Category Archives: women’s boxing

QUARTET OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONS STAR ON HISTORIC BRITISH ALL FEMALE PRO BOXING EVENT ON 24TH APRIL 2021

April 14, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

Six time, five division World Champion and Promoter **Lee Mcallister** and the **British & Irish Boxing Authority (BIBA)** jointly announced an historic all female professional boxing event, titled **LET BATTLE COMMENCE – THE LIONESSES, in association with Bounty Competitions, RDX, Empire Pro Tape and Go Sports & Entertainment** that will take place in the United Kingdom on Saturday 24th April 2021 and will be broadcast **live and free to view** on **FITE TV** as well as further linear and digital channels globally (please check local listings)

To date the **LET BATTLE COMMENCE** series, which were broadcast live on **FITE TV** and delayed broadcast in the UK on **Sports Channel Network** (Freeview/YouView Channel 265), has featured female contests on all events.

The inaugural **LET BATTLE COMMENCE** event took place on the 18th July 2020 and hosted the professional boxing debut of ten time Kick Boxing World Champion **Caitlin Foran** against PBC International Silver Champion **Jaime Bates**.

**LET BATTLE COMMENCE II**, which was broadcast live on Friday 4th September 2020, featured three female contests, the first featured PBC International Silver Super Flyweight Champion **Nicola Hopewell** versus **Tasha Boyes**, also featured on the card were Elite Amateur StarsHollie Towl and **Ellie Coulson** who made their respective professional boxing debuts against **Jaime Bates** and **Beccy Ferguson**.

**LET BATTLE COMMENCE – THE LIONESSES, in association with Bounty Competitions, RDX, Empire Pro Tape and Go Sports & Entertainment** that takes place behind closed doors at the Northern Hotel in Aberdeen on the 24th April 2021 is set to enter the record books as the first all Female professional boxing event to take place not only in the UK but also the first in Europe.

The stellar card features no less than four highly decorated former Amateur Champions;

**Nicola Hopewell** is a development national champion and regional and National amateur England boxing flyweight champion with multiple box cup titles. On the 24th April **Nicola Hopewell** will be making her third Professional outing and faces a tough test against Sheffield’s **Juliette Winter**

**Hollie Towl** is a 5 time ABA national champion! At three different weights won back to back over five years !! A huge accolade and unprecedented! Hollie is also a national England boxing youth lightweight champion and multiple box cup including Irish titles. **Hollie Towl**, who will be making her second appearance in the **LET BATTLE COMMENCE** series, faces former Kick Boxing rising star **Cara MacLochlainn**who makes her Professional Boxing debut on the event.

**Ellie Coulson** is a three time national finalist and England boxing national youth middleweight champion with again multiple box cup titles.Ellie Coulson will also be making her second appearance in the series, this time she faces **Ester Konecna** from the Czech Republic.

The fourth is former GB squad member and three-time ABA champion **Angelica Finch**, who will box at Featherweight. **Angelica Finch** has a tough professional boxing debut as she takes on Shrewsbury’s former PBC International Silver Super Bantamweight Champion **Jaime Bates**

Joining the highly decorated quorum of Champions on the **LET BATTLE COMMENCE – THE LIONESSES, in association with Bounty Competitions, RDX, Empire Pro Tape and Go Sports & Entertainment** event are;

Former Elite Amateur, South Shields’ **Estelle Scott**, will make her professional debut against fellow pro debutant **Kirsty Biswas** from Middlesbrough.

Manchester’s former PBC International Silver Super Bantamweight Champion **Sophie Varley**, who now competes at Super Flyweight, will faceNatasha Boyes.

**LET BATTLE COMMENCE – THE LIONESSES, in association with Bounty Competitions, RDX, Empire Pro Tape and Go Sports & Entertainment** will take place on the 24th April 2021 and will be broadcast live and free to view on **FITE TV, AVO NETWORK, SPORTS CHANNEL NETWORK, SOWETO TV** as well as further linear and digital channels globally (please check local listings)

www.letbattlecommence.com

Marie-Eve Dicaire learned invaluable lesson from Claressa Shields fight

April 3, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

MONTREAL (March 31, 2021) – Popular Canadian boxer Marie-Eve Dicaire learned an invaluable albeit disappointing lesson in her decision-loss to now-undisputed world super welterweight champion Claressa Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) on the March 3^rd “SUPERWOMEN” pay-per-view event.

