Press release courtesy of Boxing Canada
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | September 13, 2025 – Liverpool, England – Canadian middleweight contender Viktoria Penney (ON, Sully’s Boxing Gym) has secured a bronze medal at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England, following a spirited semifinal bout in the Women’s 80 kg division.
On the second-last day of the tournament at the M&S Bank Arena, Penney faced Australia’s Eseta “Tash” Flint, one of the division’s top-ranked athletes. The contest went the full three rounds, with Flint ultimately prevailing by unanimous decision (5–0). Both losing semifinalists receive bronze medals, making Penney Canada’s only medalist and leading both Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh (60kg, QC, The Corner) and Joshua Ofori (75kg, AB, Marshall Boxing Club) who each finished in the top 8. This was Canada’s first World Championships in several years as Canada withdrew from the IBA-run 2023 World Championships.
Match report
The opening round saw both boxers establish their rhythm, with Penney pressing forward and landing several right-hand counters, while Flint worked behind a consistent and precise jab. Observers noted the round was competitive, but Flint’s accuracy may have swayed the judges.
In the second round, Flint increased her tempo, stringing together combinations and applying greater pressure. Penney responded with determined counters but was forced on the defensive for long stretches. The third and final round opened with Penney pushing the pace, looking for decisive shots to turn the contest. Flint remained composed, despite Penney’s unrelenting pressure, and maintaining control with precise punching.
For the third round both athletes played to their strengths. The Canadian dug deep to maintain contact with the taller Australian, landing a number of scoring blows while doing her best to block, parry, and slip from continued jabs mixed with tight uppercuts.
Although no knockdowns or referee interventions occurred, Flint’s clean work across all three rounds earned her the unanimous decision. Penney, however, displayed grit, resilience, and the heavy-handed determination that had carried her past China’s Qimeng Zhong in the quarterfinals.
Video of the bout is available on CBC Sports’ YouTube page
A proud moment for Canada
“Viktoria Penney is a great example of what makes Canadian Boxers great,” said Christopher Lindsay, Boxing Canada’s Executive Director. “She represented our country with courage, discipline, and world-class skill. To return from Liverpool with a medal against the strongest international field is a testament to her hard work and the dedication of her coaching team. Viktoria’s bronze shines brightly for Canadian boxing, and it will inspire the next generation of athletes.”
Penney’s medal marks another important milestone in Canada’s progress on the world stage, underscoring the depth of talent in Canadian boxing. In 2022 Boxing Canada had both a Gold (Tammara Thibeault W75kg) and Silver (Charlie Cavanaugh W66kg) medals at the World Championships. At the 2024 Paris Olympics Wyatt Sanford (M63.5kg) ended a 28-year medal drought for Canada with his Bronze medal.
Looking forward
The team will now head back to Canada for a well-deserved break and then preparations for several provincial championships before the 2025 Elite National Championships, November 26-29th in Winnipeg. That event will mark the end of the 2025 season, and the beginning of the critical 2026 season and the pathway to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
—ENDS—
About Boxing Canada
Boxing Canada is the national sport organization for the sport of Olympic Boxing in Canada. It provides leadership for national programming, teams, and policies in partnership with each province and territory’s sport organization. Thanks to the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Rival Boxing Canada, and all our national partners for their support. For more information on Boxing Canada, please visit BoxingCanada.org.
For media inquiries regarding the Canadian National Team please contact Christopher Lindsay at [email protected]
