Female Pro Debutante Dani Hodges
Dani Hodges is a former kickboxer who has moved to noble art of boxing. Known as the “Pocket Rocket” the 32 year old Flyweight made her official debut on Friday 20th July at the Bescot Stadium Walsall winning a hard fort match. Standing at 5 foot one and a half Hodges started in marshal arts before turning to boxing, she told me, “I came from a taekwondo background winning numerous area and national tournaments. I then moved to kickboxing training out of Platinum gym Burntwood under Lee Goodwin and Steven Cadman again winning area and national titles”. Hodge then informed me I made the switch to boxing about 2 years ago, where I competed white collar boxing, I won the UKBU English title last year and then won against the Maltese number 1 on her own ground last year. Hodges continued “It was after this that I applied for my British boxing license and signed with BcB promotions under Errol Johnson with Gavin Burrows as my pro trainer although I still train out of Platinum gym under Lee Goodwin and Steven Cadman”.
My next question to Hodges was, who is your favourite boxer and why? Hodges said “I don't really have just one favourite boxer, it ranges for different things. I've always liked the big names such as Manny Pacquiao, Im just obsessed with his speed and heart. I also love watching Josh Kelly, I just find his style exciting and even some of the new up and coming pro boxers that are looking to make their name such as Luke Jones and Sean Daly whom I've trained with for years, I love watching their journeys”.
I then asked Dani, how did you get into boxing? Hodges told me “I’ve always been interested in combat sports, it first started about 7 years ago when at my old taekwondo club were giving away a week's free training for parents. As my son trains there I took it up and from then on I never looked back. When at Platinum we started focusing on our hands to improve our kickboxing, I just became obsessed with using my hands and just knew boxing was what I wanted to do”. My final question to Hodges was, what has been your hardest fight to date? Hodge told me “I’m not sure if I can really pinpoint my hardest fight they have all been hard but if I had to pick one I'd probably say boxing last year in Malta I was really up against it and as the away fighter being lighter and less experienced I knew I really had to pull something special out the bag to get the win and I did just that”. Dexter’s Thoughts
I was lucky enough to be at Hodges British pro debut at Bescot Stadium and got to say I was very impressed. Hodges was up against a opponent who had came to win and was pushed all the way but came through with ting colours. Hodges is fighting our of BcB promotions and they are now getting a nice stable of female boxers who are putting female boxing in the Midlands on the map. With the likes of Lauren Johnson, Rachel Ball, Kirstie Bavington and now Dani Hodges added to the female roster female boxing is booming in the Midlands.