Ebbw Vale boxer Ashley Brace is eyeing up a fight with double Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams if she can wrap up the European flyweight title against Romanian fighter Xenia Jorneac on Saturday, April 14.
Brace's EBU title fight against Munich-based southpaw Jorneac tops the bill of the Fire and Ice event, held at Cardiff's Ice Arena, which will be televised live on S4C from 8.45pm on Bocsio Byw. Rhys ap William, Gareth Roberts and Anthony Trow are ringside, while former world champion Enzo Maccarinelli and John Hardy will provide English language commentary.
On a night also featuring Welsh boxing prospects Liam Williams, Nathan Thorley and Craig Kennedy, Brace will be aiming to become a European champion at the second attempt. Her last fight, for the EBU bantamweight title against Spain's Melania Sorroche back in December, ended in a controversial draw, after the bout had initially been awarded to Sorroche thanks to a mix-up from the judges' scorecards. Although still unbeaten in her eight fights to-date, 27 year-old Brace is eager to make amends as she steps down to super flyweight to fight Jorneac.
"This is a totally different fight," she said. "I fought this weight in my first pro fight. But no two fights are ever the same. Jorneac is a good fighter. She can box a bit, so I think it'll be a much better fight to watch than the last one. She'll be the first southpaw I've ever boxed, so it's going to be a different challenge. I'm looking forward to this fight because it could show off my skills at their best.
"To be honest, I had a few injury niggles in the lead up to the Sorroche fight and I had some pain in my foot during the fight. You don't realise how much of a difference it makes to you, but it did take a lot out of me. The end of the fight was bizarre really. I thought I'd nicked it by two rounds, maybe three. Then I found out that she'd won, and then it was a draw.
"I watched the fight back and I thought the judges must have been watching a different fight. I've learnt a lot from that fight and one thing I've taken from it is that I'm still unbeaten. I will fight Sorroche again, hopefully this year, and I'll win the European title back at that weight as well."
Also on Brace's radar is 35 year-old Adams, who also fights at super flyweight. The pair might well have met in the ring at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. But Brace was ruled ineligible to fight a fortnight prior to the start of the competition after suggestions she'd previously fought professionally as a kickboxer.
Brace added, "I can't see why my fight with Nicola Adams won't happen. I'm more than happy to call her out because I want to fight her. I've been wanting to prove to myself since 2014 whether or not I can beat her. I think I can. On a good night, I can beat her. We could fight for the British title - I could even put my European title on the line. It could be on a big card and I don't see why it couldn't happen this year. She's fighting on the Lee Selby show in May and I'm hoping to go and watch, so I'm going to talk to my management and see if we can get something on with her. But at the moment, all I'm thinking about it beating this Romanian girl up!"
Bocsio Byw, Saturday, April 14, 8.45pm, S4C English commentary and subtitles available.
Available to watch on-demand at s4c.cymru, iPlayer and other platforms.
Brace yn gobeithio am gyfle i wynebu'r arwres Olympaidd, Adams
Y pencampwr Olympaidd Nicola Adams fyddai gwrthwynebydd delfrydol y bocsiwr o Lyn Ebwy, Ashley Brace, petai hi'n gallu cipio teitl Uwch Blu Ewrop trwy drechu Xenia Jorneac o Rwmania nos Sadwrn, Ebrill 14.
Gornest Brace yn erbyn yr ymladdwr llaw chwith, Jorneac, fydd y brif ornest ar noson Fire and Ice , sy'n cael ei darlledu'n fyw ar S4C o Ganolfan Iâ Cymru, Caerdydd. Rhys ap William, Gareth Roberts, Anthony Trow ac Enzo Maccarinelli fydd yng nghanol y cyffro ar gyfer y rhaglen Bocsio Byw.
Ar noson lle bydd llu o focswyr eraill o Gymru hefyd yn ymladd, fel Liam Williams, Nathan Thorley a Craig Kennedy, bydd Brace yn gobeithio ennill y gwregys Ewropeaidd ar yr ail gynnig.
