Jonas: I want Rankin unification next

Natasha Jonas and her promoter Ben Shalom have confirmed that she wants her next fight to be a super-welterweight world championship unification clash with fellow Brit Hannah Rankin.

The 37-year-old Liverpool fighter won the vacant WBO super-welterweight title with a sensational stoppage of Christian Namus in Manchester in February and, having become a world champion at the third time of asking, she now wants to unify the division.

Rankin became the WBA and IBO champion at 154lbs in November and will make her first defence of the belts against Mexican Alejandra Ayala at Glasgow’s Hydro Arena on May 13.

Should the Scot, 31, win that bout then Jonas wants a shot at her next.

“I don’t think there’s any secret,” Jonas told Sky Sports. “Hannah Rankin and myself have both said that a unification fight – if she comes through her fight in May – is something that we both want, something that we both believe we can win, and it makes sense because it’s a good unification fight.”

Promoter Shalom confirmed that initial talks with Rankin’s camp have already taken place with both sides keen to make the fight happen.

“I’ve been speaking to Dennis Hobson (Rankin’s promoter) about it, he wants her to take that big fight in Scotland for her, a nice homecoming, and then there’ll be a unification, 100 per cent,” he said.

“That’s what Tasha wants and that’s what Hannah wants and that’s a big fight. That could be next for her.”

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