Cherneka Johnson Leaves No Doubt, Stops Nina Hughes – World Boxing Association

Cherneka Johnson successfully defended her WBA bantamweight world title in dominant fashion, forcing Nina Hughes’ corner to throw in the towel in the sixth round of their bout at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

The Australian champion faced little resistance from her English challenger. From the opening bell, Johnson made it clear she wasn’t leaving this one to the judges, overwhelming Hughes with relentless pressure and a high-volume attack.

Hughes, a 42-year-old veteran, was deducted a point in the fifth round for excessive holding—a clear sign that she was struggling to keep up. Realizing the inevitable, her corner wisely stopped the fight to prevent further punishment.

This was a rematch of their May 2024 encounter, where Johnson edged Hughes by majority decision. This time, there was no question who the superior fighter was.

With the victory, Johnson improved her record to 17-2 (7 KOs), while Hughes fell to 6-2—both losses coming at the hands of the Australian champion.