Boxing’s top female athletes have no “tsev”, no network to showcase their talent |
Tam sim TSO TAWM TSHIAB YORK — As women continue to make strides toward equality across industries, boxing and its media partners remain in the past by disenfranchising women from a fair opportunity to showcase their skills and earn a living. In the same year that America elected its first female Vice President, a woman of color, the elite women athletes that top the world rankings have no regular television platform or boxing series. Nowhere is this unfair playing field more apparent than in the United States and North America. The overwhelming majority of top females in boxing have not fought in 2020, or have not fought since January. The pandemic has hit women in boxing even harder than it has hit the men. The picture wasn’t rosy before Covid-19 and, without action, there is no reason to believe that it will improve. This impacts all women in American boxing, from stars Claressa Shields and Amanda Serrano, to reigning world champions, to six-round and four-round fighters. Other than a handful of athletes, most female boxers must hold down a full-time or part-time job to make ends meet. Amanda Serrano, Heather Hardy, Ava Knight and others have pursued opportunities in MMA to supplement their income and avoid inactivity. Claressa Shields, the most acclaimed woman in American amateur history, ib tug ob-lub sij hawm Olympic kub medalist, and a proven attraction, is presently without a platform and just announced a multi-year deal with the Professional Fighters League. The unified champion from Flint, Michigan, told The Athletic that, “Nws yog (boxing) a sexist sport. It’s sexist with the opportunities we’re given. It’s sexist with the TV time. It’s sexist with how much we get paid. Tag nrho peb. It’s fine for a female boxing star to try her hand at MMA. They shouldn’t be compelled to do so for lack of opportunities.” “These women consistently deliver great fights and solid viewership numbers,” hais tias Lou DiBella, who promotes more women than any other US promotional entity. “They put people in seats, and viewership of their events often rivals the men. These aren’t club level fighters. They are elite world champions and, without television, without a regular platform, they can’t be financially secure or build any kind of fan base. It’s remarkable that women’s boxing is growing its talent pool and raising its stature, given the scarce television and streaming slots that are reserved for female fighters. This is a testament to the resiliency and dedication of boxing’s female athletes, who deserve better.” Local promoters, who are in the business of growing fighters and filling seats, can offer spots on their cards and regional exposure, but purses are very limited without television revenue. Female fighters’ purses are often limited to a percentage of tickets they sell out of hand. At the top levels, women are passed over. Heather Hardy, a DiBella Entertainment fighter, has seen the difference in the growth of boxers of both genders. “At press conferences, I sit at a seat at the very end, with the rest of the undercard fights,” Hais Hardy. “I watch the boys go from sitting next to me at the end of the table, to moving up to the main card, then the co-main, and then the main event, but my seat never moved. No matter how much press I got, no matter how many fights I won, I never moved. Systemic sexism didn’t allow me to move.” “It isn’t like we are a separate organization like the WNBA. We are only provided with token opportunities, fighting on the same cards, often in much more competitive fights than the men, and still aren’t treated fairly,” Hais Hardy. “We have no place or professional home of our own.” “This trickles down to aspiring female boxers and the amateur programs,” DiBella continued. “Young women in boxing need to see other women on the big stage. They need to see women that look like them on television and on streaming platforms. They need to know that if they pursue a boxing career, there will be sufficient opportunities to be seen showcasing their talents, for fair wage. If women are able to headline a boxing event, or capable of selling a significant percentage of a live gate, they should not be paid ten to twenty percent of what similarly situated men are paid. We’re not sending the right message here, and there’s no good reason for it in the 21st century.” The pool of talent available to women in the pro ranks is smaller, but it forces the best matchups. It forces women to fight outside of their weight classes. “Jessica McCaskill just won unified world titles, and wants to fight me at 147,” said Amanda Serrano, seven-division world champion. “She called me out at 147! It’s kind of sad. Good for us if it makes sense, but the truth is, they’re calling out champs at 126. That is four different weight classes to go up. Men don’t have to do that! Women are constantly forced to compromise ourselves just to get a chance.” The talent pool won’t increase unless younger generations are inspired by women on television and streaming – women who can fight as well as, and often better than, the men who are on television now. It’s time to stop asking nicely. It’s time for women boxers to demand fairness and stability, and it’s up to network executives, rau hauv xov xwm, and those who control access to media platforms, to stop living in the past. It’s time for women in boxing to fight for themselves and for the right to earn a living. And it’s now a time for action. Use the hashtag #WeKeepFighting to follow the movement and to join the conversation on social media. |
Tag Archives: Heather Hardy
DEVIN HANEY VS. ZAUR ABDULLAEV SEPTEMBER 13 AT THE HULU THEATER IN NYC
UNBEATEN ADAM KOWNACKI DEFEATS CHRIS ARREOLA BY UNANIMOUS DECISION IN RECORD SETTING ACTION FIGHT THAT HEADLINED FOX PBC FIGHT NIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT FROM BARCLAYS CENTER IN BROOKLYN
ADAM KOWNACKI VS. CHRIS ARREOLA FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES & DUAB – Unbeaten Polish Star & Brooklyn Native Adam Kownacki & Former Title Challenger Chris Arreola Face Off Before FOX PBC Fight Night Main Event on FOX & FOX Deportes This Saturday from Barclays Center in Brooklyn
Exciting Lineup of Undercard Fights Feature Puerto Rican Heavyweight Carlos Negron, Super Welterweight Clash Between Curtis Stevens & Wale Omotoso, Local Fan-Favorite Heather Hardy & ntau – Saturday, Lub yim hli ntuj 3 los ntawm Barclays Center nyob rau hauv Brooklyn & Presented by Premier Boxing Champions
HEATHER HARDY AND ANA JULATON TO COMPETE IN MMA AND BOXING CONTESTS
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS BOUT SET FOR Bellator 194 RAU OB HLIS 16
LOS ANGELES – A flyweight feature fight pitting renowned boxing champions Heather Hardy (1-1) tiv thaiv Ana Julaton (2-3) has been added to the main card of Bellator 194: Nelson vs. Mitrione rau Friday, Lub ob hlis ntuj 16 ntawm Mohegan Sun Arena nyob rau hauv Uncasville, Conn. The event will air live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. THIAB.
