Kingswood’s Tiah-Mai Ayton is stepping into the spotlight, gloves laced and eyes on the prize. At just 18, she’s already carved out a fearsome reputation… kickboxing world champion by the age of 10 and undefeated in amateur and now pro boxing. Rosanna Spence visits Tiah in her training gym to find out more about the sport’s next big superstar .
The buzz is loud around Tiah-Mai Ayton. But it isn’t just a passing fuss, this well-deserved attention has been building like the drumroll before a fight since Tiah was just six and started her first martial arts training. As I’m sat waiting to chat to Tiah at Warrior Gym in Weston Super-Mare (where she’s trained pretty much every day for the last two years), she’s focused on the laptop in front of her – also waiting. BBC Radio 5 Live’s Naga Munchetty is about to talk to Tiah for the same reason I am. Who is this undefeated – 21-0 with nine knockouts, no less – 18-year-old who exudes a calm, assured confidence that she’ll become boxing’s undisputed world champion in four weight categories in time to hang up her gloves at 30?
Tiah is determined to fight, to entertain, to knock out, to win and to become a champion. It’s as simple as that. Having lived in Kingswood her entire life, she “outgrew” some of the local gyms, which is why she now finds herself at Warrior Gym under coach Dean Lewis, though she still frequents gyms closer to home as well. Tiah’s family have always supported her career – it was fighting with her sister that spurred them on to get her into martial arts classes so young. “My sister’s my best friend now,” she assures me, “but when you’re younger you go through that stage, don’t you? She also did combat sports – and she was better than be to be honest, if she’d not quit for cheerleading.”
A born winner
Tiah admits she’s a “proper family girl. I only like winning because I want to make my family happy, it’s been the same ever since I was little. I want to impress my dad, and if he thinks I can win, then I know I can win. I just listen to him.”
Tiah’s dad was keen for her to fight boys as well as girls since the beginning – an approach that made her tough and helped build her signature confidence – and she smiles when I ask if the feeling of winning has changed since she was small, because it’s not all about the wins: “I just love fighting”.
Her competitive nature helped her focus on sports during her education – she went to Kings Oak School, but would regularly get excluded – but with the support of PE teachers she’d excel at all sports, winning everything, “even running.” She wasn’t worried about her other subjects, telling me she’s assure concerned teachers “I’m going to be a boxer anyway.” The ring was her classroom and playground – and now it’s her stage.
It’s hard to imagine Tiah doing anything else. She’s been signed to one of the best promoters in the business – Eddie Hearne at Matchroom, who’s been behind fights including Logal Paul, Anthony Joshua and Chris Eubank Jnr – it doesn’t really get much higher than that in boxing.
“If you’ve got Eddie you’ve made it,” she says. “He’s the best promoter around. In the whole industry. You’re signed with the best, so I definitely feel the pressure.”
Tiah refused to buckle under this pressure in the her first pro boxing match in Birmingham on 21 June, beating her opponent Sara Orszagi, 23 seconds into the third round.
“Everyone was bigging me up, saying I’m amazing, I’m this, I’m that. Saying that I’ll knock her out. I thought, ‘Oh god, I’m going to have to do it, otherwise everyone will think I’ve just been hyped up too much’.
“The pro fight ended up being amazing, I fought without a head guard for the first time, which was alright. I had too much adrenaline to feel anything, so I felt nothing. When I was stood in the corner before the fight, my coach knew I wasn’t going to listen to what he was saying. I was staring ahead, locked in.”
Tiah’s hoping to repeat her pro debut success with her next fight on 6 September, which she’s currently training for two-to-three times a day (a mix of boxing, running, strength and conditioning) and is trying to cut weight.
Choosing to go pro meant turning down the opportunity to be part of Team GB for boxing. She’d been part of the junior England boxing team, having spent time in the training camps, but felt the frequent sparring sessions and fighting style that accompanies this type of amateur boxing wasn’t squeezing out her full potential or matching her rhythm.
“I sit down on my shots and take my time. But in amateur fights it’s three rounds for three minutes – it’s quite fast paced. In pros it’s six rounds for two minutes, so it feels longer. Sometimes I’ll do eight or 10 rounds, too.”
Female fighters
The visibility of UK women’s sports has heightened thanks to the success of the Lionesses, and the Women’s Rugby World Cup being hosted here in September. And though women shouldn’t have to be champions to be recognised and celebrated, it helps when there are superstars attracting attention to their sport.
“Katie Taylor did a good job of making female boxing more accepted and understood,” Tiah says. “She’s an undisputed world champion in boxing and made boxing very good for women. She’s done the best job and I feel that now it’s much easier for young girls to turn to boxing than it was before. I’ve spoken to her a few times and we have the same manager.
“I think I can influence more girls in the sport to turn pro, and to inspire more female boxers into the sport, maybe they can look up to me, like I looked up to people like Katie and Skye Stevenson [the Australian former WBC featherweight world champion also signed to Eddie Hearn].”
Tiah is keen to get more people generally involved with boxing, “It’s an amazing sport to get into – definitely when you’ve got a little girl. Self-defence is important these days. And it’s good to know that your daughter can stick up for herself.”
While most 18-year-olds are queuing up for clubs or saving for beach holidays, Tiah is living a fighter’s life: early runs, gruelling gym sessions and strict nutrition. “Everyone my age goes out partying and drinking. I don’t really do any of that. All I do is train. But I wouldn’t change it, I’d rather work harder now and retire by 30. I can live my life then. The party can wait.”
Her schedule is relentless, but Tiah insists it’s manageable with the right people in her corner. “It’s not too bad to be honest. I’ve got a lot of people helping me. I’m not on my own, I just have to show up.”
She adds she doesn’t really focus on the fame that comes with pro boxing; for Tiah it always has been and always will be about the fighting. The undefeated champion will no doubt keep winning and adding belts to her growing collection.
Tiah-Mai Ayton isn’t just boxing’s ‘next big thing’ because she’s already a proven force to be reckoned with. This fighter from in Kingswood is dreaming big, winning even bigger and now stands on the brink of stardom. And as she keeps delivering knockout after knockout, with eyes on multiple weight divisions, one thing feels certain: this is only the opening round of a career destined for greatness.
For more information about Tiah-Mai Ayton and her upcoming matches, visit matchroomboxing.com. Follow her on Instagram @tiahayton
All photos taken by Mark Robinson Photography Ltd and provided courtesy of Matchroom Boxing.