Dicaire (17-1) suffered her first loss as a professional and in boxing that often leads in one direction or the opposite: learning from the overall experience and improving as a boxer or continue fighting as just a former world champion chasing opportunity.

Two weeks after the Shields fight, Marie-Eve was right back in training, rather than wallowing in her first loss and feeling sorry for herself.

“Clearly,” Dicaire said, “I learned a lot. I went right back to the gym with a precise plan to take my boxing to another level. I’ve realized many things, some good and some bad, but it will definitely help become a more complete fighter.

“After two weeks off, I had more than enough. Also, during the last year we experimented with a new way to work. I go to the gym for intense training for a few weeks, then take a few days off to rest. This method has brought me to another level, so we decided to work this way for my upcoming camp, because I felt great in the ring. I’m an overachiever. I can’t rest when I know I lost. I needed to get the work done to enjoy true vacations. I know I will be in the ring again soon.”

Losses ultimately lead to changes but Dicaire’s goal of becoming undisputed world champion remains the same. What’s changing, though, is her style, at least to some degree, especially considering she has zero knockouts during her pro career.

“I was born ready, so the sooner, the better,” Dicaire spoke about winning another world title. “I want to become a unified, undisputed world champion and this is why I am already back to work. We’re working on improving some of my weaknesses that weren’t a priority before. I’ll be working on improving my power and inside fighting during this training camp.”

Dicaire also learned that her support system has grown, remarkably, even after the initial setback on her otherwise undefeated record.

“I thought I was going to deal with the loss alone with my family and close friends,” Dicaire concluded, “but it’s been the exact opposite. I have never experienced so much support from fans during my entire career. It is like everybody is aware I have everything it takes to become champion of the world again and they’re with me during this new journey.”

boxing, women's boxing

Undisputed Welterweight Champion Jessica McCaskill looking for Biggest names in Boxing

March 19, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

McCaskill eying showdowns with Taylor and Shields

boxing, ShoBox, Showtime, Showtime Boxing, women's boxing

CLARESSA SHIELDS DOMINATES MARIE-EVE DICAIRE, MAKES HISTORY AS THE FIRST BOXER TO BE CROWNED UNDISPUTED CHAMP IN A SECOND WEIGHT DIVISION

March 6, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

**UNDEFEATED STAR CITES JUNE IN LAS VEGAS FOR HER MMA DEBUT; CALLS OUT KATIE TAYLOR AND SAVANNAH MARSHALL IN POST-FIGHT INTERVIEW**

(Friday, March 5, 2021 – Flint, MI) Women’s superstar **Claressa Shields** furthered her claim as boxing’s “GWOAT” Friday night and became the unified WBC, WBO, IBF & WBA Super Junior Middleweight World Champion, by scoring a one-sided 10-round unanimous decision over **Marie-Eve Dicaire** of St-Eustache, Quebec, Canada, in the 10-round main event of the historic all-women’s “**SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE** event at the Dort Financial Center and live on pay-per-view in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Michigan.

Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) also became the first boxer in the four-belt era to become an undisputed world champion in two weight divisions by virtue of her shutout victory (100-90 by all three judges) over now former champion Dicaire (17-1).

Uncharacteristically, the 25-year-old Shields turned counterpuncher early in this fight, to offset Dicaire’s attempts to bounce in and out of range. Relying on her reflexes to punish any attempt at aggression by Dicaire, Shields shut the Canadian down and then turned back to her customary forward aggression later in the bout.

Dicaire landed a quality southpaw left on Shields in round four, possibly her only significant blow of the fight, and Shields simply shook it off to no effect.

