Category Archives: Uncategorized

Getting “back”

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Getting “back”

I worked out hard on Saturday — giving it my all so to speak through my sweet 16.  I even got Len laughing when he asked me if I’d eaten my Wheaties!  Mostly it felt great to sweat and to realize that my stamina was such that I could start to maintain speed — not to say that I was rabbiting through all 16 rounds, but the four with Len felt right except perhaps for the last part of the fourth round when I could feel myself flagging.

Back on the double-ended bag after coasting a round I did forge through with speed again — all of which is allowing me to officially proclaim to myself that my goal of gaining some conditioning is finally being met!

For a 50-something out of shape person, knowing that one can get pretty much “back” to conditioning at the six months mark of training is excellent. I can actually throw myself into a jog without dying and when it comes to gym time finally finding some speed is a truly remarkable feeling.  Len even had a little bit of a wince when I threw a left jab at his body followed by the right to the pad — and not that I’m necessarily evil or anything, but that little tiny push back made me feel like a million bucks.

On top of all of this, I finally had a diagnosis for the coughing!  It runs out its something called Laryngopharyngeal Reflux or LPR.  Often called the “silent” reflux, symptoms and signs include coughing, thick mucous at the back of the throat, “postnasal” drip, throat irritations/throat clearing and even sore throats that seem to resolved after a day or two.

The mechanical action is the acid from the stomach backs into the esophagus through the upper esophageal sphincter.  For people who suffer from heartburn, the acid hangs around in the esophagus, however, with LPR the acid actually backs up into the voice box and the back of the throat.  Hence the symptoms!

I went in for a scope of my nasal passages and throat and low and behold, what we found was an enlarged larynx that showed evidence of having had LPR for some time. In speaking with the doctor, he told me that patients do indeed experience breathing problems upon exertion — and that is one of the reasons patients seek medical attention.

As for treatment — the primary one is a change in diet with several huge no-no’s:

  • caffeine, cola beverages, citrus beverages and mints, alcoholic beverages, particularly at night, cheese, fried foods, eggs and chocolate.
  • no eating a minimum of three hours prior to bedtime — and no large meals at night.
  • a primary diet of green veggies and non-acid forming fruits (60%)
  • weight loss.

I’m also being put on something call a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) — a class of medications that essentially prevents the stomach from forming acids.

I still have a few more tests to undergo to rule out a few things, but figure the diagnosis is pretty solid — now it’s just up to me to give up coffee, tea and chocolate 😦 while noting that a mostly veggie diet will certain aid in my weightloss campaign.

For more information on LPR, here are a couple of sites.

Upcoming Women’s Boxing in South Korea!

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Upcoming Women’s boxing in South Korea!

>>>>UPDATE!!!>>>>

South Korean boxing champion Ju Hee Kim (15-1-1, 6,KO’s) dominated Fahpratan Looksaikongdon (7-3, 0-KO’s) in their WIBC Light Flyweight title fight.  This gives Kim her fifth title!  As noted, in an article in the Korea Herald, Kim said “I am so happy to have achieved my goal of becoming champion of the five world organizations.”  Click here for link.

->>>Tonight (July 9th) in Ansung, South Korea the IFBA Mini Flyweight championship bout will pit title holder Dan-Bi Kim (7-2, 0-KO’s) of South Korea against Liu Jian (5-0, 0-KO’s) of China for ten rounds of exciting boxing.

->>>There is also a full card of women’s boxing in Jeollanam-do, South Korea at the Wando Farmers and Fisherman Sports and Culture Center.  These bouts will be televised on KBS-N Sports in South Korea.  (And from Girlboxing’s perspective, giant “ups” to South Korean television for recognizing the value of the sport!)

America’s own “boss” Terri Moss is covering the bouts that will include a ten-rounder pitting WIBA, WIBF, GBU & WBF light flyweight title holder Ju Hee Kim (14-1-1, 6-KO’s) against Thailand’s own Fahpratan Looksaikongdon (7-2, 0-KO’s) (See below for video of Ju Hee Kim).

