Rebecca McLeod said that all of the ridicule she endured before her first fight just made her more determined, and the championship belt she won is the only answer she will give.
In the Knockout Queen main event in June, McLeod beat The Real Britt Fit, becoming the champion and earning $100,000 in cash plus $30,000 worth of a watch. When speaking to Where Is The Buzz, the Australian influencer said the prize money gave her extra motivation, but she didn’t want to rehash the trash-talking that occurred before the fight.
When asked what she said to her opponent during the fight, McLeod claimed that adrenaline made it impossible for her to remember half of what she was saying.
“Honestly, in the ring I was so full of adrenaline I barely remember half of what I was saying,” she said. “There was definitely a bit of back and forth, but once it was over, it was over for me. I think I kept saying ‘did that hurt’ after each punch to the face and ‘aww, are you tired.’ But we both stepped into the ring and put ourselves out there, and I respect anyone who does that.”
She said that the money was important and teased possible unfinished business with her opponent.
“As for the $100K cash and 30K watch, that definitely added some extra motivation,” she said. “And since the fight? We are in talks and negotiation at the moment, so stay tuned, as there could be more coming. But I think we can let the belt do the talking for now.”
The event was heavily criticized online before it took place, with one post calling it a test of durability for cosmetic surgery procedures rather than a sports event. McLeod said that she was aware of the criticism and used it as motivation to train harder.
“I saw some of the comments before the fight, and honestly, they just made me train harder,” she said. “It’s easy to sit behind a screen and say influencer boxing isn’t real boxing, but getting in a ring in front of everyone is a very different story. Take an example from Jake Paul and his storyline.”
She refused to mention individual critics.
“I’m not going to name names. They know who they are,” she said. “I walked in with people doubting me and walked out with the belt and potentially 100K richer. That’s a pretty good apology in itself.”
McLeod named actor Margot Robbie as a potential collaborator earlier, but so far, there has been no contact from her or her team.
“Still waiting, Margot,” she said. “I haven’t had a DM yet, but I’m putting it out into the universe.”
When asked what the collaboration would be like, McLeod denied the idea of immediately getting back into the boxing ring.
“If she said yes tomorrow, I’m definitely not putting her straight into the boxing ring,” McLeod said. “I’d want to do something iconic and very Australian, probably a swimwear campaign somewhere insane in Australia. Although after winning the belt, apparently I try to turn everything into a boxing event now, so never say never.”
McLeod appeared at Coachella in April wearing a custom-made gold top and sitting in the front row for Justin Bieber. She claimed that a video she posted at the festival got over 10 million views, and her outfit was heavily criticized until Hailey Bieber wore something similar weeks later.
“It was so cool seeing Hailey Bieber wear a similar outfit to mine after I wore it to Coachella,” she said. “I had a video with a friend get over 10 million views from Coachella, and so many people were judging my outfit because it was sculpted to my chest. Then a few weeks later, Hailey wore a really similar piece, and suddenly everyone wanted one. Funny how the world works!”
Other Coachella attendees discussed ticket scams and housing issues that week, but McLeod claimed that she managed to avoid them.
“But honestly, my first Coachella was such an amazing experience. I somehow managed to avoid most of the horror stories,” she said. “I got dressed up, ended up front row for Bieber, and spent time relaxing in the VIP section, where I got to meet heaps of celebrities and influencers I’d only ever seen online before. It was definitely an experience I’ll never forget.”
McLeod, who has a huge Instagram following, said that established creators didn’t pay attention to her when she was starting out, and some of them offered her collaborations after her victory.
“This one could get me in trouble,” she said. “When I was starting out, there were definitely established creators I reached out to who wouldn’t even open my messages. Now some of those same people are suddenly very friendly and want to collab. I started my first months only earning $3,000 a month, to now earning 350,000 USD a month, which is crazy how the Instagram algorithm can do that.”
She wouldn’t name any of them.
“I’m not naming anyone, because I actually think it’s funny more than anything. It taught me a lot,” McLeod said. “I remember exactly what it felt like being the smaller creator asking for an opportunity, so now when upcoming girls message me, I try not to be that person and always collab and be kind to them and give them ideas and advice.”
Both McLeod and Alexandra Svensson were interviewed by TMZ Sports before their fights. McLeod said that she is expecting another fight but refused to disclose her opponent and date.
“I can’t give too much away yet, but I definitely don’t think you’ve seen the last of me in a boxing ring,” she said. “Winning the first one gave me the bug. Now I want to see what I can actually do with more time and another proper camp behind me.”
She said that the matchups would depend on the opponent and the payday.
“There are definitely names being thrown around, and if the right opponent and the right money come up, I’m there,” she said.
As for who she wants to beat next, McLeod said that she is keeping it to herself.
“As for who I want to see humbled, I have a couple of names in my head,” she said. “But I learned from the first fight that it’s more fun when people don’t know what’s coming. So I’ll keep that one to myself for now.”