I can’t be mad about my performance,” said Shields after the bout. “She just kept elbowing and headbutting me. I tried for the knockout and I almost had it a couple times, but we’ve got two minutes and the ref not breaking it up when she’s holding me and elbowing me. I’m happy but I still wanted the knockout. I just didn’t have enough time. At the end of the day, I am the new undisputed champ at 154 and the first boxer to be undisputed champ twice.”

Shields said she was happy to have accomplished her latest piece of history in front of her family and friends in Flint, even if the pandemic meant a lot fewer fans in attendance.

“With Covid, we couldn’t have a full capacity. There are 300 here and that’s the capacity of the day, so we have a full house. We couldn’t have full capacity, but I know if we could have, we would have had 6000 people in here. I’m happy to have been able to do it here (in Flint). I started boxing here at Berston Fieldhouse at 11 years old. Never in a million years did I think I’d be on pay-per-view and fighting for an undisputed title and be one of the biggest stars in boxing. I just wanted to win an Olympic Gold medal. God has given me two Olympic medals. I have 12 championship belts now. It doesn’t feel real to say undisputed twice.”

When asked about two of her remaining rivals in boxing, fellow superstar Katie Taylor of Ireland and her one-time conqueror in the amateurs, Savannah Marshall of the UK, Shields brimmed with confidence.

“Katie Taylor is not the worry. 147 pounds is. They’d have to pay me a lot to lose my butt and go down to 147. At the end of the day, I’m a woman. I don’t have big breasts, but I got a nice butt, so come with that dough and I’ll be there. At least a million and I’ll be there.

“Savannah Marshall can’t f*** with me. Let’s keep it real. Savannah Marshall, you won a lucky decision when we were kids. Also London was hosting the Olympics. If you want to gloat about beating me 14 points to 8… come on now. And then I went on to become world champion in three different division and she broke. She knows she cannot and will not ever be able to f*** with me. She can come to America. I will go to the UK. We can go to Mexico. We can go anywhere, and I will f*** her up. She knows that. She’s scared of me. Savannah Marshall can get it. Tell Eddie Hearn, he came that whack-ass 250K. Tell him to come with 500K… 750K if he wants me to go to the UK and smoke his girl. Pay me.”

Dicaire continued her graciousness in post-fight questioning and promised not to let the loss dampen her future in the sport.

“I think Claressa did a good job tonight,” said Dicaire. “Tonight, she was the best. Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn. Tonight, I learned. I think this is just going to allow me to grow stronger. I don’t box to protect my record or keep my record at 0 losses. I box to beat champions. Tonight, I had the chance to fight the real champion. She won this time but count on me to go back to the gym and work hard and be world champion again for sure.

Shields, who says her much-publicized MMA debut will likely be in Las Vegas in June, threw 409 punches in the fight and landed 128 including 34.9% of her power punches. Dicaire threw 263 punches in return but landed just 31.

“Flint Michigan got the baddest boxer in the world!” said Shields to her fans. “We two-time undisputed. Pacquiao who? Canelo who? When someone else does what I did let me know.”

In the night’s co-main event, Houston’s undefeated **Danielle Perkins** (3-0, 1 KO) showed marked improvement and had a much easier time in her rematch against Georgia’s **Monika “Lay Em Down” Harrison** (2-2, 1 KO), scoring a dominant eight-round unanimous decision while picking up the WBC Silver Heavyweight Championship in the process.

The former amateur world champion Perkins used every bit of her superior athleticism, 6’ height and 72-inch reach to move around the ring and keep the 5’ 10” Harrison at bay with a punishing southpaw right jab and a steady diet of strong left hands to the head and body. At times, Referee Michael Griffin appeared to be considering a stoppage, but the durable Harrison kept coming forward and swinging for the fences for all eight rounds, despite the firepower coming her way.

The scores were 80-72 from all three judges.

“I apologize for not getting a knockout. I swear next time I’ll come back and give it to you, Flint,” said Perkins, post-fight. “Monika made some adjustments this time. I hit her with some solid hammers and that girl stayed on her feet so kudos to her.”

