LAS VEGAS – Former women’s titleholder Jelena Mrdjenovich was asked by Tyson Fury to be in his camp because of her work ethic.
Mrdjenovich, a pioneer in women’s boxing, recently attended the WBC’s Women’s Summit in support and advocacy for women in the sport.
Mrdjenovich, 43-12-2 (19 KOs), who was next to her trainer SugarHill Steward, explained how she approaches training.
“I always challenge the boys in the gym,” Mrdjenovich said. “It is my personal challenge to outwork every single person.”
Hill, who trains Mrdjenovich and Fury, echoed her sentiments.
“She works very hard,” Hill said. “She works harder than the guys.”
Mrdjenovich of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, remembers when she met Fury. She came to the gym to train when Fury was preparing for a fight with Derek Chisora.
“I was literally just coming in to get my workout in,” Mrdjenovich said. “I was going to work out after them, and Tyson saw me working out, and then he's like, ‘Oh no, you come work out with us.’”
Mrdjenovich is a multi-time titleholder who won an eight-round unanimous decision over Jessica Bellusci in February. She was also the WBC’s first women’s junior lightweight titleholder. Mrdjenovich, a ticket seller in Canada, who helped inspire a generation of hopeful young women’s fighters in the Great White North, recalled the experience.
“I think I saw [Fury] out of the corner of my eye, looking at me, to watch me, to see if I was the real deal, and he knew my history and my resume,” Mrdjenovich said. “Then to have him be like, ‘Hey, I need you to help push me,’ that was kind of like a feather in my cap at that moment. It's something that I will always remember.”
“Tyson Fury wants her in camp because she works harder than the men,” SugarHill said. “Tyson likes to be pushed, and he isn’t going to let her outdo him, and she isn’t going to let him outdo her.”
Mrdjenovich holds the memory as a special moment in her career. The tireless worker Mrdjenovich received recognition from one of the best in the modern era.
“It was such a special moment, because Tyson Fury is Tyson Fury,” Mrdjenovich, 42, said. “To have him look at me as a peer, but not only look at me, but respect me for my work ethic, my credibility, my notoriety in the sport.”
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.