‘I’m devastated’: Brit boxer Courtenay points to menstrual cycle causing weight miss as she is stripped of title (VIDEO)

British boxer Shannon Courtenay said the onset of her menstrual cycle caused her to miss weight as she came in over the limit for her showdown against Jamie Mitchell, leading to her being stripped of the WBA bantamweight belt.

Courtenay, 28, came in at 120.5lbs in Liverpool on Friday – missing the limit by 2.5lbs – although the contest will still go ahead on the card headed by local rivals Anthony Fowler and Liam Smith at the M&S Bank Arena.

“Thank you to everyone that’s been messaging to check on me and send me love,” wrote Courtenay on Instagram.

“We had no weight issues during camp and all week I’ve been in a really good place and ready.

“We were on weight and ready to go yesterday and then last night unexpectedly my menstrual cycle started which for obvious reasons makes woman gain weight,” added the star, who won the title on points in her last fight Australian rival Ebanie Bridges back in April.

“To say I’m devastated is an understatement because this has never happened before I’m always professional but this was physically out of my control,” added the Hertfordshire fighter, who is 7-1 in her professional career.

“It’s happened and I can’t change it but what I can do is go out there tomorrow night get the win and get my belt back straight after and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn said he was hopeful Mitchell would still be able to fight for the vacant WBA title, although clarification will be needed from boxing bosses.

Courtenay’s situation follows that of UFC fighter Aspen Ladd last week in Las Vegas, when she missed weight for her fight against Macy Chiasson.

Disturbing scenes showed Ladd shaking on the scales before she later revealed that she had been trying to prevent blood from her menstrual cycle being visible.

Ladd eventually missed the 136lb weight limit for her bantamweight bout by 1lb before the fight was scrapped.

Back in Liverpool on Friday, there was further drama when super-welterweight main event fighter Smith was forced to strip down on the scales and weigh in behind a towel.

A verbal row broke out between members of Fowler’s team and those of his rival, although Smith did eventually tip the scales at the 154lb limit.  

The two local fighters then exchanged words in a tense face-off before they step between the ropes in front of what promises to be a lively home crowd on Saturday night.