->>>A second IFBA championship bout will be held on July 16th in Jaechum, South Korea.  In this bout the IFBA Strawweight championship will pit title holder and South Korea’s own Ji-Hyun Park (13-5, 0-KO’s) seeking her seventh straight win against another Chinese contender, Sun Qun Yan (5-2, 0-KO’s).

On a side note, former IFBA title holder Kim Messer will be serving as a fight supervisor for the IFBA organization — a home-coming of sorts as Messer was born in Jaechun, residing in an orphanage there until being adopted by an American family and coming to the United States.

For a preview of Ju Hee Kim, here is video of last year’s ten-round slug fest against Jujeath Nagawa (9-10-1, 5-KO’s) of the Philippines.

The scourge among us.

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The scourge among us.

I’m not sure why I think of boxing as an urban activity.  Perhaps it is because I’m from a city and the references I think of have to do with city life.  Consider boxing genre films which have been replete with images of the city, from Rocky’s Philadelphia landscapes on through the seedy backstreets of John Huston’s Fat City or the tawdriness of Girlfight’s Red Hook.

So why bring up the tiny deer tick in an erstwhile boxing column?  Because there are those of us who live and revel in outdoor spaces – whether training in a storied place such as Catskill, New York, merely spending a day walking through the woods or actually living and working in small cities and towns that afford an urban feel on an otherwise quiet country lane.

Lyme Disease

What happens in those places – and increasingly even in those vest-pocket parks both large and small interlaced as so many canyons between New York’s highest skyscraper peaks – is a tiny insect gloms on to your arm or you leg or in a fold of your neck to grab its afternoon lunch leaving behind a little tiny gift, albeit unbidden and unwanted.

That “gift” is now a scourge among us in the form of Lyme Disease, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis to name the most prevalent of the tick-borne diseases in the North East of the United States (though also moving south and west with comparable strains in Europe).

With new variants developing all the time chronic illnesses have become increasingly prevalent in and amongst the acute phases of the bulls-eye rash, fever and chills, and accompanying joint aches and pains. Even if you only ever call the city your own, it is good to get educated about the possible diseases, their symptoms and treatment, if not for yourself, than for your country-side loving friends and family.

It should also be noted that in New York City alone, there were in excess of 650 cases of Lyme Disease reported in 2009, and that number is expected to climb – and while the main vector for the host is considered to be the white-tailed deer (hence the name deer tick), the disease is also carried by the more prevalent white-tailed mice and may well be moving on to other species.

As spring and summer are the most likely time of year to get these awful diseases – and having seen the effects in family members and friends laid low by such things as Lyme Arthritis, central nervous system disorders and chronic fatigue – I thought it might be a good idea to remind Girlboxing readers that these sorts of illnesses are painful, debilitating and at their worst deadly.

Symptoms and signs to be on the look out for include the following:

–Ticks on your body (see pictures). These are generally small.  If removed promptly say within a few hours of a bite, the rule of thumb is that you’re okay – though a trip to the doctor for a course of AB’s might well be in order if you are unsure when you were bitten. You should also watch out for the bulls-eye rash on the site where the tick was removed.

If you’ve been in the country-side for the day – also please, please, please perform tick checks on yourself, your companions and most especially any children who accompanied you.  Important places to check include the hairline, scalp, and folds and creases of body (behind the knees is a favorite) in addition to the more obvious places.

– Bulls-eye rash (usually several days after a tick bite).  This rash is unique for its shape (round), size (large) and for its general actual appearance as a bulls-eye.  That’s not to say that if you don’t see a rash you don’t have Lyme, quite to the contrary, there are cases where the rash never shows up, is so small as to be missed or may be in a place (such as the scalp) that you just don’t see.

