Some say never to mix your personal and professional lives. Bantamweight Bree Howling lives by a different code: her trainer, Declan Walsh, is also her fiancé.
Howling, 8-0 (2 KOs), is a 27-year-old from Calgary, a city in the Canadian province Alberta. She is nearing an opportunity to contend for a title, and hopes this fight will help pave the way.
She’ll be helped by Walsh, who is a trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and sports nutritionist. He has worked with Regis Prograis and various UFC fighters.
“Our coaching dynamic is unique given our personal and professional relationship,” Howling told BoxingScene. “We have a deeper understanding of one another than most athletes have with their coach, which creates a dynamic of pure calm and confidence. We trust each other completely.”
Howling last fought in September, winning an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Beata Dudek. On Saturday, she will step back into the ring to take on Naomy Cardenas Gomez at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. The bout will stream on DAZN.
Howling reflected upon fighting with her partner in her corner.
“Ultimately, I feel privileged to be 'in the trenches' with my best friend when I step into the ring,” Howling said.
Gomez, a 25-year-old from Chihuahua, Mexico, has an identical record to Howling: 8-0 (2 KOs). Gomez will be fighting for the first time outside of Mexico.
“I’m right on the doorstep of a title fight,” Howling said. “Ranked #4 in the world with the WBA, I’ve already proven that my quality is world-class—and I’ll continue to show it. With a win on June 7th, I believe the #1 spot is mine.”
On paper, this is the toughest fight of Howling’s career, but she is unfazed. When asked about any important details about her life going into the consequential fight, she simply said the following: “Everything I’ve experienced up until now—good, bad, or otherwise—I don’t dwell on or glorify.
“My energy and efforts are solely focused on achieving the goal. My story and those experiences of my life are just the lessons and building blocks that are shaping me to reach the top.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.