Meet Nicola Barke – nicknamed the Burmese Python – the newest star of women’s boxing who started as ballet dancer
BRITISH women’s boxing has a terrifying new force with the Burmese Python arriving with a history of head-butting, bank jobs and terrible ballet.
Nicola Barke, 28, makes her pro debut against experienced Hungarian Gabriella Mezei tonight after a long and bloody career in taekwondo, kickboxing and Lethwei, a Burmese martial art where gloves are banned and skull attacks allowed!
The Luton super-featherweight’s bold move into combat sports came after a far more traditional start in dance — but she definitely feels more at home throwing a one-two than wearing a tutu.
She said: “I did ballet for 16 years and was terrible at it — useless.
“I didn’t win a single trophy or medal in all that time and remember telling my mum and dad I wanted to try the total opposite and that was fighting, so I started taekwondo and never looked back.
“I know a lot of boxers use dance to supplement or improve their footwork in boxing.
“But I was so bad that I am not sure if all the experience I have will be a help or hindrance.”
Barke, who has supported her achievements through a day job with HSBC, reckons her only real fight outside of the ring was a childhood battle with narcolepsy.
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She said: “Growing up it was seen as a bit of a comedy illness because it featured in an episode of Mr Bean and my parents genuinely used to tie my ponytail to my chair at dinner so I didn’t fall asleep and burn my face in the gravy!
“I laugh about it now but as a teenager it was hard because, when you want to go out and socialise, falling asleep for four hours in the cinema or Pizza Hut is pretty embarrassing.
“We never found out what was causing it but bizarrely it only really cleared up when I started taekwondo and martial arts and started getting hit in the head regularly.”
Barke did not just spend her last few teenage years learning to fight.
She won taekwondo’s world championships in Canada but also gained a first class degree in biomedical sciences from the University of West England.
And it was her vague grasp of biology that helped guide her from martial arts into professional boxing at the start of 2021 after an injury setback.
She said: “Unlike in boxing, in kickboxing we tend to spar anyone, instead of someone in our weight class.
So I was sparring a guy a few stone heavier than me and when he tried to sweep my standing leg he accidentally just spun it away from the rest of my body.
“My knee dislocated, my ACL, hamstring, it all went to pot really but I somehow managed to pop my own knee joint back in.
“I got driven to the hospital without having to call 999 but I had to call them in the end because I could not physically get out of the car, once all the adrenaline and inexplicable giggling had worn off.
“The ride across the car park must have been the shortest ambulance call-out ever.
“I was in a medical boot for a long time after that.
HOSPITAL TRIP
“I could eventually stand but not kick so I was just boxing, hitting the backs or pads and then the idea of just boxing and turning pro evolved into this debut on Saturday.”
The Circus Tavern in Essex is a famously boisterous venue but Barke is accustomed to intense situations after mum Joan’s Burmese heritage helped her land that brilliant nickname and a huge support base.
She said: “My mum is from Burma so even when I was kickboxing in Europe that was my nickname.
“But after being on one show, I was contacted by a promoter in Burma who had seen my family heritage and my achievements and invited me out to compete.
“It was a great opportunity but I had never heard of Burmese boxing and it’s not taught in any gyms in the UK.
“It was only when I got over there I was told it’s punches, kicks, knees and elbows — like a lot of martial arts — but with headbutts too!
“The other surprise on that trip was the support. My mum and I were travelling on a little tuktuk and total strangers in Burma were racing up to us.
“I thought we were getting held up by bandits but they were so kind and polite and then we drove past a huge billboard promoting the show and it had me on it.
“So hopefully there will be a few places in Burma this weekend tuning in to watch my debut.
“It’s a wonderful country that has suffered some really horrible times, but like me and my mum it seems to be pretty tough.”
Nicola Barke is a WOW Hydrate athlete fighting at the Circus Tavern on Saturday.
Contact @the.burmesepython on Instagram for her last few remaining tickets.