It is also important to note that there is *no* bulls-eye rash present with the other prevalent tick-borne illnesses: Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis.  Some patients do, however, get a rash with Ehrlichiosis that tends to be a bright red with tiny spots and will be found on the extremities and accompanied by flu-like symptoms.

– Unexplained fever, chills, malaise, swollen glands, neck pain, headache, muscle/joint aches and pains, dark urine, and loss of appetite.  These symptoms in differing combinations are part of the general differential.  Note that it may be tough to diagnose, but if you know you’ve been in areas where there are ticks and/or if you been in the park lately it really is a consideration.

Some tips for prevention include:

– Covering up:  Yep, that means if you’re planning on a nice hike through the woods, very little of your skin should be exposed.  So instead of those cutie-pie shorts you’ll need to wear long pants, socks, boots, and long sleeves.  Socks should be folded over pants legs, shirts tucked into your pants and a liberal does of insect repellent applied early and often – especially in those places where you clothing has openings (ankles, waist, wrists, neck and so on).  Even then, the ticks, often very tiny “nymphs” (immature ticks) this time of year have a horrible habit of burrowing into small nooks and crannies (think your feet).

– Tick check:  This is *crucial*.  As soon as you’re back at home, think of yourself as a Gibbon and start picking away at yourself and your companions. To have some fun with it, put on some music, grab a beer and have a tick-picking party. The point is, it needs to become part of your routine, and the more you do it, the better you’ll be at finding and removing them.

– Keep informed:  There are parts of New York State and Massachusetts were it seems as if the norm is to actually have Lyme or have had it at least once.  I’m serious about this – it is getting out of hand and no one’s really talking about it.  In my family alone – every family member who lives in upstate New York has had some form of tick-borne illness at least once if not three and four times.

Since the ticks aren’t going away any time soon, that means it’s up to you to stay informed about the signs and symptoms, the particular permutations for your area of the country and the general trend in the number of cases near you. This also means identifying the right kind of medical care with the knowledge base necessary to treat the disease if for some reason, you or a family member does not respond to initial treatment or gets diagnosed later in the cycle of the illness.  Each of these things has consequences to your health and well-being so with another round of please, please, please, keep informed and make sure you are talking about this with your neighbors and your friends.

Again, just because you might live in Dumbo doesn’t mean you are not susceptible – and for those of you living the good life in a rural or suburban paradise, please take heed.  The ticks out there are multiplying.

For further information there are several great websites I can recommend.  If you are sick – or face the potential of getting sick because of where you live or play, keep in mind the more informed you are, the better you will be able to cope with the consequences.

For more information on tick-borne illness please click here and here.

Other information/Organizations

International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS)

American Lyme Disease Foundation

Center for Disease Control – Ehrlichiosis

Center for Disease Control – Babesiosis

Great women’s boxing on July 30th: Nava v. Torres!

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Great women’s boxing on July 30:  Nava v. Torres!

One of the great fights this past spring was the WBC championship battle between Jackie Nava (24-3-3, 11KO’s) and Ana Maria Torres (25-3-3, 15 KO’s).  After ten fierce rounds, the bout was scored a draw (95-95 by all three judges) leaving neither side particularly happy and setting up the possibility of a rematch.

To the delight of fans, come July 30th these two women warriors will have the chance to ply their remarkable skills a second time on the “Accounts Receivable” card being promoted by Zanfer and HG Boxing at the Metropolitan Center in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas.

For a preview of the great boxing to come — here’s the video of their first meeting curtesy of YouTube.  We are talking ten non-stop action rounds!

 

 

 

Wednesday already!

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Wednesday already!

In a worker-bee world of Monday to Friday, Wednesday aka hump day has become a cliched ritual of the elevator and the water cooler.  “Only two more to go” or “made it to the middle” are typical phrases.  Given that this is a short week (what with July 4th and all) hump day takes on the additional meaning of having already arrived without the usual effort of Monday.

