The Bendigo boxer will return to Tasmania for the titles, the scene of a close loss to the Tasmanian state champion Tahnee Clements recently.

Salmon lost on points to Clements and the two fighters are a chance of slugging it out in a rematch in the Elite Female 54kg Division at the national championships.

“We thought (the fight against Clements) would be a very good experience,” Salmon said.

“It’d be good to challenge her again; since that fight I’ve had to learn from that loss.”

Salmon has increased her training to a gruelling seven-day-a-week program since the loss.

After dropping from the 57kg division, she has pounded the pavement every morning to keep her weight down and has been working hard on her technique on the punching bags.

“I’ve been working more on the defence and movement; she was getting me more on the counter-attack,” Salmon said.

“I’m feeling the fittest and strongest I’ve ever been in my life. I’m definitely in with the mix.”

Bendigo Amateur Boxing Club coach Pat Connolly has been studying the video of Salmon’s fight with Clements to find the answers to beating the Tasmanian champ – who he said was the favourite for the national title.

“There’s a couple of shots she threw and I think she can land them harder now,” Connolly said.

“She’s probably one of the least experienced, but they’re going to have to deal with her.

“She’s not the same girl she was a couple of months ago, she’s a lot tougher and stronger.”

Salmon has been getting high-quality sparring with her state team-mates in Melbourne each weekend and she and Connolly have taken time off work to increase her workload.

Connolly said Salmon was one of the most competitive and determined fighters he had trained.

“She said to me ‘I’m not going down there just to compete’ – that’s the attitude you need to have in this game.”

The Australian Championships will be held in Hobart from February 1 to 5.