Francesca Hennessy Boxer Targets 118lbs Title Path for 2025
francesca hennessy boxer Fran Hennessy wants the youngest-ever undisputed world champion tag and expects her path to run through Cherneka Johnson. The 21-year-old, unbeaten in eight professional outings, said a WBC title shot could come at the end of this year or early next year.
Hennessy Eyes Johnson
Hennessy said she wants to become an undisputed champion within the next 12 months and is targeting Johnson at bantamweight. She is the WBC mandatory challenger at 118lbs, and she said: "I think Cherneka’s got a fight lined up already… but definitely, we’ll be pushing for that fight to happen. I’d love to be the youngest-ever undisputed world champion."
That target puts her in line to chase a record Gabriela Fundora set in November 2024, when the American became the youngest-ever fighter, male or female, to hold all four major titles at once at 22. Hennessy is not waiting for the moment to arrive before naming the route she wants.
Wembley Arena on Saturday
Before any title order lands, she is keeping active on the undercard of Adam Azim vs Steve Claggett at Wembley Arena this Saturday. Hennessy described Aurora De Persio as the "perfect opponent" for that assignment, and she expects the fight schedule around Johnson to keep moving behind the scenes.
She also said she suspects "Sugar Neekz" already has an unofficial date in the diary. If Johnson keeps the belts, Hennessy believes the WBC route will force the issue for all four titles, and she said: "If Cherneka keeps all the belts, which I’m sure she will, then I’ll be [mandated] to fight for all [four] of them."
January Pressure Test
The January win over Ellie Bouttell gave Hennessy another live example of how she handles a step up. She beat Bouttell by majority decision after being elevated to the main event when Adam Azim’s showdown fell through, and she called it "a great fight; it was a dogfight," adding that she had to cope with being the headline act for the first time.
She said: "I was very nervous, and I think it was to do with being a headliner for the first time." That experience sharpened the pitch for the next one. "Back then, I put a lot of pressure on myself, whereas now I’m just a happy fighter," she said, and her next public assignment gives her another chance to stay in rhythm while the title shot is worked toward.
For Hennessy, the immediate task is simple: win again at Wembley and keep the pressure on Johnson’s side of the division. The bigger prize sits beyond that, with a WBC shot still the clearest route to four belts and a record that would move her ahead of Fundora’s mark if everything lines up.
