Daily Archives: February 14, 2012

Why women box? Courage, pure and simple.

Why women box?  Courage, pure and simple.

Tyrieshia Douglas, Photo: Sue Jaye Johnson

There have been some remarkable truths that have come out about the women who box.   I found the following video about the featherweight boxing powerhouse Tyrieshia Douglas to be particularly moving.

Please give this a view.  Her honesty and straight forward compassion for her family are overwhelming.  We need more people like Tyrieshia in the world.  Kudos to Andre Chung for this beautiful video essay.

Please also listen to the WNYC Radio‘s story on her as well:  Tyrieshia Douglas: Boxing is my Mother and My Father.  

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Two, 2/14/2012!

>>> UPDATE!!! 

Saw this update in the Los Angeles Times.  Link is here.

[Updated at 11:27 a.m.:  Patricia Manuel iced her injured right shoulder late Monday but after she awoke Tuesday in greater pain, she and trainer Robert Luna elected to withdraw from the double-elimination tournament rather than risk further injury. “I’m sorry my story ends like this,” Manuel wrote in a text message.]

Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials Day Two, 2/14/2012!

Women's Boxing Olympic Trials, The 24! Credit: Sarah Deming/Huffington Post

For those of you who tuned into the live video stream, you got to watch some very exciting boxing last night!  We’re talking all the drama of a prize-fight with some surprising outcomes such as Franchon Crews‘ loss to Claressa Shields, 31-19. Of course, being a New Yorker, I was cheering on Christina Cruz and was not disappointed.  She fought a terrific four-round bout against Virginia Fuchs defeating her 15-12. One thing that came shining through was the caliber of the boxing!  The competitors truly “brought it” last night!

Press links on the night’s fighting can be found here: USA Boxing,  Chicago Tribune (AP Story), The Seattle Times, and don’t miss Brooklyn’s own Sarah Deming’s piece in the Huff Post here.

The results are as follows:

U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Results
112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas on on walkover over Cynthia Moreno, Phoenix, Ariz., W/O
112 lbs: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., dec. Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga., 24-15
112 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, 15-12
112 lbs: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Latonya King, Harrison Township, Mich., 34-11
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., 22-12
132 lbs: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., 27-10
132 lbs: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio dec. Asia Stevenson, Washington DC, 42-17
132 lbs: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Patricia Manuel, Long Beach, Calif., 18-13
165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., 31-19
165 lbs: Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich., dec. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va., 34-9
165 lbs: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., dec. Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., 18-17
165 lbs: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., dec. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., 16-10

Tonight’s bouts can be viewed online at click the link here.

Tonight’s bout sheets are as follows:

U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Tuesday Bout Sheets

112 lbs/winners bracket: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas vs. Alex Love, Spokane, Wash.

112 lbs/winners bracket: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., vs. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md.

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga. unopposed

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas vs. Latonya King, Harrison Township, Mich.

132 lbs/winners bracket: Queen Underwood, Spokane, Wash., vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.

132 lbs/winners bracket: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio vs. Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla.

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., vs. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif.

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Asia Stevenson, Washington DC vs. Patricia Manuel, Long Beach, Calif.

165 lbs/winners bracket: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., vs. Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich.

165 lbs/winners bracket: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., vs. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa.

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., vs. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va.

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., vs. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif.