Nicola Adams begins quest to go from golden girl to professional champion

Nicola Adams, the double Olympic flyweight champion, on Monday became the last of the three highest-profile women’s world amateur boxing stars to turn professional, and pledged to bring the sport “to new levels”.

Adams follows Ireland’s Katie Taylor and American Claressa Shields into the pro ranks and will make her debut on April 8 in Manchester before a bout in her home city of Leeds on May 13.

“I’ve achieved everything there is to achieve in my sport,” said the 34-year-old, who won gold medals at the London and Rio Olympic Games. “I’m ranked No 1, I’ve done everything there is to do. Turning pro is an exciting challenge for me, opening new doors, new challenges, new titles I can take.

“We saw what Ronda Rousey did for women by coming into mixed martial arts and the UFC from judo in the Olympics, and I’d like to do the same for women’s boxing.”

Adams will now leave the Great Britain squad but could still compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. “I can still go back and do Tokyo as well – I wouldn’t like to rule anything out. Never say never,” she said.

Adams has signed with Frank Warren, as the veteran promoter and his new broadcast partner BT Sport announced initial details of the first four events to be broadcast on both BT Sport and BoxNation.

Adams added that she had found “a team that believes in my dream”, adding: “Together we can help take women’s boxing to new levels.”

Warren, 64, had previously said he was not an advocate of female professional boxing, but said Adams had opened his eyes.

“I am eating humble pie,” confessed Warren. “My head has been turned by the fantastic achievements of this young lady. Of all of all the signings I have made in my 35 years in the sport of boxing, this is among those I have been most excited about. I think Nicola will be challenging for world titles within a year. We intend to lead her to become a multiple world champion.”

Adams has had a stellar amateur career, and has been a pioneer from first to last. She was the first woman to box for England in 2001 and in beating China’s Ren Can Can flyweight gold at London 2012, she became the first Olympic women’s boxing champion.

She also won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2015 European Games and 2016 World Championships, before retaining her Olympic title in Rio last summer. The second Olympic gold made her the first British boxer to retain gold in 92 years.

Adams is the third female boxing star to turn professional in the past six months, following Taylor and Shields, who won Olympic middleweight gold at London 2012 aged 17 and retained her title in Rio.

Shields fought on the undercard of James DeGale-Badou Jack in New York 10 days ago, while Taylor has fought twice already, the second of those on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight world title defence against Eric Molina in Manchester on Dec 10.

Elsewhere, Eddie Hearn said talks to bring Amir Khan and Kell Brook together this summer had stalled after Khan demanded a 70-30 split of the purse.