Skye’s the limit: Nicolson visits Chapel Boxing to preach the power of community

In the final days before her WBC Interim World Super Bantamweight title fight against Mariah Turner, Skye Nicolson spent time on home soil at Chapel Boxing in Melbourne for a focused session with some of the gym’s most promising young fighters.

Delivered in partnership with Everlast Australia, the visit combined a structured training session with an extended Q&A – offering a rare, direct insight into elite-level boxing from one of Australia’s leading professionals.

The room reflected the standard of the gym itself. The group, all aged under 16, included multiple champions and experienced juniors, some already with 20 to 30 bouts behind them. Nicolson and her coaching team stepped straight into the session, working across drills, offering technical guidance and engaging directly with the fighters as they moved through the gym floor. It was practical, detailed and deliberate.

With the practical element complete, the group gathered in close for a Q&A. Sitting with them, Nicolson spoke openly about her pathway through the amateur system, the realities of transitioning into the professional ranks and the discipline required to operate at the top end of the sport.

She also addressed the parts of the journey less often discussed – the mental side of competition, the pressure attached to performance and the importance of understanding why you box in the first place.

For Nicolson, that mental aspect sat at the centre of the conversation. Encouraging the group to recognise and manage the internal challenges that come with the sport, she was clear on what separates those who progress.

“Don’t listen to the negative voices in your head that are telling you you’re not cut out for it – you’re not strong enough, fast enough or fit enough,” she explained.

“Everyone has that voice at times. It’s about seeing through it, pushing past it and proving it wrong. That’s what builds real mental toughness – and that’s something boxing gives you.”

The session was built with a clear purpose. Beyond the immediate interaction, it was designed to give young fighters – particularly girls coming through the system – a clearer picture of what the sport can offer when approached seriously.

In a country where female boxing continues to grow, moments like this carry weight. They bridge the gap between ambition and reality, showing what the pathway can look like from inside the ropes.

There were tangible takeaways too. Each participant received signed Everlast gloves, along with time for photos and conversations that extended beyond the formal structure of the session.

More importantly, the exposure itself – direct access to a current world-level athlete in a familiar environment – created a reference point that will carry forward into their own development.

For Nicolson, the setting added something more personal. Speaking after the event, she reflected on the importance of returning to local gyms during fight week.

“Coming back to places like this, you remember exactly where it started,” said Nicolson.

“These are the environments that shape you – the work, the people, the small details you build over time,” she continued.

“If anything I’ve said or done today helps even one of these kids stay on track, then it’s been worth it.”

That connection came through in the smaller moments – time spent between rounds offering individual feedback, conversations off to the side with younger members of the group and a willingness to answer questions without filtering the reality of the sport. It was measured, honest and grounded in experience.

The visit to Chapel Boxing forms part of Matchroom’s broader approach to integrating community activity into fight week programming – ensuring that major events connect with the local boxing landscape, rather than sit apart from it.

In Melbourne, that meant aligning Nicolson’s title build-up with a gym that consistently produces high-level junior talent, creating something that felt relevant to both sides.

With Nicolson set to face New Zealand’s Mariah Turner later in the week, her focus now shifts back to fight night. The time spent inside Chapel Boxing offers a different kind of reference point – one rooted in the same system that produced her and one that continues to develop the next wave coming through.

In a gym full of fighters already used to winning, the message landed differently. The physical work matters, but the way you think, support each other and handle challenges together often shapes how far you go.