If your week also includes the rituals of the gym — losing Monday (many gyms were closed) might make Wednesday extra special as you head on out and over at some time before or after work to unfurl your muscles in the repetitive ritual of pushing and pulling.

I know for me, I look forward to my Wednesdays when I can whale like crazy on the double-ended bag and the heavybag in no particular order.  Those rounds without a trainer have become as important to me as the rounds I spend with Len.

With the added nuance of summer, there is nothing greater than the buckets of sweat that come pouring off — or the joy of walking out into a sultry evening, the light still early evening bright with the hints of the setting sun to come.

If you happen to call Gleason’s Gym your own, you have the added possibility of strolling down to the water, with the Brooklyn Bridge majestically in your sights, fresh ice cream for your reward and about the loveliest walk possible along with the waterfront, the tip of Manhattan gracing your eyes.

Life truly is good!

Fighting like a girl …

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Fighting like a girl …

David Haye and Vladimir Klitschko, 7/2/11, Photo Credit: Frank Augstein, AP

Did you all manage to catch the Vladimir Klitschko-David Haye fight last Saturday night?

I mean, what *was* that?  It certainly wasn’t a beer-fest because at least people would have been having fun!

From where I was sitting it was one of the most pathetic excuses for a prize-fight I ever saw and that is going some considering the caliber of some of the fighting lately!  A whopping 10 punches connecting in the first round for Klistschko and nine for Haye??  Everyone going wild on twitter because Haye threw three left jabs that actually connected in the third round!  Based on the comments, you’d think he’d been connecting like Christy Martin in her last outing, broken hand and all. Firing impressive double and triple jabs before landing an overhand right or an upper cut or two and bouncing back for more jabs.

No, I had the word right the first time. The fight was pathetic! No heart, no courage, no desire to fight with the kind of flat out determination we’ve come to love, admire and respect when women box … every time!

Consider the recent fight between Kaliesha West and Ava Knight.  We are talking ten hard fought rounds with no let up.  And because both fighters brought their best game to the match they fought to a draw.  In a way that’s about the best outcome you can have because it shows a terrific match-up — and the kind of commitment to the sport that brings on the highest caliber of fighting and heart that runs from the opening bell to the finish. And what you didn’t see was West or Knight feigning falls to the canvas for a respite. Nor did you see either fighter playing peek-a-boo or goading or any of the number of ridiculous feints that Haye used as his “fight” plan to actually avoid having to go toe-to-toe in the center of the ring.

Nope, from where I sit, it’s time to get schooled by some real fighting:  watching two high caliber female professional boxers having at it for ten rounds of fighting. Or for that matter, did you catch the recent US Nationals?  Or say any amateur or pro show lately where the action part of the card was the women’s fight?? Where are Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti when you need them?  I’ll tell you where, on the women’s card.

Klitschko and Haye promoted their fight as “The War.”  From where I sat, it was more like “The Wimp.”

Enough already, it’s time to fight like a girl.

Oh, and if you want to support a real fighter — consider joining the letter writing campaign being spurred on by Mark A. Jones and Amy Green to get the great Lucia Rijker inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.  Talk about a boxer with heart, she remains amazing!

If nothing else, show that your tired of the kind of hype that excuses boxing by writing to the IBHOF on Lucia’s behalf!  You’ll feel great afterwards!! (Letters can be sent my snail mail or fax!)

IBHOF
1 Hall of fame Drive
Canastota, NY 13032
FAX: 315-697-5356.

Women’s boxing from South Korea to Sierra Leone.

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Women’s boxing from South Korea to Sierra Leone.

Boxing in South Korea!

I came across this video about the growing popularity of women’s boxing in South Korea. The sport has seen a huge surge since South Korean actress, Lee Si-young won the 7th National Women’s Amateur Boxing Championships in the 48Kg weight class recently. The video is a nicely balanced piece and highly recommended.

Fighting for the Gold in Sierra Leone!

