Canadian Tammara Thibeault launching pro boxing career at time of profound change for fight industry

When Tammara Thibeault is on a roll, she punctuates her thoughts with English phrases she didn't learn growing up in Shawinigan, Que.

She might say, "d'you know woh I mean?" just to make sure you know what she means.

Or she'll finish an occasional sentence with "innit?", short of "isn't It?", which our friends in England employ the way Canadians use "eh?" The speaker isn't really asking a question. Just making an observation.

If you have lost track of the 28-year-old Thibeault since her first-round exit at the Olympic boxing tournament in Paris last summer, she hasn't disappeared. She just moved to Sheffield, England to immerse herself in academic work where she's  pursuing her masters degree in urban design and urban planning.

Before she found urban planning, Thibeault studied linguistics, which means she's aware of how a transatlantic move, and immersion in a new dialect, would shape her spoken English.

And boxing?

The 2023 Pan Am Games champion is still immersed in the sweet science, training daily at the Steel City gym in Sheffield as she embarks on a pro career that brings her back to Canada this week.

Friday night at the Toronto Casino Resort, Thibeault takes on Sonya Dreiling in a six-round bout on the undercard of a lightweight clash between Lucas Bahdi of Niagara Falls and Ryan James Racaza of the Philippines. For Thibeault, the bout is a showcase, a homecoming, and an overdue reunion with some other decorated Canadian amateurs, like Bahdi and Toronto's Sara Bailey, now chasing professional success.

"I get to come home, and I'm proud to represent Canada on home soil," said Thibeault, who is 1-0 as a professional. "I get to fight alongside old teammates. Lucas Bahdi. Sara Bailey. We all travelled together."

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