Yn ei gornest ddiwethaf, lle'r oedd y teitl Pwysau Bantam Ewrop yn y fantol yn erbyn Melania Sorroche o Sbaen, fe ddaeth tipyn o ddryswch ar ddiwedd yr ornest. Wedi i'r beirniaid gyhoeddi bod Sorroche wedi ennill, daeth y canlyniad cywir i'r adwy ar ôl i gardiau'r beirniaid gael eu hail-gyfrif; gornest gyfartal. Ac er bod Brace yn dal yn ddiguro yn ei hwyth gornest broffesiynol hyd yma, mae'r bocsiwr 27 mlwydd oed yn awyddus i greu argraff wrth iddi gamu i lawr i bwysau Uwch Blu i ymladd Jorneac.
"Mae hon yn ornest hollol wahanol," meddai Brace. "'Nes i ymladd yn y pwysau yma yn fy ngornest broffesiynol gyntaf, ond dyw'r un ornest yn debyg i'w gilydd. Mae Jorneac yn focsiwr da. Mae hi'n gallu bocsio yn hytrach nag ymladd, felly dwi'n amau bydd hon yn ornest fwy cyffrous i'w gwylio na'r un ddiwethaf. Jorneac fydd y southpaw gyntaf i mi ymladd, felly bydd yn dipyn o her. Dwi'n edrych ymlaen oherwydd mae'n gyfle i mi ddangos fy sgiliau bocsio.
"I fod yn onest, roedd ambell anaf gyda fi wrth baratoi ar gyfer Sorroche ac roedd 'da fi boen yn fy nhroed yn ystod yr ornest. Ti ffaelu deall faint o wahaniaeth mae'n 'neud, ond wnaeth e effeithio lot arna i. Roedd diwedd yr ornest yn eitha' bizzare . Ro'n i'n meddwl fy mod i 'di ennill hi o ddwy rownd, falle tair. Wedyn clywais i mai hi oedd wedi ennill, ac wedyn roedd yn ornest gyfartal.
"Dwi 'di gwylio'r ornest eto ac rwy'n meddwl bod y beirniaid yn gwylio ffeit hollol wahanol i'r un ges i. Ond rwy' wedi cymryd lot allan o'r ornest yna, ac mae'n rhaid cofio fy mod i'n dal yn ddiguro. Bydda i'n ymladd Sorroche eto, eleni gobeithio, a bydda i'n ennill y bencampwriaeth Ewrop yn y pwysau yno hefyd."
Gwrthwynebydd bosib arall i Brace yw Nicola Adams, enillydd y fedal aur yng Ngemau Olympaidd 2012 a 2016, sydd bellach yn 35 oed a hefyd yn ymladd yng nghategori pwysau Uwch Blu. Fe allai'r ddwy wedi dod benben â'i gilydd yng Ngemau'r Gymanwlad yn 2014, cyn i Brace gael ei gwahardd rhag cymryd rhan bythefnos cyn y gystadleuaeth, dan amheuon ei bod wedi ymladd yn broffesiynol fel cic focsiwr.
Meddai Brace, "Alla i ddim gweld pam na ddylai gornest rhwng Adams a finnau ddigwydd. Dwi'n fwy na hapus i alw hi mas oherwydd rwy' moyn ymladd yn ei herbyn. Rwy wedi bod eisiau profi fy mod i'n gallu ei threchu ers 2014. Dwi'n meddwl fy mod i'n gallu. Ar noson dda, byddwn i'n gallu ei churo. Falle byddwn i'n gallu ymladd am y Teitl Prydeinig a byddwn i'n fodlon rhoi'r teitl Ewropeaidd yn y fantol hefyd. Fe allai'r ornest fod ar noson fawr, efallai blwyddyn yma hyd yn oed. Mae hi'n cwffio'r un noson â Lee Selby ym mis Mai ac rwy'n gobeithio mynd i wylio, felly ga i air gyda fy nhîm rheoli i weld oes modd trefnu rhywbeth. Ond ar y funud, yr unig beth sydd gyda fi ar fy meddwl yw rhoi cweir i'r ferch Rwmanaidd 'ma."
Bocsio Byw, nos Sadwrn 14 Ebrill 14, 8.45pm, S4C sylwebaeth ac isdeitlau Saesneg ar gael.
Ar gael ar alw ar s4c.cymru, iPlayer a llwyfannau eraill.
