London, Ont. boxer Natasha ‘The Nightmare’ Spence wins WBA title, earns praise from Roy Jones Jr.

It’s an overnight success story, 21 years in the making.

With relentless pressure, great footwork and a booming right hand, Natasha ‘The Nightmare’ Spence, 40, is the new World Boxing Association (WBA) Female International Middleweight World Champion.

“The late nights, the pain, the loneliness, the doubt and all of the negativity that I’ve been trying to kind of fend off my whole career, I knew it would pay off,” says Spence who beat veteran Mary McGee to win the vacant WBA title at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Spence, who fights out of Boomerz Boxing Club in London, Ont., had been fighting above her weight class the past couple of years, and despite losing, held her own against some of the best fighters in the world.

Now back fighting at the weight she prefers, she is climbing the world rankings and will be inside the top five when the new list comes out.

“I’m at my best when I have fun and that’s what I was kind of lacking,” says Spence.

“This past couple of years, going up against bigger opponents, going up against studs, going up against top ranked opponents that were really big and really strong with really good records, I wasn’t having fun. I got to the point where I was like, I know what I’m doing. Just have fun and when I have fun, I flow and results are good.”

Spence is known as ‘The Nightmare” because one opponent said that’s what was going through her head when thinking about fighting Spence in an upcoming bout. She went through a hiatus where she was only training because coaches couldn’t find anyone to step in the ring with her. Now they have their sights set on an iconic WBA title.

“We want a green belt,” says Matt Boom of Boomerz Boxing who has known Spence for many years since she trained with his father Laurence.

“At Boomerz, we’re representing a legacy. We want to just keep hanging belts in the club and keeping this legacy strong. I know he’s smiling down seeing her do what he knew she could do.”

Spence, who fought on an undercard of a Jake Paul event in July 2024, had the support of legend Roy Jones Jr during the recent title fight.

“I actually met him in my last fight when he commentated,” says Spence, of Jones, who is considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all time.

“After my fight, he came up to me and said, ‘We’ve got to talk’. He’s like ‘You’re the real deal.’ He said he wanted to give me a platform which is amazing because I didn’t get things handed to me like some other fighters. I didn’t get fights paid for and I didn’t get the easy opponents ever in my career. And he was just like, ‘You can fight, and the world needs to see this.’”

After returning to London, she got a special call.

“I look at my phone and says, Roy Jones Jr. on it,” says Spence. “I’m still like, is this real? He had nothing but great things to say and he’s an amazing man. It’s super cool.”

Meeting Jones Jr. and having his support was also a thrill for her coaches.

“It’s iconic,” says Abdul Jouda, a member of Spence’s team at Boomerz boxing.

“To go from London, Ontario and now she’s out here hanging out with the world champ Roy Jones Jr. , Y’all must have forgot . It’s real recognizing real at the end of the day. He saw her. He met her. He got to know her story just as we know here. We appreciate you, Roy,” said Jouda.

Spence was 19 when she first put on a pair of boxing gloves, which is as much later start than many of her opponents. She may be 40 years old, but feels she’s never been hurt in the ring and with a strong defence, she believes while she is no longer young in age, she feels young between the ropes.

With newfound confidence, she thinks her best days are still ahead of her.

“I’ve got a buy a new display shelf to make room for more belts,” says Spence.

“I want them all. I’ve put my heart and soul and half of my life into this, every day. I’m obsessed. Anyone that knows me knows I live, breathe, sleep, walk, and talk boxing. I shadowbox in my sleep. I shadowbox in the grocery store. I want them (title belts) all.”

To get those titles, her team says she’s answered the phone and the bell every time.

“She picked it up those and she answered, and she came back and won these last two fights,” says Jouda.

“Now we’ve got to make some calls. Anybody who’s got a belt, we want it. Green belts, the purple belts, the yellow belts will take them all. One hundred fifty (pounds), 147 (pounds) you name it.”

With some wear from the recent fight including some bruises under her eye, Spence will take some time in the gym to recover. However, if her short turnaround of August to October (between her last two fights) is any indication, she might be back in the ring soon.

“Just stay ready,” says Spence. “That’s just been the name of my game is stay ready. When the call comes, we answer it. It’s that simple.”