Hennessy vs Bouttell Predictions: ‘The Princess’ looking to follow in Naseem’s footsteps

Fast-rising Francesca Hennessy gets a surprise headline engagement this Saturday, January 31 as she takes on Ellie Bouttell for the vacant WBC silver bantamweight championship. The 10-rounder headlines BOXXER’s latest BBC Two offering, after Adam Azim vs Gustavo Lemos was postponed through injuries to both combatants. The Copper Box Arena in London plays host to a big night of boxing.

Read on for my Hennessy vs Bouttell prediction.

Hennessy vs Bouttell Odds

‘Billion Dollar Baby’ is priced at 4/11 to score the victory, while Bouttell is marketed at 13/5. You can back a draw at 12/1.

Hennessy vs Bouttell Fight Preview

The latest slice of boxing celluloid that has got the industry talking is Giant, the tale of Prince Naseem Hamed’s rise and fall through the lens of his longtime trainer, the late Brendan Ingle. Those hoping to bring matters up to date could do worse than watching this girl. As she told me in the wake of her last fight, Hennessy is a worthy heir to Hamed’s throne.

“I’m the Princess! I think you can see from the ring walks, a bit of flair in the ring. The head movement. Everything. Prince Naseem is great and I watched him a lot growing up. He’s one of my favourite fighters. If I could ever be something like Prince Naseem that would be amazing”

A lofty goal, that much is for sure. But after seven wins in as many fights, there is some substance to the comparison. Fran dances her way to the ring and is positively balletic inside of it. A whirling dervish of head movement and unconventional punching angles. 

Hennessy’s background suggests that is by design. After all, she is trained by former Wincobank regular Bradley Skeete, the former British and Commonwealth champion who worked under Brendan’s son Dominic Ingle.

But speaking to Skeete after Hennessy’s victory over former world champion Fabiana Bytyqi in November, the coach laid much of the credit at his charge’s door.

“When Fran came to me I just let her be herself. She’s got all that flair. What she’s got, you can’t teach. She’s got that grit and determination. You’re born with that. There are only a handful of people who have got that and she’s one of them. She’s going to be a superstar. In my eyes, she already is. It’s only a matter of time before she gets to the top.”

In terms of billing, Hennessy has reached the top sooner than she or her team expected. Azim’s drop-out gives the 21-year-old a first terrestrial headline slot. It is a spotlight you feel is made for the confident prospect. 

Hennessy turned heads in November, as chief support to Troy Williamson’s stunning stoppage of Callum Simpson for the European 168lbs title. A viral entrance featuring Tik Tok stars the Gregorian Sisters, was backed up with her most mature in-ring display yet. Against a tough and well-travelled former WBC atomweight queen, Hennessy married precision and panache to emerge with a deserved shutout on the scorecards.

If you are going to showboat, you need to be a quality fighter. Hennessy has passed each test so far. Bouttell is another.

Born in Nottingham, Bouttell has based herself in China. She picked up the WBC Far East crown in her last outing, becoming the first fighter to stop Chisakan Ariphipat and only the second to beat her at all.

This WBC world title eliminator is a chance that Bouttell has earned just as much as Hennessy. She is not coming to make up the numbers. Having stretched herself and racked up the wins in a new nation, she returns to England to upset the applecart.

Hennessy strikes me as the sort who will be alive to such danger. Skeete is a wise and able trainer who is steering Francesca in the right direction. While her dancing and personality are winning fans left and right, ultimately Hennessy boxes like a woman that understands the business she is in. After all, her father is renowned boxing manager Mick Hennessy. 

With boxing in the blood and sweat spilled in the gym, Francesca Hennessy feels like a name we will be hearing a lot over the coming years.

Hennessy vs Bouttell Full Card

Francesca Hennessy vs Ellie Bouttell

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Gradus Kraus vs Boris Crighton

Ergal Elezaj vs Will Howe

Hassan Azim vs Sean Murray

Archie Sharp vs Angelo Dragone

Derrick Osadolor vs Ben Vickers

Saqib Mehmood vs Engel Gomez

Hennessy vs Bouttell Prediction

Bouttell is the most aggressive fighter Fran has ever faced. She bullies her way inside with whipped hooks from mid-range before banging away to the body. The China-based boxer has an incredible engine and looks capable of making any opponent work for the full 10-round distance.

Hennessy’s style can counter this. She will need to concentrate, as a high volume of shots will be coming her way. But that movement of the waist and upper body can get her out of the deeper trouble. When she gets her shots away, I can see Hennessy racking up more than enough points to take the victory. I’m picking ‘Billion Dollar Baby’ on points at 4/7.

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