Fight Night Durham is back, and it’s better than ever: Meet the girls fighting it out

Fight Night Durham is back this Sunday evening for its eighth instalment!

All fighters are raising money for The Oddballs Foundation. Their individual Just Giving pages are plugged beneath their fighter profiles; if you’re able to, please do consider donating to your favourite fighter.

Mimi Flanagan vs Bea Crowther

Flanagan, a second-year Biology student, chose to enter Fight Night as she is “in her sporty era” and to “prove to everyone I wouldn’t be sh*t at it”. Making a play on “The Hayemaker” by dubbing herself “The Slaymaker”, it’s clear that Flanagan at least has the chat and the aura. Having recently ran a marathon, she relishes an individual challenge and is clearly a determined character. Also a southpaw, if Flanagan can use her left-handedness to her advantage on the night, she may be able to cause Crowther some serious confusion.

Crowther, a fresher representing DU Equestrian and South Netball, was inspired to take part by Round 7 fighter and Fight Night fundraising record holder Ella Domanska. Delighted to be the first female fight in the night, Crowther says that “I’m quick, and I’ve got good stamina, I think I’ll be able to outlast her”. Doing it for freshers everywhere, Crowther is “in it to win it” and ready to rumble with a powerful approach.

Donate to Mimi: Mimi Flanagan is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Donate to Bea: Bea Crowther is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Jess Fung vs Immy Hurst

Fung, a second-year Psychology student from Van Mildert, is representing Durham Divas and Van Milder Cheer. She expressed that “the best bit is that it’s fun, the worst bit is that it’s scary”. Couldn’t have said it better myself, Jess. The lightest girl in the cohort, Fung is small but mighty and has become a much more skilled fighter by consistently sparring larger opponents in training. Walking out to Fireball accompanied by cheerleaders with pom poms, expect Walsall’s finest to put on a show.

Hurst is a fourth-year Liberal Arts student from Collingwood, representing Line Up Charity Fashion Show. Local to Durham, Hurst has had a tough time of training due to tearing her rotator cuff during the first training session. Epitomising the phrase fighter and not a quitter, Hurst has not given up and has enjoyed pushing herself “to do something more sociable than just lifting weights”. Expect a lot of energy in this fight; both girls are determined and natural competitors.

Donate to Jess: Jess Fung is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Donate to Immy: Imogen Hurst is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Bethan Davies vs Beth Taylor

Davies is a Collingwood fourth-year PPE student, representing DU Hockey. Davies commented that “it’s so different not being in a team environment”, but has embraced the individual challenge. Despite admitting to being “too much of a wuss to put myself forward for it” in the past, Davies decided to take the plunge and give it a go in her final term at university for the experience. A few inches shorter than her opponent, but supposedly stronger and more powerful, if Davies can get on the inside and play to her strengths, she could be the “bully” her fighter name suggests.

Taylor is also a fourth-year, and Hild Bede student representing DU Netball. When asked what her reason for competing was, Taylor responded “I feel like you either do a fashion show or Fight Night”, preferring to hit the ring walk than the runway. Her walkout song is still a secret, but we’ve been promised that “it’s good, it’s really good!”. This is certainly one of the most enticing fights; hockey versus netball, finalist versus finalist and Beth versus Beth.

Donate to Bethan: Bethan Davies is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Donate to Beth: Beth Taylor is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Martha Pople vs Maya Solly

Pople is a fourth-year Collingwood student who was inspired by numerous friends who have fought before, commenting that “I wanted to dedicate myself to putting myself out my comfort zone”. Desiring a different challenge from the team sport of lacrosse, Pople is certainly keen to prove herself to herself and thrive in a new and unfamiliar sport. Delighted to “find a new side of aggression” within her, Pople is relishing the challenge and will be one of the most driven fighters on the night.

Solly, a second-year Biology student from Castle, was very frequently named as the scariest girl there who the majority were grateful to not be fighting. As a weightlifter, Solly is used to needing to be as strong as possible for a particular weight class, a skill which should transition over naturally to boxing as she hopes to unleash the power that so many are frightened of. Like many, Solly has enjoyed trying something new and has thrived under the inspirational coaching style.

