Deborah Nichols: Still going Strong 14 Years after Boxing!

Maybe some of the newer boxers in the sport may not know Deborah “Knockout” Nichols, a 5’7″, featherweight, from Dalton, Georgia—-but I will tell you that when she boxed from 1997 – 1999, keeping a pristine professional boxing record of 8-0-2 (4KO), and earning two world title championships with the IFBA and IBA, she was a hot boxing star in the time she was fighting!

Nichols and Dufoe televised fight – 1999

Throughout the many years that WBAN has been in existence we continue to follow many of the female boxers—whether they are still fighting, inactive, retired, and even things they are doing “outside” the ring—-that can even include life’s events, i.e., as we even did a story at one time of Nichols getting married inside a “Boxing Ring”!

So since that time, we have not had an update in quite awhile on Nichols, so we connected with her this week to see what she has been up to.  Nichols told WBAN the following:

“50 and Blessed! That be me……I have two granddaughters and five generations of family living so I am very blessed. Family is what life is all about.”

“I have recently gone back to my roots. I am currently the owner and operator of my own Beauty & Tanning Salon. My mother is a retired cosmetologist and I have been licensed for 25 years. I am also a Fitness Coach and Personal Trainer. This has help fill the void that all athletic competitors must feel. I love motivating and helping others fulfill goals for themselves.”

Past IBA/IFBA Featherweight World Champion

“Becoming a boxing champion was a goal that I had for myself and you cannot do it alone. You have to have a team. I have never been happy about the way my boxing career came to an end. My retirement was not by choice at the time.”

I am currently writing my side of the story titled, “My corner of the Ring”. Explaining my version of a permanent black eye from punches thrown at me from out of the ring. This is my way of dealing with it years later.

“I follow womens’ boxing as much as possible and I am so proud of them all.   I am honored to have been a part of it. God’s blessings to all.” 

WBAN’s Comment:  And yes folks…Nichols is STILL a “Knockout!”