This short video is a beautiful visual montage of the challenges facing the Sierra Leone women’s amateur boxing team as they prepare for the 2012 Olympics in London.  The moving piece shows the true spirit of the game.  The images are by photographer Lee Karen Stow. (Further info on the photographer is here and here)


Friday night fights: Women’s Boxing Results!

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Friday night fights: Women’s Boxing Results!

Truth be told, I’m still over the moon about the tremendous efforts shown by the top amateur women’s boxers at the 2011 Nationals in Colorado Springs!  Talk about a wow! There was, however, even more terrific fighting around the pro ranks.  Here’s a smattering of what happened in Friday night action:

Ana Julaton (r) and Angel Gladney, Photo: MPSportsimages

Ana “The Hurrican” Julaton (9-2-1, 1-KO) stepped up in weight to the 128lb weight class to defeat Angel “Non-Stop” Gladney (6-4-1, 5-KO’s) in a slug-fest on Friday night at the Dade County Auditorium on Friday night. The non-title bout proved Julaton’s punching power in the 8-round toe-to-toe match of skills and power.  Julaton’s promoter Allan Tremblay was quoted as saying “This is the best performance I’ve ever seen out of Ana! She did everything from superior body punching, opening up with the right hand, using the uppercut and of course her signature jab!”

Melissa McMorrow, 2009, Photo: Mario Cabera, Jr.

The New York State Women’s Flyweight Title went to Melissa McMorrow (5-2-3) in a split decision over Eileen Olsezwski (7-3-2).  The fight was the co-feature at the Cordon Bleu in Woodhaven, Queens on Friday night (6/24) with the judges scoring the bout 78-74 McMorrow, 78-74 Olsezwski and 79-93 McMorrow.   It should be noted that Olsewski, the women’s WIBA and GBU title holder retained her titles as the bout was not a santioned championship fight for those titles.  McMorrow lost her previous fight to Gleason’s own Keisher Mcleod-Wells in a squeaker.

Melissa "Huracan" Hernandez @ Gleason's Gym

At the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Canada, Gleason’s own Melissa “Huracan” Hernandez (15-2-3, 5-KO’s) was a last-minute opponant against boxer Jelena Mrdjenovich (24-8-1, 12 KO’s), but that didn’t stop her!  Hernandez took the fight with a split decision.

Mrdjenovich’s original oponnent was Bosnia’s Irma Balijagic Adler in what had been promoted as a WIBA featherweight title headliner on KO Boxing’s seven-bout No Turning Back card. Adler was scratched from the fight on Wednesday after she tested positive for hepatitis B.


Call me Boxer!

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Call me Boxer!

As with the practice of any sport — one has good days, bad days and those merely tolerable days.  Then there are the months (or years) off to contend with before hauling you heiny back to the gym, the running track or the yoga studio to begin again.

My sojourn back into the boxing world began last October with a few forays before starting my weekly workouts at the beginning of the year.  Those Saturday’s with Lennox Blackmore have now stretched into one to two more gym days on my own each week, plus my occasional shadow boxing turns around the living room, and those silly flurries I throw walking down the street or in the elevator when I think no one’s watching me (wrong of course because they *all* have cameras!).

It’s gotten to the point where my daughter won’t walk down the street with me if I so much as twitch my left arm towards a surreptitious hook, not to mention the silly skip shuffle (you know the one — the side-to-side shuffle before dipping down to the right to throw an uppercut).

Okay, I guess you get the point.  I’ve got boxing on the mind, the body — and it seems the soul these days.

Meanwhile, back at the scratchy mirror at Gleason’s, I must admit (with some difficulty) that the body facing back at me as I throw my left-left-right-left combo take a shuffle and throw a right upper cut-right-left combo, well, doesn’t exactly fit my image of a boxer.  I mean, geez, I’m what you call a geriatric boxer, okay a geriatric boxer who sweats a lot, and works her butt off into a frenzy of red-faced, sweat-pouring action, but still, I can’t quite see the cuts in those muscles that I *know* are there. (Kind of like my stealth six-pack.) Nor does my body quite move with the economy and swiftness of the young one’s who box alongside me throwing three punches for every one of mine.  I mean really — do they have to be *that* fast.

