EXCLUSIVE: Shannon Ryan on Self-Belief, Emma Dolan Rematch and World Title Ambitions

Shannon Ryan came from a fighting family, but not as a boxer.

The Matchroom super-flyweight contender started out in kickboxing at an early age because of her father, Dave Ryan, who owns Watford Freestyle Kickboxing.

Transitioning from kickboxing in her youth, Ryan tested the waters in both taekwondo and MMA, searching for a sport that stuck. It was in 2018 she found boxing – where ‘Kaos’ has remained since.

Now sitting at 11:1 as a professional, Ryan will challenge once again for the British super-flyweight title. Taking on old foe Emma Dolan in a rematch from 2024.

Ahead of her fight next weekend, she sat down with us to discuss her ambitions and development in the sport.

Shannon Ryan is not someone who was carved in the sport of boxing. Starting as an amateur at 23 years of age, she began her boxing journey later than most.

This has not halted her success. In 12 fights she has won the Commonwealth and IBF intercontinental super-flyweight titles, with no plans of stopping there.

Although she had no specific career ambitions growing up, Ryan has always loved being in front of a camera, something boxing has granted her.

“I’ve always been someone who loves to be in front of a camera, ever since I was little.

“I wish I could dance, I wish I could sing, that would be my ultimate dream. But yeah, it was just anything that is in front of a camera. Just doing what I love and performing. Obviously boxing allows me to do that.”

Not only has boxing helped fulfill Ryan’s childhood ambitions, she credits the sport in helping her find and understand herself.

“Boxing has helped me realise and truly understand who I am. That person is just someone who wants to motivate, wants to inspire, wants to help other people. Not just in boxing but in whatever they’re doing in life.

"Boxing has taught me how disciplined I am, how resilient I am, how my decision-making has worked for me every single time. I feel like I wouldn't have known that if I didn’t box."

As a result of training in multiple disciplines throughout her childhood, Shannon Ryan’s style had to be adapted for boxing. Ruleset aside, the concept of fighting itself is something she has always been familiar with.

“I started out in kickboxing when I was 5 years old. My dad has a gym in Bushy, so I didn’t have a choice to fight,” Ryan told us.

From kickboxing she went onto taekwondo, joining the Team GB squad with ambitions of competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ryan believes the movement heavy-style of the sports she started with still shows in her fighting today, albeit with tweaks.

“I think with me doing kickboxing and taekwondo, it’s translated into the boxing. I think from the fluidity I have, my movement, my judgement.

“Boxing is an art and I really think I have come into the art of boxing now. But I feel the movement, fluidity, my rhythm, has come through the kickboxing.”

There is one attribute of her initial training that did not make the boxing transition. When asked about bad habits she had to get rid of, Ryan cited bouncing.

“I think a lot of bouncing, a lot of jumping. I did freestyle kickboxing, so those are the habits – the bouncing, a lot of movement. Whereas now, I still move but it’s a bit more minute, smaller. But then big movements when they’re needed.”

Ryan now has the opportunity to avenge her sole professional loss, which came at the hands of Emma Dolan in June 2024. Almost three years on, she believes with a new coach and understanding of herself, she is ready for the career-defining rematch.

“When I heard there was a rematch I was happy, because I feel it’s a full circle moment, I feel like it’s come at the right time and I feel like I am genuinely ready for it physically and mentally.”

Her fight being a rematch simply a technicality in the eyes of Ryan, who ranked it at the very bottom in a list of priorities. The fighter from Watford sees progress as the focus.

“This fight for me is about growth, It’s about the belts, then it’s about the rematch. In that order.

“I just feel the work I have done in two and a half years has led me to where I am now. Beating Emma Dolan just puts all of that into one whole circle and just elevates me to the next part of my career.”

In addition to securing the British super-flyweight title, a victory in Sheffield would likely catapult her to no.1 in the IBF rankings, kickstarting her goals of a world title.

“In the future, success looks like for me, is just achieving everything I set out to achieve in boxing. That is first and foremost, becoming a world champion, then unifying and then becoming undisputed."

Though her ultimate goal, her steadfast belief in herself means that even if unification was not achieved, Ryan would already be content with a world title on top of her UK boxing accolades.

She explained to us that she is proof that if you trust the process and believe in yourself, you can make the most of any journey you take.

“If all of that happens within my timeline, then that’s amazing. If not, me just becoming a world champion will be enough, because I’m someone who proved that you don’t need your journey mapped out.”