Perkins threw 353 punches in the fight and landed 121 including 40.9% of her power shots. Harrison threw 273 shots, but only found a home for 21 of them.

“I want to be the undisputed female heavyweight champion of the world,” continued Perkins. “I want to be the best you’ve ever seen.”

Undefeated bantamweight **Jamie “The Miracle” Mitchell** (6-0-2, 43 KOs) of Pacific Grove, California, looked impressive in battering and stopping more-experienced veteran **Noemi “La Rebelde / No-No” Bosques** (12-16-3, 2 KOs) in five one-sided rounds.

With the two-fisted punishment from Mitchell steadily increasing with every passing round, Referee Gerard White decided the stumbling and retreating Bosques had had enough and mercifully waved the fight off at 1:49 of the fifth.

“I was just zoned out. I was doing whatever fit the moment,” said Mitchell, post-fight. “That’s how I got the knockout. Thanks to my coaches and thanks to Claressa Shields for putting me on this card. This is an unforgettable moment for women.”

Prior to scoring the technical knockout, Mitchell landed 48% (80/167) of her power punches, and 40% (94/234) of her total punches. Noemi Bosques only landed 24 of 153 punches.

“I like to pick on myself to do better,” said Mitchell of her performance. “There were certain things I wanted to do, but they don’t call this girl a gatekeeper for nothing. I wish I had gotten her out of there quicker and been crisper with my jab. She was a bit tricky.”

In the opening bout of the broadcast, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist **Marlen Esparza**(9-1, 1 KO) stayed busy ahead of her scheduled challenge of WBC Flyweight Champion Ibeth Zamora in April with a dominant six-round unanimous decision over Canada’sShelly Barnett (now 4-4-2, 2 KO).

Barnett tried to be aggressive, but Esparza’s skills allowed her to pot shot her bigger opponent, nearly at will, especially as the fight wore on. “We knew she was tough and bigger,” said Esparza. “I wanted someone with more weight because I never fight above 112 lbs. and I think I handled it well. I’m happy about the way everything played out. I’m happy to have been part of this event and to be working with Claressa again.”

Esparza threw 352 punches in the fight, landing 126, including 26 body shots and 38.4% of her power shots. Barnett threw 291 and landed 49. The judges’ scores were 60-54, 6-53 x 2.

On the free pre-show portion of the pay-per-view, middleweight Timur Kerefov stayed undefeated (11-0, 6 KOs) with a TKO 3 over Saint Petersburg, Florida veteran Manny Woods (now 16-11-1, 6 KOs). Woods left eye couldn’t hold up under the onslaught of punches from the Russian former amateur star. The time was 1:06. Kerefov, Detroit via Shalushka, Russia and now training at Kronk Gym, threw 190 punches in the abbreviated encounter, landing 80, including 24 body shots. Woods threw 122 and landed just 17.

**SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE** was presented by **Salita Promotions** in association with **Groupe Yvon Michel**, dedicated to this year’s International Women’s Day (Monday, March 8, 2021) and proudly sponsored by online gambling titansBetonline.net and plant-based online marketplace Vejii.
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boxing, FITETV, women's boxing

Marie-Eve Dicaire determined underdog against Claressa Shields in “Superwomen” PPV this Friday Night

March 2, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

MONTREAL (March 1, 2021) – Unbeaten underdog Marie-Eve Dicaire, the reigning IBF female super welterweight World champion, has fully prepared physically and mentally for this Friday night’s undisputed showdown against undefeated WBC and WBO title holder and self-proclaimed GOAT **Claressa Shields**(10-0, 2 KOs).

A tribute to International Women’s Day, “**SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE”** will be broadcast live in USA on InDemand Pay Per View and streamed live on FITE.TV, and in Canada On Canal Indigo, Bell TV, Shaw TV and streamed live on FITE.TV and YOOP. starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, from Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. (To pre-order on FITE.TV go to www.fitetv/watch/shields-vs-decaire/2p8qn/).

Dicaire (17-0), a popular French-Canadian boxer, understands and fully appreciates the significance of “SUPERWOMEN”, and what an upset victory would do for her building brand, particularly outside her native Canada.

