Boxing: Enja Ryan set to defend Australasian title in Dubbo

The Gunnedah resident and reigning WBC Australasian welterweight champion has been forced to sit idle since she won the title against Noppaket Srisawas in July.

"I've just been training and working," Ryan said.

"We've been trying to get on a few different cards, but it's proven to be a little bit tricky. All the cards towards the end of the year fill up pretty quickly."

But the long wait, Ryan believes, was "a blessing in disguise".

She has finally managed to book another fight, against Sydney's Kate McLaren on December 16.

The best part of the booking, however, is that it will take place in Dubbo - where Ryan grew up. She has not fought there as a professional, and looks forward to having her extended family ringside.

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"I'm glad we waited," Ryan said.

"It'll be a good home crowd, and good to have all of my original supporters from my amateur days back to watch me fight again."

And though she relishes the opportunity to fight in front of a home crowd, Ryan will carry a bit of a chip on her shoulder into the bout.

McLaren, whose professional record stands at four wins, no losses, and two draws, is currently the top-ranked female welterweight in the country and the holder of the Australian National Boxing Federation Australasian title.

Ryan, meanwhile, holds the WBC Australasian title and the Australian welterweight title, and is ranked second.

"You explain that to me," Ryan told the Leader.

Ryan will defend her WBC title next month at the Dubbo RSL, but said her biggest motivation will be to go out and prove she is unquestionably the best in the division.

"It'll be a good fight, a tough fight. A good one to end the year on," she said.

"She's definitely got the coaching staff and the professional staff, being from down in Sydney. But we'll bring her out to the country and show her how we do it here."

From the research she has done, Ryan believes McLaren possesses an "awkward" style. Against such fighters, it is typically hard to get the timing right, but Ryan believes she has the right plans to overcome a tricky opponent.

"You just have to have a variety of different sparring partners, who help you adapt to adversity," she said.

"That's where experience helps, being able to adapt in those pressure moments to the person that's in front of you."

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