– My self-confidence is now sky high. I fought an eight-round fight in December and needed a couple of rounds to shake off “ring rust”. Now I could start from the first second, and the dream is to get a rematch in Norway, says Brækhus. news meets her in Oslo after the match against Terri Harper, which was declared a draw. Brækhus is already planning the next match, hopefully against Harper at home and most preferably in his hometown of Bergen in “seven to eight months”. STATEMENT: The referees ruled the match against Terri Harper in Sheffield recently a draw. Photo: AP – I know myself so well that if I came back to my old self, I could compete with the very best in the world. I am still one of the best female boxers. But I was written off. Most people didn’t think I had any chance of getting back to the top, says the 42-year-old. news’s boxing expert, Anders Werner Øfsti, was one of those who was a little unsure about the Norwegian star. – I’m surprised that she did so well against Harper. It has been a while since she has boxed at her very best. Value level, says Øfsti. – Quietly and alone For Brækhus was undefeated at welterweight until she lost twice to Jessica McCaskill in 2020 and 2021. It was a difficult time, but not primarily because she lost her belts. – To be completely honest, most of it is like a “blur”. I was never supposed to be in the ring. I thought it would help just to be in the ring, but it was the complete opposite and I had to take a long break, Brækhus now admits. LOST BELT: Brækhus knows she was robbed of her belt in a fight against Jessica McCaskill. Here from November 2021. Photo: NTB In 2019 she moved to the USA and Big Bear in California together with trainer Abel Sanchez. When the pandemic happened, she was isolated for a long period and sometimes trained completely alone. Eventually, the boxing star suffered both a mental and physical breakdown. – It was a very unpleasant situation, and I was not myself for a very long time. My body was very broken down after training at altitude for many, many months. Brækhus admits that she actually thinks it’s strange to talk about the fact that she was in a vulnerable situation. – It was very tough. After all, I come from a time when you didn’t talk about mental health, there was no talk in boxing and sports that you had a tough and painful time. I tried to repair this quietly and alone. I had to keep a tough facade and didn’t want to show anyone outside that I wasn’t feeling well. That’s what I’ve been taught to do, she says. Career point? She has spent most of her career in Germany, where she knows she was taught not to show weakness either when one was injured or not feeling at her best. One of the most important things for a female boxer was to have a “tough facade”. BACK: Cecilie Brækhus has just turned 42, but still considers herself one of the best book queens in the world. Photo: ANDREW COULDRIDGE / Reuters – I am very happy for the next generation, where people talk openly about this. Everyone can be honest about mental health. For her, it helped when the restrictions were lifted. She has also focused on family, sleep, diet and herself. In addition, he switched back to his old trainer Jonathan Banks. Brækhus now lives in Chicago, has moved up a weight class and his goals are at least as high as before. – To be crowned world champion again in my hometown I think will be completely surreal, she states. news’s expert points out that the Bergensar is always well prepared, well trained and is smart tactically, which means that he does not want to reject that the veteran can take back the throne. EXPERT: Anders Werner Øfsti. Photo: news – It is possible, yes. It seems Terri Harper is interested, so we’ll see if she wants to meet Cecilia on the road. And Norwegian professional boxing needed a real WC title fight on home soil again, says Øfsti, who also works as a journalist at news. – Brækhus’ biggest advantage is that she is a smart boxer, and she does not become less smart with the years. As long as her body is able to perform, she can bring home a WC belt, Øfsti elaborates. – How far ahead do you see? asks news Brækhus. – I turned 42 in September and just beat a 26-year-old world champion, who was in “peak” physical shape. But of course it has to end sometime and maybe Bergen will be a final match? We’ll see. Boxing is like oxygen for me and as long as I love to keep doing it, I know my body works and I feel good, then I will keep going.
ttn-69
– A very unpleasant situation – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