“I allowed myself to be excited,” Dicaire explained. “I know it is a significant fight, but I made sure I’m focused on the task I need to accomplish and not the outcome of the fight. My strategy is based on my skills. Where she puts her focus is up to her. On my side, I did everything I had to get ready for this fight. And I am!

“I’ve always said that boxing is a passion, and I am happy to make a living out of it,” she said. But, to me, it is more than that. It is a way to inspire people, to change society’s mentality. I want to achieve greatness to inspire people to dream big and this is what this fight is all about to me.”

Last year, 2-time Olympic boxing gold medalist Shields, who will be fighting Dicaire at home in Flint, Michigan, signed a multi-year deal with mixed-martial-arts promoter PFL. Her transition to MMA will reportedly happen this year.

Dicaire, ironically, was a world amateur champion in karate before transitioning to boxing, in which she has defeated five world champions.

“My karate background has always been a powerful tool for me in terms of mindset and work ethic,” Dicaire commented. “I was built in martial arts and I think it is what made me the strong athlete that I am now.”

This Friday night ***Shields vs. Dicarie*** will determine the No. 1 woman in the super welterweight division, if not in all of boxing.

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@groupeyvonmichel
@yvonmichelGYM

boxing, women's boxing

Boston featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. Benefited from sparring with undisputed world lightweight champion Katie Taylor

February 20, 2021 FNU47 Leave a comment

BOSTON (February 17, 2021) – Boston featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. hasn’t made his pro debut yet, but he did get the opportunity to recently spar with undisputed world lightweight champion Katie Taylor (17-0, 6 KOs), the 2012 Olympic gold medalist from Ireland, who was a 5-time AIBA world champion as an amateur.

The 28-year-old Anderson, who is managed by Ryan Roach’s Fighter Locker, was supposed to make his pro debut earlier this year in Mexico. He showed up but his opponent tested positive for COVID-19 and their fight was canceled.

Taylor frequently travels from Ireland to Connecticut, where she prepares for fights with her trainer, Ross Enamait.

Anderson, a union Sheetmetal worker in local 17, was a decorated amateur who won a gold medal at the 2016 Rocky Marciano Tournament, as well as The New England’s Tournament twice in 2018-2019, and won Central Division of the New England Golden Gloves Tournament twice and runner-up twice during his four-year (2016-2019) run. He also competed in three national tournaments.

Anderson benefitted from being a southpaw when his trainer, Marc Gargaro, was contacted by Enamait about needing a lefthanded sparring partner for Taylor. “I’ve only sparred with her once,” Anderson said, “but I believe I will be getting more work with Katie at her training camp in the near future. I’ve already been asked back for more sparring.

“In the ring, Katie is patient, sharp, and quick with her combinations. She also doesn’t waste any movements all all. She is very tough and aggressive. Outside the ring, she is very nice, always smiling when talking, and a generous, decent human being.”

There’s nothing better for a young boxer than to train and spar with a world-class athlete, even if it’s a female against a male, the experience in invaluable.

I believe getting experience with a world champion helped me build up my confidence. It definitely opened my mind and eyes to trying new things like different movements and combinations, as well as make sure my defense and foot work was on point. Learning to become better at changing the tempo of combinations I was throwing. Also, realizing the things Katie did during and after sparring, understanding her mentality, and letting me know and see what it takes to be the best in the world, will help me grow big-time as a boxer.

“It is a little different sparring a woman but, honestly, it helped me work on my craft in areas I’ve been trying to improve on. I am still available to give and get good, solid work and effort. It’s expanding my mind, I was still able to pick and choose when to dig hard shots to make sure I was still solidly sparring for her, unlike with guys’ majority of punches are thrown hard.

Ortiz’ manager Ryan Roach commented: “This is a great opportunity for Troy. Anytime you share the ring with a world champion, even sparring, is a great way to elevate your level of confidence. As many know there are a lot of levels to this sport and these opportunities are crucial in building a fighter. I am really proud of Troy. His debut got pushed back, but he’s stayed in the gym and remains positive waiting for his shot. He has a great coach and team at Nonantum Boxing.”

