Katharina Thanderz (11-0, 2 KOs) has her sights set on a World title challenge as she looks to claim her twelfth professional victory against Monica Gentili (6-10, 1 KO) on Saturday at the Friedrich-Ebert-Halle in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Thanderz returns to the ring following an impressive points win over Rachel Ball in Arendal in March, and will be fighting for the first time since signing a long-term contract with European powerhouse promoter Team Sauerland.

“I believe I’m ready for a World title challenge,” said Thanderz ahead of her crunch clash with the tough Italian. “I have been working with that goal in my mind for many years. I’ve put in the hard work every single day to be at my best, and I definitely think I have what it takes to become a World Champion.

“Going into this fight, it gives me a lot of extra motivation knowing that a World title fight is so close. I mean, I love boxing, and I always work with a lot of passion and give my all in every training session, but it definitely gives me an extra push to know that I’m so close to achieving my goal.”

To achieve her goal, Thanderz must first dethrone one of the reigning 130lb rulers, and has WBC titleholder Eva Wahlstrom at the top of her wish list.

“Out of all the champions in my weight division, I would love to meet Eva Wahlstrom,” said Thanderz. “She’s from Finland and I’m from Norway, and it would be a great fight that I’m sure the Scandinavian public would love.

“I really admire her as a boxer. She has a very nice boxing style to watch, and is very technical and fast. She might not be the strongest or hardest hitting boxer, but she’s a hard worker, and I have huge respect for that. I think she has the whole package and is a good role model for other female boxers.

“With that said, I would be willing to fight any of the World Champions. My ambition is to meet the best female boxers in the world, and I wouldn’t have a problem going up in weight in the future either, but for now, all my focus is on beating Monica Gentili because she is not a fighter you can overlook.

“My preparations have gone well. I’ve been training twice a day in extreme heat so I'm in great condition and I'm anxious to step into the ring again.”

Thanderz faces Gentili on the undercard of Vincent Feigenbutz’s IBO International Super Middleweight title showdown with Cesar Nunez, which also features rising Norwegian star Hadi Srour against Russia’s Evgenii Vazem.