The bout will be the first part of a dual event scenario in which the fighters are also expected to compete in a boxing match at a later date. While the MMA bout will be held under the Bellator banner, DiBella Entertainment and Orion Sports Management will handle promotional duties for the boxing event.
Daim pib rau Bellator 194: Nelson vs. Mitrione are available now and can be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office, as well as Ticketmaster and Bellator.com. The event will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. THIAB/8 p.m. I, thaum ua ntej kev txiav txim yuav kwj rau Bellator.com thiab thooj plawv nyob rau hauv Bellator Mobile App. Additional contests will be announced in coming weeks.
Making her third appearance inside the Bellator MMA cage, Hardy hopes to duplicate the game plan that earned her an impressive knockout win over Alice Yauger in her professional debut at Madison Square Garden. Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., Hardy built an imposing boxing resume prior to joining forces with Bellator, where she collected a pair of titles in multiple weight classes, including the WBC International Female Super Bantamweight belt and WBC International Female Featherweight belt. “The Heat” protected an unblemished mark of 20-0 through a five-year stint inside the boxing ring.
An accomplished professional boxer herself, Julaton also brings a unique style to the Bellator cage as she prepares for just her sixth career MMA bout. The former WBO and IBA super bantamweight world champion made the transition to mixed martial arts in May of 2014, collecting a convincing knockout over Aya-Saeid Saber. Since making her professional MMA debut, “The Hurricane” has competed for multiple world-renown promotions and trains alongside Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix competitor Frank Mir nyob rau hauv Las Vegas.
Tshiab Bellator 194: Nelson vs. Mitrione Fight Card:
Heavyweight World Grand Prix First Round Bout: Roy Nelson (23-14) vs. Matt Mitrione (12-5)
Hnav Co-Main kev tshwm sim: Patricky “Pitbull” (18-8) vs. Derek Liaj teb (19-6)
Women’s Flyweight Feature Bout: Heather Hardy (1-1) vs. Ana Julaton (2-3)
Bellator.com and Bellator Mobile App Preliminary Card:
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Marcus Surin (4-1) vs. Dean Hancock (3-1)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Ross Richardson (Pro Debut) vs. Nick Giulietti (Pro Debut)
165-lb. Catchweight Preliminary Bout: Peter Nascimento (Pro Debut) vs. Kastriot Xhema (1-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Regivaldo Carvalho (4-2) vs. Tom English (6-8)
Bellator 185: Mousasi vs. Shlemenko Official Results & Duab
Gegard Mousasi (43-6-2) yeej Alexander Shlemenko (56-10, 1 NC) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Duab: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iaobj6dqfk4jq1y/AADPZmjhtmreJ-7mNCkqEKvua?dl=0
Neiman Gracie (7-0) yeej Zak Bucia (18-9) ntawm cuav (neck crank) ntawm 2:27 ntawm round ob
Duab: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kvl101uwhi2zi3p/AABH7yRjFJHzNnRgDcEeGI23a?dl=0
Kristina Williams (1-0) yeej Heather Hardy (1-1) ntawm TKO (tus kws kho mob stoppage) ntawm 2:00 ntawm round ob
Duab: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/09r32tj0p0lfrlh/AAA2wiI3m1-pTHGaePuJeR5Ta?dl=0
Ryan Quinn (14-7) yeej Marcus Surin (4-1) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Duab: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/uzsfhmp09sbgh7r/AADZyyNKyuqDKiWfZW1F1MkAa?dl=0
Lisa Blaine (2-0) yeej Ana Julaton (2-3) ntawm cais kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Duab: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/meae709iunpv7rt/AAAvcWOCHh0R5N0K9UT8o-Jna?dl=0
Preliminary Card tau:
John Lopez (6-4) yeej Billy Giovanella (9-5) ntawm unanimous kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 30-27, 30-26)
Kevin Carrier (1-0) yeej Jose Antonio Perez (0-1) (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Vovka Clay (4-2) yeej Frank Sforza (6-1) ntawm cuav (guillotine) ntawm 1:17 ntawm round ob
Don Shainis (4-1) yeej Matthew Denning (5-7) ntawm TKO (ntaus) ntawm 4:50 ntawm puag ncig ib
Jordan Young (7-0) yeej Alec Hooben (5-4) ntawm cuav (daim duab peb sab caj pas) ntawm 2:44 ntawm puag ncig ib
Costello van Steenis (9-1) yeej Steve Skrzat (8-10) ntawm cuav (ntaus) ntawm 2:52 ntawm puag ncig ib
Joaquin Buckley (8-1) yeej Vinicius de Jesus (5-2) ntawm cais kev txiav txim siab (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Pete Rogers (3-4) yeej Timothy Wheeler (1-5) ntawm cuav (guillotine) ntawm :37 ntawm puag ncig ib
Dean Hancock (3-1) yeej John Beneduce (2-2) ntawm TKO (ntaus) ntawm 3:38 ntawm puag ncig ib
FIGHTNIGHT LIVE COMPLETES FIRST WEEKEND DOUBLEHEADER, DRAWING MORE THAN 188,000 VIEWS TO PROPEL TOTAL AUDIENCE ABOVE 750,000
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