Sparring Taylor may not have erased the disappointment of Anderson’s pro debut being canceled; however, the experience will surely make him a better fighter.

“Sparring a world champion was unbelievable,” Anderson concluded. “Just having the opportunity to step foot in the ring with world champion Katie Taylor was amazing. Literally, leading up to the day of sparring, that’s all I could focus on and think about. I was extremely locked in, because I wanted to give Katie Taylor good work and show her that reaching out to my coach Marc was not a mistake, and his words about me were solid. Seeing how Katie is when moving, throwing combinations, and on defense picking and choosing when to be aggressive and not, is unexplainable. It was truly a blessing and I will forever be grateful and thankful for the experience and opportunity to be able to spar with a world champion, Katie Taylor”

INFORMATION:

WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com

FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker

TWITTER: @RoachRyan, @_troyandersonjr

INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER: Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.

Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

boxing, Top Rank, women's boxing

FED UP FEMALE BOXERS DEMAND FAIRNESS AND A PLATFORM

December 10, 2020 FNU47 Leave a comment

Boxing’s top female athletes have no “home”, no network to showcase their talent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW 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, a two-time Olympic gold 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, “It’s (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. All three. 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,” said 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,” said 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,” said 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, the media, 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.

boxing, USA Boxing, women's boxing

The late Johnny Tapia remains strong influence for Albuquerque amateur boxer Sharahya-Taina Moreu

November 27, 2020 FNU47 Leave a comment

The late Johnny Tapia remains strong influence for

Albuquerque amateur boxer Sharahya-Taina Moreu

2020 USA Boxing Nationals, Dec. 5-12, Shreveport, Louisiana

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (November 23, 2020) – The late, great Hall of Fame boxer Johnny Tapia played a significant role in the development of Albuquerque welterweight Sharahya-Taina Moreu, and the 3-division world champion remains a strong influence in her life.

During the COVID-19 pandemic she has been preparing to compete in the 2020 USA Boxing National Championships, December 5-12, at Shreveport Convention Center in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Tapia (shown below with his tattooed back to Moreu) helped Sharahya-Taina overcome the life-changing tragedy of her mother’s automobile accident. She was only eight at the time, laying on her mother after the accident, and the first out of the car and onto the highway asking for help.

“At first,” she spoke about her relationship with Tapia, “I was regretful and angry, getting into fights and on a bad path. I got into boxing at 12, took anger management, and became motivated.”

Tapia, who was a 2-time National Golden Gloves champion as an amateur, had a tremendous impact on Moreu’s life, something that will never leave her heart and soul.

“We became like family,” the 21-year-old explained. “At first, he (Johnny) didn’t like girls boxing, so he worked me really hard. I was a good basketball player and he kept telling me to go play basketball. But he became a big person in my life, I think, because I had lost my mother at such a young age. He helped me in and out of the ring in so many ways. Johnny Tapia was the nicest, most humble man I’ve ever met. We became family until the gym fell apart. He only coached me for about eight months, but he taught me that boxing defines you as a person. I feel safe in the ring. I’m a better person because of Johnny and boxing.”

Training with her father/coach Yoruba Moreu during the pandemic, although it was challenging to find good sparring, hasn’t been as much of a problem as for others because her gym is in the backyard. She hasn’t been in a fight since last December’s Olympic Trials.

“I’m excited to get back in the ring because I’ve gone too long without competition,” Moreu looked ahead to Shreveport. “It’s definitely going to be different, because there are a bunch of new faces coming for the number one spot, which makes it fun and worthy to fight.”

Proud to represent the United States in competition, Sharahya-Taina is proud of her Native American and Puerto Rican heritage, and she’s taken up the cause fighting for women.

