Amy Andrew: From Newsroom to Commonwealth Champion

Amy Andrew was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on January 28, 1986. Decades later, she would carve out a remarkable path in boxing defined by early childhood ambition, a bold career transition, relentless determination, and a late‑blooming rise to the top ranks of women’s boxing.

A Path Less Ordinary: Beginnings in Words and Gloves

Andrew’s introduction to the sport came relatively late. After a successful run as a journalist in London, where she wrote for outlets including MailOnline, she had a pair of Olympics tickets gifted by her boyfriend in 2012. That experience at the London Olympic boxing events ignited an unexpected passion.

Andrew herself later said she entered the gym initially for fitness and curiosity, but soon found herself drawn deeper into the discipline of boxing. She went from a spectator to a competitor in amateur bouts, eventually deciding to leave a stable media career to pursue the sport full time.

Training at London’s celebrated Haringey Boxing Club (a gym known for producing skilled fighters), she learned the craft — often starting from scratch and embracing being hit in sparring as part of the process. That journey, she said, was transformative, teaching her not just technique but resilience and identity outside the newsroom.

Amateur Rising: Building a Competitive Base

Before turning professional, Andrew made meaningful strides as an amateur. In 2018, representing New Zealand (the country of her mother’s birth), she competed at the Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi. There, she won her opening bout against Algeria’s Khelif Hedjila before falling to Australia’s Skye Nicolson. That performance marked her as a serious international competitor and one of the few New Zealand women to secure a victory at a World Championship.

She also claimed the England Boxing National Amateur Championships elite female featherweight title in 2019, scoring a unanimous decision over top seed Raven Chapman in the final at Manchester, a win she described as “beyond my wildest dreams.”

These achievements highlighted Andrew’s rapid development in the sport, particularly notable given she took up boxing in her mid‑20s.

Turning Professional: Perfect Record and Commonwealth Glory

Andrew made her professional debut relatively recently on August 21, 2021 at London’s iconic York Hall, defeating Estonia’s Polina Golubeva on points in a six‑round bout.

Over the next few years, she assembled an impeccable 8‑0 professional record, demonstrating technical skill, ring intelligence, and consistency. Her most significant professional accomplishment came on April 27, 2024, when she captured the vacant Commonwealth female featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Linzi Buczynskyj at the Brentwood Centre in Essex.

Across her career, Andrew has shown a methodical, well‑rounded approach; using her fundamentals to control pace and distance. She is scheduled to fight on February 13 against Victoria Emma Lomax in Marbella.

Life Inside and Outside the Ring

Beyond her own fights, Andrew’s life reflects deep involvement in the boxing community. She and her husband Numan Hussain (also a professional boxer), opened Rival Boxing Gym on Caledonian Road in London in 2024 with former world kickboxing champion Jon Durrant, It is a space dedicated to training, community, and giving back to the sport that transformed her life.

Her story from journalist to world‑class athlete and boxing gym co‑founder resonates both within and beyond the ring. It speaks to late beginnings, personal courage, and the transformative power of sport. Her perspective on boxing, its opportunities for women, and its capacity to redefine identity has made her a role model for those pursuing the sport later in life.

Today we celebrate the birthday of Amy Andrew.