By Elliot Foster
Nicola Adams may well have got a victory on her professional debut –– but she insists there is plenty to work on.
The Leeds native, 34, is a former two-time Olympic champion and she made her bow in the paid ranks on Saturday.
Adams went to points with Argentina’s Virginia Noemi Carcamo at Manchester Arena, exclusively live on BT Sport and BoxNation, as part of promoter Frank Warren’s inaugural link-up show, which was dubbed ‘A New Era’.
But despite getting her paid career off to a flyer with a victory in the win column, Virgil Hunter-trained Adams –– whose nickname is ‘The Lioness’ and who is based out of Oakland, California –– insists she is a work in progress.
“I think I need to learn to settle down a little bit more,” the elated former Commonwealth European and World Championships gold medallist told reporters in the aftermath.
“I really wanted the stoppage and I went looking for it, but Virgil said that it will come with experience.”
Adams is keen to return to her training base ahead of preparation for professional outing number two.
She is fighting in her home city, at the First Direct Arena, on May 13.
The homecoming will mark the first time she’s boxed there in 21 years, when she began as an amateur aged just 13.
“The more fights I have, the stoppages will start to come,” she continued, “but I have loads of levels still in me. I’m just progressing, taking it a little bit at a time.
“[The debut] was a good experience, I’ve got the first one out of the way. I know what it’s like now, I know what it’s like to box without a headguard and in the latter rounds I started to pick my punches better and the ring rust came off.
“I haven’t boxed since [winning gold at the Olympics in] Rio, so it was nice to get back in and get this win.”
