Lisa Whiteside insists a fight with Nicola Adams will not define her professional career. 

Chorley’s Commonwealth Games gold medalist has entered the paid ranks with a meeting with her long-time amateur rival top of her agenda. 

The 33-year-old made her debut with a points win over Dani Hodges at Stevenage FC’s Lamex Stadium earlier this month and is looking to move quickly towards world title contention. 

Double Olympic gold medallist Adams was picked ahead of Whiteside at flyweight for both the London and Rio games with a proposed meeting in 2016 falling through. 

The Mick Day-trained fighter insists however the success of her transition from amateur to professional will not come down to whether the two finally lock horns. 

“It’s not the fight I’m gunning for, it’s what the public want,” Whiteside said. 

Lancashire Telegraph:

“My career isn’t based on her though. 

“She pulled out when we should have fought in the amateurs three years ago and now we’re in the pro game it just makes sense. 

“If it comes, it comes. If not, I’ll just go and get a world title.”

The former world silver medallist and seven-time national champion believes a meeting with Adams would generate plenty of interest in what is an increasingly boom time for women’s boxing across the globe. 

It would also pit Lancashire against Yorkshire with her adversary hailing from Leeds. 

Adams, 36, has had a stop-start time as a professional however. 

She has won all five of her fights since her debut in April 2017, her last outing being a victory over Isabel Milan for the interim WBO World flyweight title in October. 

“It’s a War of the Roses and I’d have amazing support for it,” Whiteside said. 

“There’s Preston, Chorley and I’ve got family in Manchester too. 

“It was really great to see some people down at Stevenage but I’d have hundreds supporting me if the fight with Nicola Adams happened.”

Whiteside is hoping to have her next fight date confirmed sooner rather than later with manager Sam Jones looking to move her towards title contention. 

She knows time is not on her side having turned professional at the tail end of her career with other priorities out of the ring also coming into focus. 

“I’m not in it for the long term,” admitted Whiteside, a former police officer.

“I’m 33 and I want to have a family and spend some quality time with them. 

“It’s great training in Preston and not being in Sheffield or out of the country.

“After the fight in Stevenage I came home and my mum made a lovely meal for the family to celebrate which was great. 

“Quite often I’ve been on the other side of the world.”