Shannon O'Connell
O'Connell in 2022
Born (1983-01-20) 20 January 1983
Adelaide, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Other namesShotgun, The Queen of Australian Boxing
Statistics
Weight(s)Super Bantamweight
Height165 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Boxing record
Total fights30
Wins23
Wins by KO11
Losses6
Draws1

Shannon O'Connell (born 20 January 1983), nicknamed Shotgun Shannon is an Australian professional boxer who held the WBF female featherweight world title in 2013 and was known as The Queen of Australian Boxing before suffering a crushing TKO loss by Ebanie Bridges. As of September, 2022 she is the mandatory challenger for the IBF bantamweight world championship,[1] number 1 ranked contender for the WBA and IBO bantamweight world championships, and is currently the number 3 ranked women's bantamweight in the world by Boxrec.[2]

She is managed by Glen Jennings (Tim Tszyu, Nikita Tszyu, Kostya Tszyu) and No Limit Boxing.[3]

Early life

O'Connell was born on 20 January, 1983 in Adelaide, South Australia. At the age of 2 her father Kevin O'Connell passed away in a speedway accident. As a result of the loss of her father, her mother Lynda became deeply troubled and much of Shannon's early life was marred by abuse and drug-use. She took up boxing at the age of 20 to rehabilitate a back injury she suffered playing netball. Her first coach was Terry Fox, an Adelaide boxer from the 1970s that competed in speedway competitions against her father.[4]

Amateur career

O'Connell had a successful amateur career winning a national championship in her fifth fight. After a tournament in Tonga she met Brisbane trainer Chris McCullen, notably a trainer of former world champion Anthony Mundine and was persuaded to relocate to Queensland to continue her career.[4]

Professional career

O'Connell made her professional debut on 15 Dec, 2011 winning by Technical Knockout in round 3. In her second fight she fought for the Queensland state female bantamweight title and lost. After winning her next six fights (including the Queensland state female featherweight title) O'Connell fought South Korean Choi Hyun-mi for the WBA world female featherweight title, losing by unanimous decision to the hometown fighter in Seoul, South Korea. [2]

On 29 June, 2013 O'Connell travelled to Secunda South Africa, to face Gabisile Tshabalala for the vacant WBF female featherweight title. O'Connell won the fight via seventh round knockout winning her first world championship in just her 10th fight before stepping up in weight to take on the bigger and more experienced Diana Prazak for the WBC female super featherweight title. O'Connell lost the fight by 5th round TKO.[2]

On 6 July, 2014, O'Connell won the vacant WIBA world super bantamweight title over Brownyn Wilie by unanimous decision.[2]

On 16 Jun, 2017, O'Connell travelled to Argentina to take on experienced veteran Marcela Acuña for the IBF world female super bantamweight title. She lost by unanimous decision to the hometown fighter.[2]

O'Connell has experienced a career resurgence in recent times and is currently on an 8 fight win streak as of September 2022, including wins over former Commonwealth Games medalist Taylah Robertson and current world champion Cherneka Johnson both in 2021. In December 2021 she was named "Female Fighter of the Year" by The Inner Sanctum.[5] As of September, 2022 O'Connell multiple titles including the Commonwealth Boxing Council Bantamweight Title and WBA Gold World Bantamweight Title.

In 2022 O'Connell was forced to undergo shoulder surgery that threatened her career. After undergoing surgery two times she returned to action in June against Sarah Higginson, with O'Connell winning by first round knockout. In July 2022 she was named the mandatory challenger for the IBF world bantamweight title, held by fellow Australian Ebanie Bridges. On August 25, 2022, the IBF declined Bridges' request to delay the fight and ordered Bridges' promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing to enter negotiations with O'Connell's Australian promoter No Limit Boxing to schedule a date for the fight. The two parties were unable to negotiate terms by September and as a result the fight was sent to purse bids which was won by Matchroom Boxing. [1]

Personal life

O'Connell has three children and resides in Slacks Creek, south of Brisbane, Queensland. She was named the 2021 City of Logan "Sportswoman of the Year" and founded a gym in Slacks Creek named Shotgun Boxing and Fitness.[6]

