Denise and Destiny

Bournemouth’s Denise Castle, is training for the fight of her life, aiming at achieving with a Guinness Record.

Aged 51, Denise is seeking to show, emulate and even better the young ones, namely Alicia Ashley who was 48 when she won back the bantamweight title and “Big” George Foreman, who was 45 when he regained the heavyweight title…20 years after he lost it to The Greatest Muhammad Ali.

Denise, is vying to win the vacant WBC Silver Atomweight Title at Spaceplus, Bangkok RCA, Thailand on September 28^th, against Japan’s Sana Hazuki who at 39, is a dozen years younger.

When Denise lost a fiery, fabulous and competitive UD to Fabiana Bytyqi for the then vacant WBC Atomweight Title in 2018, she was 48 and Fabi was 24. Fabi’s Mum was one year younger!  An outstanding battle, it was awarded Female Fight of the Year.

Denise is determined to go “Won” better via batter. Last year, she lost a SD to Norj Guro for the same title at Habtoor Grand Hotel in Dubai.  A “Hera” of the ring, Denise is coached by her Husband Lorne who describes her as: “Small in stature and huge in belief.” They going back to basics turning over truck tires, hammering , irons and hardening herself against hard hitting, hard bitten sparring partners.

A former long distance runner, who has an amazing lung capacity, Denise teaches health related fitness at Bournemouth Girls Grammar School and runs the Girls Boxing Club there. She also works at Bournemouth University Sports Department, doing courses for those wishing to become fitness coaches and personal trainers.  Denise has been accepted as a Scholarship Student Athlete to study a Masters Degree in Sport Management.

A Muay Thai World Champion at Pin Weight, Denise wants to achieve the double by winning the WBC Silver Atom Weight Crown and then marching on to the Absolute Green and Gold accolade. First Muay Thai and now boxing!

Lorne said; “Denise is very strong and fit. Her work rate is exceptional thanks to her lung capacity and her tenacity. We’ve gone back to basics like Rocky 111, and it will show dividends.  I can tell you that this is going to be a great fight.”

Opponent Sana Hazuki who stopped Thailand’s Watcharaporn Namphon in her previous fight, has proved her quality, by praising Denise as a mother, boxer and person. Denise is Mum to Antonia who’s twenty five, Leah aged seventeen and Savannah who’s six.  Standing five three, she’s one and a half inches taller than her Japanese opponent.

Denise who is a pocket dynamo, says the exacting test in this fight, could well come in the later rounds, testing the physical stamina which will gauge who wants it the most, commenting: “I’ve strived for so many years. This will be the pinnacle and just amazing. I am who I am and I inspire a lot of people. The WBC Green and Gold Belt is the one I want!”

The strength of a castle is weathering the ages.  Also, Jimmy Buffet once said: “Wrinkles will only go where smiles have been. And the late Great John Lennon mused: “Count your age by your friends not by your years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.”