Hot Aussie boxer Shanell Dargan heads to Saigon this January to launch her 2O26 campaign.
A relative newcomer to the sport, Shanell is a truly unique girl, who VSP first noticed when as a raw novice, she was responsible for a "Fight of the Year" contender against Ashleigh Sims.
Unique girl with a unique back story.
Read on : WHO IS SHANELL DARGAN ?
Shanell Dargan is an Australian professional boxer who will feature in one of the headline bouts at TRIGGER PROMOTION 6 this coming January. She is of Indigenous heritage — identifying as Wiradjuri and Mununjali, and also has Irish ancestry through her grandmother. But before boxing, she had a different dream: singing. She competed on the 2014 version of The X Factor (Australia), and even once sang for John Legend in New York.She also played sports in her youth: rugby league / touch football among others — so physical activity was always part of her life.
BOXING CAREER
Shanell only started boxing around 2019, after her son was born, using the sport as a physical and emotional outlet.She turned professional in 2022.Her first pro win came in July 2022 against Jaala Tomat, by majority decision.In October 2023 (her 6th fight), she won the vacant national title — the Australian Super Bantamweight Title — defeating fellow Indigenous boxer Amber Amelia.A very big milestone: in July 2025, she captured the WBC Asia Super-Bantamweight Title — winning by first-round stoppage over Thailand’s Kanokwan Wirunpat.She also recently secured a unanimous-decision win versus Jittamat Phomta in June 2025.
WHAT'S HER MOTIVATION ?
Dargan says boxing “saved her life.”She turned to it after experiencing depression and trauma following domestic violence and difficult family circumstances.Her journey isn’t just personal — she sees her success as representation for Indigenous people. She hopes to inspire young Aboriginal girls and Indigenous Australians facing hardship to believe in themselves.She was recently announced as an ambassador for organisations supporting Aboriginal communities, showing she’s using her platform beyond the ring.
MAKING HISTORY
When she won the Australian Super Bantamweight title, the belt was updated to include the Aboriginal flag alongside the Australian flag — a symbolic nod to the lineage of Indigenous Australian boxing champions. Dargan has spoken about how proud she was to see that.Her success reflects a growing generation of Indigenous boxers (male and female) reclaiming space in the sport after decades of under-representation.
WHAT'S NEXT ?
Dargan has expressed the ambition to become the first Indigenous female world champion — a goal that would break new ground.As of 2025, she has been actively building momentum: defending/regaining belts, staying active in the ring, and exploring opportunities beyond national and regional titles. Shanell Dargan will come to Vietnam in January and compete at the TRIGGER PROMOTION 6 in Saigon on Sunday January 18th.She will be looking for an emphatic performance to set up further belt opportunities in the new year.
Bacolod's Genesis Servania will fight China's rising star Aketelieti Yelejian for the WBO Asia Lightweight title this November.
The highly-anticipated match up will take place on the undercard of the IBF world title fight between Pedro Taduran and Zhu DianXing at Jeju Island, South Korea.
Aketelieti Yelejian, who suffered a narrow loss to the Prince Albert Pagara in June, rebounded with an impressive IBF Asia victory against Korean Jin Su Kim in Vietnam recently. He is a very rangy and deceptive boxer known for his relaxed combinations, and he's supremely confident in his ability to take down Servania and claim the title.
"I've studied Servania's style, and I know I have the skills to outmaneuver him," Yelejian said yesterday.
"I'm excited to represent China on the international stage once more, and bring home an impressive win against a top and proven boxer like Genesis."
Servania, a seasoned veteran with a 35-4 record, boasts a reputation for toughness that has come from battles at the top level. And has still possesses some of the best body shots in the sport of boxing.
This important title shot gives the filipino the opportunity to re-establish himself on the world scene once more, and it's best remembered that his only defeats have came against world-ranked champions like Oscar Valdez and Andres Cortes.
But the China team have already confidently stated that Yelejian's youth, speed, height, and reach may all prove too much for the Filipino boxer.
Their optimism also exudes for the world title bout, where surprisingly, they are quite dismissive of Pedro Taduran's hopes of beating star Zhu DianXing. They actually rate their boxer so highly, they have predicted that the champion has no chance of retaining the belt.
These claims set up an intriguing backdrop for two massive Philippines v China feature bouts.
Fight Details :
- Date: Saturday, November 23rd
- Location: Jeju Island, South Korea
- Title: WBO Asia Lightweight
- Contenders: Aketelieti Yelejian (China) vs. Genesis Servania (Philippines)