Professional boxing record

30 fights 23 wins 6 losses
By knockout 11 2
By decision 12 4
Draws 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
31 Loss 23-7-1 Australia Ebanie Bridges TKO 8 (10) 1:45 10 Dec, 2022 United Kingdom First Direct Arena, Leeds,UK
30 Win 23-6-1 Australia Sarah Higginson TKO 1 (6) 1:41 29 Jun, 2022 Australia Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
29 Win 22-6-1 Australia Taylah Robertson SD 10 (10) 23 Oct, 2021 Australia Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia For Commonwealth Boxing Council Bantamweight Title
28 Win 21-6-1 Australia Cherneka Johnson SD 10 (10) 13 Mar, 2021 Australia Bendigo Stadium, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia For Vacant WBA Gold World Bantamweight Title
27 Win 20-6-1 Australia Kori Farr UD 10 (10) 3 Dec, 2020 Australia Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Australia For Vacant Commonwealth Boxing Council Bantamweight Title
26 Win 19-6-1 Australia Kylie Fulmer TKO 7 (8) 0:29 26 Aug, 2020 Australia Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville, Queensland, Australia For Vacant Australian Super Bantamweight Title
25 Win 18-6-1 Australia Bianca Elmir SD 6 (6) 31 Aug, 2019 Australia Bendigo Stadium, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
24 Win 17-6-1 Indonesia Febriyanti Lubis TKO 3 (6) 0:17 30 Mar, 2019 Australia Fortitude Stadium, Newstead, Queensland, Australia
23 Win 16-6-1 Thailand Sumalee Tongpootorn KO 1 (6) 1:40 13 Dec, 2017 Australia Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
22 Loss 15-6-1 United States Helen Joseph KO 2 (8) 0:55 29 Jul, 2017 Australia The Famous Fortitude Gym , Newstead, Queensland, Australia
21 Loss 15-5-1 Argentina Marcela Eliana Acuña UD 10 (10) 16 Jun, 2017 Argentina Ce.De.M. N° 2, Caseros, Buenos Aires, Argentina IBF World female super bantamweight title
20 Win 15-4-1 Argentina Laura Soledad Griffa UD 8 (8) 10 Dec, 2016 New Zealand Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand WBO Asia Pacific Super Bantamweight Title
19 Win 14-4-1 Hungary Edina Kiss UD 10 (10) 21 Oct, 2016 Australia Sleeman Sports Complex, Chandler, Queensland, Australia WBC Silver female super bantamweight title
18 Win 13-4-1 Japan Kimika Miyoshi UD 10 (10) 13 Aug, 2016 Australia Melbourne Park Function Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia WBC Silver female super bantamweight title
17 Win 12-4-1 Thailand Tanwarat Saengiamjit KO 6 (10) 00:57 9 Apr, 2016 Australia Warrnambool Stadium, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia vacant WBC Silver female super bantamweight title
16 Draw 11–4–1 Colombia Dayana Cordero TD 3 (10) 21 Nov 2015 Australia Bendigo Stadium, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia For vacant WBC female silver featherweight title
15 Loss 11–4 Canada Sandy Tsagouris UD 8 11 Sep 2015 Canada Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto, Canada
14 Win 11–3 Thailand Saranphat Sirisot TKO 1 (6), 1:46 13 Jun 2015 Australia Fortitude Stadium, Newstead, Queensland, Australia
13 Win 10–3 New Zealand Bronwyn Wylie UD 10 6 Jul 2014 Australia Grand Star Receptions, Altona North, Victoria, Australia Won vacant WIBA World super bantamweight title
12 Win 9–3 New Zealand Gentiane Lupi MD 6 17 May 2014 Australia PCYC, Nerang, Queensland, Australia
11 Loss 8–3 Australia Diana Prazak TKO 5 (10), 1:56 1 Mar 2014 Australia The Melbourne Pavilion, Flemington, Victoria, Australia For WBC World female super featherweight title
10 Win 8–2 South Africa Gabisile Tshabalala KO 7 (10), 0:36 29 Jun 2013 South Africa Graceland Hotel Casino, Secunda, South Africa Won vacant WBF female featherweight title
9 Loss 7–2 South Korea Choi Hyun-mi UD 10 8 May 2013 South Korea KBS Sports World, Seoul, South Korea For WBA World female featherweight title
8 Win 7–1 Australia Narelle Leahey UD 6 4 Apr 2013 Australia Southport RSL Club, Southport, Queensland, Australia Won vacant Australia - Queensland State female featherweight title
7 Win 6–1 Thailand Pimchanok Ruamwong TKO 3 (6), 0:36 24 Oct 2012 Australia South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club, Kingsford, New South Wales, Australia
6 Win 5–1 Thailand Naruemol Ubuabon UD 8 24 Aug 2012 Australia Mansfield Tavern, Mansfield, Queensland, Australia
5 Win 4–1 New Zealand Michelle Preston UD 6 29 Jun 2012 New Zealand ABA Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
4 Win 3–1 Thailand Chuthaporn Pradissan TKO 5 (6), 1:54 3 Jun 2012 Australia Mansfield Tavern, Mansfield, Queensland, Australia
3 Win 2–1 Thailand Pimchanok Ruamwong TKO 3 (6), 0:30 24 Mar 2012 Australia Irish Club Hotel, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
2 Loss 1–1 Australia Sara George UD 6 2 Mar 2012 Australia Mansfield Tavern, Mansfield, Queensland, Australia For vacant Australia - Queensland State female bantamweight title
1 Win 1–0 Australia Kelly O'Doherty TKO 3 (6), 0:58 15 Dec 2011 Australia Gambaro's Restaurant and Function Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

References

  1. 1 2 "Bitter Aussie boxing feud set to be settled as champ's request to delay title bout rejected". foxsports.com.au. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Boxrec: Shannon O'Connell". boxrec.com. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "TOOHEY'S NEWS: Boxing Champion Tim Tszyu's younger brother etc". newcastleherald.com.au. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Shannon O'Connell: Boxing champion's troubled childhood". couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  5. ↑ "Australian Boxing Awards". 29 December 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  6. ↑ ""How Boxing Saved Shannons Life"". 2 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.


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