of athletic achievement.
Learning from Professional Boxers
Jones has drawn considerable inspiration from unified world boxing champion Lauren Price, who was her former room-mate and shares a comparably varied sporting background. Price’s own path across multiple combat sports—including Welsh football, kickboxing, and taekwondo—before moving into professional boxing offered a strong blueprint for success. This mentorship from someone who had already traversed a similar 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 diverse athletic background
- Utilizing two decades of Olympic taekwondo experience to advanced boxing methods
High Aspirations in a Fresh Sporting Venture
Jones’ move into boxing came with a notably daring objective: to become a global titleholder in two different sports. This lofty goal served as the driving force behind her move out of taekwondo, where she had already achieved the sport’s highest honours. At 32 years old, rather than resting on her Olympic laurels, Jones decided to test herself in an wholly unfamiliar arena, demonstrating the competitive fire that had characterized her lengthy career spanning two decades in taekwondo. Her goal reflects not merely a desire for a fresh start, but a resolve to solidify her legacy as one of sport’s most versatile and successful performers across various sports.
The route to global championship standing in boxing offers a significantly different challenge from her prior accomplishments. Unlike taekwondo, where Jones had devoted considerable time mastering technique and accumulating expertise, she enters the boxing world as a relative novice competing against fighters with extensive professional records. However, her dominant inaugural performance—a second-round knockout victory featuring three straight left hooks—suggests she possesses the natural talent and foundational technique necessary to move swiftly through the ranks. If Jones can maintain this trajectory while ongoing development of her boxing skills under expert coaching, her ambitious dual-championship dream may prove significantly more realistic than originally looked.