Donate to Martha: Martha Pople is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Donate to Maya: Maya Solly is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Lucy Southwood vs Serena Bygrave Boey

Southwood is a Collingwood third-year Education Studies student, representing Collingwood Charity Fashion Show. Southwood has enjoyed the fitness aspect of the training regime and says that she has “proved to myself that I can do a lot more than I thought I could”.  Cutting alcohol out completely, Southwood has also embraced the mental aspects of this challenge as much as the physical ones. Having already raised £655 for The Oddballs Foundation, Southwood is one of the top fundraisers for the event and has already achieved more than enough to be proud of.

Bygrave-Boey, a Hatfield fresher representing DU Ski and Snowboard Society, is “really keen”, describing the event as “the only time in my life I’ll get to do something like this”. Bygrave-Boey is certainly unique in choosing the famously terrifying ‘Shark Tank’ as her favourite part of the process. Despite describing it as “a survival thing: humiliating, embarrassing and very difficult”, -Bygrave-Boey’s ability to get stuck in and go the hard yards could prove critical under the pressure of the occasion.

Donate to Lucy: Lucy Southwood is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Donate to Serena: Serena Bygrave Boey is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Margot Julia vs Sophie Robson

Julia, a third-year Computer Science student from St. Cuthbert’s, is a hard-hitting inside centre from DUWRFC. While Julia has enjoyed the training process due to how hard it has pushed her, she has found it challenging to find rest days due to county level rugby commitments. From Bayonne in the south-west of France, Julia cites her power as her greatest strength; if she can combine this with a bit of French flair, it could get tasty.

Robson, a second-year Engineering student from Collingwood, was inspired to take part in Fight Night by friend and fearsome former fighter Sophia Constantinou-Hickman. Believing that she would win the hunger games from childhood, Robson has loved the process, saying that “it has made me believe I can do almost impossible things”. Walking out to Bad Girls by MIA, with two of her walkout girls having Dance GCSE’s to their names, we’re expecting big things.

Donate to Margot: Marguerite Julia is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Donate to Sophie: Sophie Robson is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Aisha Roukhamieh-McKinna vs Vicky Neuefeind

Roukhamieh-McKinna, a South fourth-year student in international law and governance, is really doing it for women everywhere by telling us her favourite part of the training process has been “getting to punch men in the face”. The Scouser is confident in her technique and ability, citing her right hook as particularly powerful. Inspired to take part by her flatmate and iconic former fighter Livi Holder, Roukhamieh-McKinna hopes to avenge women’s darts in their second fight of the year against DUWAFC.

Neuefeind, a third-year Collingwood student representing DUWAFC, is scared to fight “probably no-one, really”, believing that both her and her opponent are technically strong and that it will come down to mentality on the night. Originally from Munich, Neuefeind will be clad with a German flag on her walkout. OneFootball have gushed over her powerful left foot in the past, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing some similar commentary about her right hand from the crowd this Sunday.

Donate to Aisha: Aisha Roukhamieh Mckinna is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Donate to Vicky: Victoria Neuefeind is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Izzy Davis vs Georgie Cresswell

Davis is a second-year Geography student from Grey, representing both their hockey and boat clubs. At every Fight Night, there seems to be a ‘battle of the comments’, and it’s safe to say it got feisty amongst friends in this one, with 76 heated exchanges taking place. The Devonian will hope to land a similar number of punches if she wants to back up her claim of “can’t be losing to a fresher”. Being the female headliner, Davis will have plenty of time to settle any nerves before the fight as she seeks to do some serious fresher-bashing.

Cresswell, a Collingwood fresher representing DU Hockey, is expected to have some of the loudest support with DUHC and Collingwood freshers both turning up in large numbers. With extremely long arms and an impressive reach, Cresswell may find considerable success if she can fight on the outside and keep Davis at bay. Despite commenting that “the first time you get hit in the face is a pretty horrible experience”, Cresswell has loved the process, saying that it has made her fitter than ever before. Having already raised £615 for The Oddballs Foundation, Cresswell has put in an impressive and noteworthy shift.

Donate to Izzy: Isabelle Davis is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Donate to Georgie: Georgie Cresswell is fundraising for The OddBalls Foundation (justgiving.com)

Images via Student Fight Night- Wilder Events 

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