“I love to embrace both sides of my culture,” she commented, “representing my Acoma side from my mother and Taino lineage from the Puerto Rican blood in me, and that’s why my name is Sharahya-Taina. Every day is a fight for women. I’m just making it known and clear that we are here to stay. I’m not just fighting for myself. I’m also fighting for my family, ancestors and the next generation of females who choose to pick up a pair of gloves. The goal is not to be just a champ in the ring, but on the outside, too.”

Moreu has been very successful in her development from youth to the elite division, winning the 2017 Youth National Championships and Western Regional Open, as well as the 2016 and 2017 Youth Open. She’s also been runner-up at the 2018 Elite National Championships and Western Elite Qualifier, plus the 2015 National Junior Olympics.

Sharahya-Taina Moreu is a young woman on a mission. She hopes to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, particularly with her younger brother if they both qualified to be, as she says, “an iconic brother/sister duo in Olympic boxing.”

INFORMATION:

www.usaboxing.org

Twitter: @USABoxing, @USABoxingAlumni

Instagram: @USABoxing

Facebook: /USABoxing

ABOUT USA BOXING: The mission of USA Boxing shall be to enable United States’ athletes and coaches to achieve sustained competitive excellence, develop character, support the sport of boxing, and promote and grow Olympic style boxing in the United States. The responsibility of USA Boxing is not only to produce Olympic gold, but also oversee and govern every aspect of amateur boxing in the United States.

boxing, USA Boxing, women's boxing

Sa’Rai Brown-El : The future of women’s boxing – 2020 USA Boxing Nationals, Dec. 5-12, Shreveport, Louisiana

November 14, 2020 FNU47 Leave a comment

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (November 9, 2020) – The future of women’s boxing, perhaps, is 15-year-old Sa’Rai Brown-El, who has already captured top honors in 11 national and regional tournaments.

Since she started boxing in 2015, Sa’Rai has collected gold medals at the 2019 Junior Open, 2019 National PAL, 2019 & 2017 National Junior Olympics, 2017 Western Regional Open, and Eastern Regional Open in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

“I stayed focused and hungry and, most importantly, humble,” she spoke about her success in the junior division. “No matter how much you’ve accomplished or the number of accolades you’ve gotten, always stay hungry and always strive for more.”

Boxing started for her when she was 10, training at Lugo Boxing and Fitness in Marietta, Georgia. Prior to that in her native Albany (NY), she went to her uncle’s gym and found a pair of boxing gloves.

“I fell in love with boxing when I found that first pair of gloves,” Brown-El explained. “I first started boxing because, at that time, my dad didn’t agree with me. I saw a lot of people who didn’t agree with females competing in a male dominated sport, so I wanted to prove those people wrong. I just love boxing because my whole family boxes.”

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely effected most boxers, who were limited in terms of training and sparring, in addition to being shutout of tournaments. Brown-El, however, made the best of a bad situation, running miles with her siblings, cardio mitt work with her father, and much more.

Brown-El has her sights firmly set on the 2020 USA Boxing National Championships, December 5-12, at the Shreveport Convention Center in Shreveport, Louisiana.

“I am super excited and super focused on the National Championships,” she added. “I am fighting to get on the USA High Performance Team for my second year. I really want this and I will be working hard every day. My goal for now is to be on Team USA for the second time. I want to fight internationally and be Number 1 in the world.”

Brown-El has definitive long-range goals in boxing, starting with the Olympics and finishing as the face of women’s boxing.

“If I win a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics, maybe a second time in 2028, after that I think that will open up great opportunities for me,” the prodigy commented. “I think it’ll especially help me in the pro ranks. Winning a gold medal is my biggest goal right now.

“I want to be the greatest female boxer in the world. I want to be known and I want to make a statement for all females. I really want to shock the world. I eat, sleep, and breath boxing. This is not just a sport for me, this is a lifestyle.”

Sa’Rai Brown-El is on a golden path to stardom. She represents the future!

INFORMATION:

www.usaboxing.org

Twitter: @USABoxing

Instagram: @USABoxing

Facebook: /USABoxing

boxing, USA Boxing, women's boxing

Boxing a family affair for Idaho amateur boxer Kendra Samargis

October 29, 2020 FNU47 Leave a comment

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