Commonwealth Games: Blood-free best for Kiwi boxer

Alexis Pritchard. Photo / Greg Bowker

Heard the one about the boxer who doesn't like blood on her?

New Zealand's most experienced woman boxer, Alexis Pritchard, made the admission while discussing the Commonwealth Games rule on headgear.

That specifies there will be none in the men's competition, but the women will wear it.

That's just fine by Pritchard, the London Olympian who will go into the 60kg division ranked second in the Commonwealth.

"I'd prefer having headgear because I don't like the cuts. I don't like their blood on me," she laughed.

Pritchard is less happy about the lack of seeding for the event.

The fighter ranked ahead of her, England's Natasha Jonas - at 30 the same age as Pritchard - is a fine boxer who finished fifth in the London Olympics.

Pritchard and Jonas were up in the same session in London. Pritchard lost in a quarter-final to Russian Sofya Ochigava and Jonas went down to Northern Ireland's Katie Taylor.

Pritchard figures she's not had the rub of the green in most of her major international tournaments. She reckons she's due.

Certainly it seems lunacy to possibly have the No1 and No2 ranked boxers drawn together in the opening round - in their case on Tuesday night (NZT).

"I'm hoping it doesn't happen. I'd like to get a warm up fight. I'm hoping this will be the one when I get a bunny somewhere."

Pritchard and Jonas have sparred at a training camp in Sheffield before coming to Glasgow. Jonas won their one official bout, in Liverpool, Jonas' home town, this year.

"I know I am as good as Natasha and know I could be better than her," Pritchard said.

"It's really just what happens on the day, but if I get it all firing at the right time I feel I can overcome her.

"We've had some epic sparring sessions in Sheffield. It's going to be a battle of wills."

So are they friends?

"I don't think I'd say that but we say hi and bye and thank you for sparring."

Pritchard is the first New Zealander to have won an Olympic women's bout.

She is ranked eighth in the world, three spots lower than Jonas.