Saturday, October 25, the BBC steps back into the ring — literally. After two decades off the air, big-time boxing returns to BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, and the one holding the spotlight isn’t a grizzled veteran, but a 20-year-old with ice in her veins and a grin that says she’s already arrived. Francesca “Billion Dollar Baby” Hennessy.
Unbeaten in six, sharp as a switchblade, Hennessy isn’t here to “represent women’s boxing.” She’s here to own it. She’s walking straight into her biggest night yet, taking on ex-world champion Fabiana Bytyqi (22-2-2, 5 KOs) — the Czech trailblazer who held the WBC Atomweight strap for six straight years. That’s no showcase fight; that’s a test.
The arena lights will be brutal. Millions will be watching. But if you’ve followed Hennessy, you know she thrives on pressure. She’s that fighter who smirks when the lights go down — the one who thinks chaos is home.
She’s not boxing for hype — she’s boxing for history
“This isn’t just another fight,” she told BBC cameras. “It’s my chance to bring energy, bring something different. It’s the first time in 20 years the BBC’s showing boxing live on a Saturday night. That’s huge. I want people to look back and say: that was the night the next generation arrived.”
Sounds like PR talk until you see her move. There’s venom in her jab, rhythm in her chaos, and that spiteful grin every time she gets hit clean. That’s what fans remember.
Her opponent, Bytyqi, isn’t showing up to play spoiler — she’s showing up to remind people she built this road before Hennessy ever laced up gloves. She’s older, meaner, and has seen more rounds than Francesca has birthdays. That’s what makes this fight dangerous.
Clarke vs. TKV tops the men’s side — but Hennessy’s the story
Make no mistake, the men are trading leather too. Frazer Clarke and Jeamie TKV square off for the British Heavyweight Title, the kind of fight that could rattle the stage lights. But you get the feeling this night belongs to the kid from Kent.
On the undercard, Bobby Dalton defends his English Welterweight Title against unbeaten Joel Kodua — both coming off statement wins.
Then there’s Mauro Silva (9-0, 4 KOs), managed by Chris Eubank Jr, facing his toughest opponent yet in Bradley Goldsmith (13-1, 9 KOs). Goldsmith trains out of the Ingle Gym in Sheffield — old-school roots, hard sparring, no nonsense.
And Jack Massey, fresh off a failed world title bid against Jai Opetaia, is back swinging against Argentina’s Ivan Gabriel Garcia (10-4-1, 10 KOs). The guy hits like a hammer.
BBC coverage starts 8 p.m. UK time on BBC Two, with the full undercard streaming live on iPlayer. Yeah, the Beeb’s going all in.
A night that could reset British boxing
If Francesca Hennessy delivers, this isn’t just her coming-out party — it’s a message that boxing on free TV can still matter. BOXXER’s Ben Shalom called her “pure box office.” That might sound cliché, but he’s right. She’s got the spark promoters pray for — that mix of danger, charm, and recklessness fans can’t look away from.
It’s been twenty years since BBC viewers saw a night like this. Saturday, they’ll see what they’ve been missing — blood, guts, storylines, and maybe the birth of a new star.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool BBC showing boxing again but feels fake hyping up one fighter so much. Whole card got good fights but they only talking about one person.
‘Pure box office’? That promoter just tryna sell tickets 😒 Watch them blame everyone else if she loses bad.
I don’t get why people acting like this Hennessy girl is the next big thing. She still a rookie, and this ain’t no movie where young ones just win cause it’s dramatic.
Yup, all flash no grit if you ask me. Let her get hit hard once and we’ll see what’s really up.
‘Rhythm in her chaos’ sounds like some PR guy wrote that line 🤔 Give me real fighters not fancy talk.
BBC tryna bring boxing back but they only care about the women now? What about the heavyweights fight? Clarke vs TKV should be the main story, not some girl with six wins.
I think this whole thing with Francesca is overhyped. Just cause she’s young and got a few wins don’t mean she ready for a champ like Bytyqi. People acting like she already won 🤨
Exactly bro! Like six fights ain’t nothing compared to what Fabiana been through. Experience always beats flash, that’s just facts 💯