Jade Jones Marks Boxing Debut with Knockout Victory
Jade Jones made headlines on March 7, 2026, when she marked her boxing debut with a second-round knockout victory against Egypt Criss in Derby, England. This significant event showcases Jones’s transition from a celebrated taekwondo career to the boxing ring.
In an impressive display of skill, Jones needed only two rounds to secure her victory, employing three successive left hooks that sent Criss crashing face-first to the canvas. This knockout has been described as one of the most brutal of 2026, highlighting Jones’s potential in her new sport.
Jones, a double Olympic taekwondo champion who won gold medals in London 2012 and Rio 2016, has spent the last 12 months preparing for this moment. After her taekwondo career ended in 2024, she trained under former professional boxer Stephen ‘Swifty’ Smith at Liverpool’s 4 Corners Gym, honing her boxing skills.
Her opponent, Egypt Criss, is notable in her own right as the daughter of hip-hop stars Anthony ‘Treach’ Criss and Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton. The match was part of the Misfits promotion, which is known for staging influencer fights, further adding to the spectacle of Jones’s debut.
Reflecting on her transition, Jones expressed that boxing has been a healing process for her after a challenging period following her taekwondo career. “I was a bit lost. I thought I could be the greatest of all time and win a third Olympic gold and for it to just go up in flames… it was a hard time,” she stated.
Jones, who hails from Flint, Wales, has received local honors for her Olympic success, including a commemorative post box. She noted the excitement surrounding her return to competitive sports, saying, “It’s lovely to see my small town getting really excited again. I didn’t realize how much of an impact it has on people; it gives them a purpose and I can feel them buzzing.”
As she embarks on this new chapter, Jones is determined to learn from her past experiences. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot of lessons from that and I’m definitely not going to make the same mistakes again,” she added.
With her successful debut, the boxing world will be watching closely to see how Jade Jones continues to develop her career in this new arena.
