Ebony Devlin

Seventeen-year-old Ebony Devlin is a no-nonsense teenager, quick to let out a wise-crack and verbally spar with her mum or 10 other siblings.

Her day-dreaming demeanour changes as soon as she steps into the ring as a love for combat takes over.

“I just stand and punch,” Ebony said with glee.

“I’ve got enough technique to win the fights, I’ve been working on it, I just don’t like moving back.”

The Murray High School student secured the NSW novice 58kg champion through her bruising style of boxing last year.

Ebony said she didn’t remember a lot about the fight other than it had been nerve-racking and she split the other girl’s mouth open.

The power hitter also knocked down an opponent in the first 10 seconds of a charity match in Bathurst in November, with the fight stopped in the second round in her favour.

Ebony’s mother, Narelle, said her daughter’s aggressive style was a challenge for opponents.

“She has a long reach so when she is fighting, she’ll hit you, doesn’t matter where you’re standing, she’ll come at you,” she said.

Narelle said Ebony and her older sister, fellow young achiever finalist Tanisha, were at the family-run Southern Cross Boxing gym every day training.

“I wasn’t all for this at first, who wants their daughters punching each other in the head?” she said.

Ebony started as a kick-boxer before finding she just liked to use her fists a lot more.

Her coach and father, Rob, said the young boxer was one of those girls who would surprise you on the canvas.

“She has big power and spars with some big boys and they all feel it,” he said.

“They train every single day … not many 17 or 18-year-olds put that sort of dedication into their sport.”

The training pays off.

Ebony has performed well in her four exhibitions and won her one official match which got her the NSW title.

She wryly said within earshot of her sister at the gym that she “always won” before flashing a grin and quickly backtracking.

Ebony is hoping to have a good showing at the Golden Gloves tournament in Melbourne this year, win more state titles, go to the Olympics and have a boxing career overseas.

“I want to keep going with my boxing and turn pro soon, when mum lets me,” she said.

Once she finishes Year 12 this year, Ebony said she hoped to start an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic.

The boxer also enjoys sharing her skills with a new generation of boxers and wants to run her own gym one day.