Why You Should Care About: Olympic Bronze Medalist Karriss Artingstall

Karriss Artingstall returns to the ring this Saturday, fighting on the undercard of Natasha Jonas’ IBF welterweight title defence against Mikaela Mayer. It is a huge platform for the Olympic bronze medalist, who is looking to extend her 5-0 record against former Brazilian super bantamweight champion Lila dos Santos Furtado.

Artingstall came into the pros with a lot of hype. It is the blessing and the burden of an Olympic medalist that their professional career will undergo greater scrutiny. But such a profile does have its advantages. Artingstall’s second fight, a points win over French journeywoman Marina Sakharov, took place on a historic card. That bout was part of the first all-female arena event in boxing history, at the O2 in London.

Taken in microcosm, that show demonstrated two characteristics that have defined Artingstall’s career so far. The first was that, despite dominating every second of the fight, Karriss was unable to secure a stoppage against an overmatched foe. The second is the comparisons with her partner, Lauren Price.

Part of a wildly successful household, Price is a fellow Olympian. She took home gold at the same Tokyo 2020 games where her girlfriend won bronze. Price also had her own second pro outing on that huge O2 card. The middleweight dazzled in knocking out Timea Belik. 

The comparisons aren’t always fair to Artingstall. She’s a featherweight while Price is a middleweight. Knockouts aren’t as common in the women’s game, particularly at the lower weights. There are few situations in which a featherweight and middleweight would be compared. But Karriss and Lauren’s relationship invites it in such a way that isn’t entirely fair.

While Price has become the first female British champion in the sport’s history, Artingstall is yet to get a title chance. A win over the 9-1 Santos Furtado can take her closer to such ambitions. Artingstall impressed last time out, winning by stoppage for the first time. The 29-year-old halted Vanessa Bradford in two rounds, employing a devastating straight left to dump her on the canvas twice. 

This is an important point that stands for all Olympians and amateur standouts. These fighters don’t get the benefit of anonymity while learning their trade. While small hall shows across the country are littered with future champions we don’t yet know about, an Olympic medalist endures the weight of expectation immediately. Artingstall is learning the pro game and improving each time she fights. She’s going about things the right way, despite outside pressures.

Artingstall remains one to watch and deserves this platform on the Jonas-Mayer card. A World Championships bronze medalist and a silver winner at the Europeans, this is a fighter with an immense pedigree in the game. The Olympic medalist-pairing with her partner Lauren Price has been the focus of much of the press attention. But both boxers are potential stars in their own right. While it is natural to wonder whether they can become a world title-holding couple, their achievements and efforts should stand on their own. This weekend, Artingstall gets an opportunity to prove exactly why you should care about her and her journey.