I guess I’m on this tear because I’ve gone to get my breathing and coughing problem sorted out.  (More later.) As I described my problem to the Pulmonary specialist, it was that little, “you do what?” moment that kind of got to me. “YES, I box,” I said, perhaps a bit forcefully when he opined that I didn’t exactly *look* like a boxer.

Well, yeah, okay… I’m a geriatric superwelterweight with middleweight tendencies of late, I thought to say … so what. I know in my heart of hearts I’m a boxer.  Got it!

Suffice to say, I was less than happy when he seemed to impune my boxing creds or the fact that I have a normal 16-round workout these days that leaves me still standing, albeit in a pool of water.

He did, however, redeem himself, when after the pulmonary function test — as I sat coughing my lungs out — he said, “wow, you really do have a problem. Does this happen every time you box?” And to my affirmative answer he said, (as my heart began to flutter), “This is terrible. I know how much boxing means to you, we have got to get you sorted out.”

Well.  Here I am to say, yep, I *am* a boxer (my very nice Pulmonologist agrees too) even if my silhouette these days is not exactly as svelte as I once was, or “cut” in the ordinary way of a boxer’s body.

As for the breathing/coughing problem — the great news is it’s not exercise induced asthma.  The surprising news is that it may be related to a reflux problem in the esophagus (who knew) or due to a weird malformation in the vocal chords.  I’ll be going to a cough specialist to get some more tests (this is New York, after all) and otherwise am learning to work through the problem as I box so that I can keep going.

2011 USA Women’s National Boxing Champions crowned!

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2011 USA Women’s National Boxing Champions crowned!

Saturday proved to be a banner day for women’s boxing!

Marlen Esperza wins her 6th straight National Title. Photo: Ed Andrieski/AP

Flyweight and Houston’s own Marlen Esparza made history last night when she became the third female fighter to win her sixth consecutive national boxing championship boxing title, 27-16, in a rematch of last year’s championship title match with Tyrieshea Douglas (Baltimore, MD.)

Marlen Esperza (L) and Tyrieshea Douglas, Photo: Ed Andrieski/AP

As quoted by AP, Esparza said, “It’s the big show for every athlete. It’s huge.” Esparza went on to talk about her opportunity to compete in the Olympic trials. “I’ve always wanted to be able to go to the Olympics since I won my first national championship. I’m putting everything into it, the best years of my life. It’s my life goal.”


Queen Underwood landing a left to Tiara Brown's head, Photo: Jack Dempsey/AP

Seattle’s own Queen Underwood fought a close four round contest in the Olympic Lightweight division to take her fifth national National crown by a 23-21 decision over Tiara Brown.  In a closely fought battle of wills Underwood and Brown went toe-to-toe for much of the bout trading shots and fighting in the clinches. Underwood was able to come on strong in the forth round, however, with a flurry of clean, well executed shots to bring home the crown.  Coming into the quarter-finals Queen was quoted as saying, “I’m the defending champion, so that’s a lot more pressure than being anybody’s favorite,” Underwood said. “A lot of people are expecting me to win every time. … This Queen is the Queen transforming to that gold medalist at the 2012 Games. This Queen you’re seeing is going to be a beast.” (Article link here.)

Franchon Crews

In the final women’s championship bout in the Olympic Middleweight division, former national champion and Baltimore’s own Franchon Crews fought a very close contest against former national champion Alyssa DeFazio (Peoria, AZ).  Crews however, pulled out the win with a 15-13 decision.

 

Women’s Olympic Championship Bout Results:

112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., 27-16

132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Tiara Brown, Lehigh, Fla., 23-21

165 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Alyssa DeFazio, Peoria, Ariz., 15-13

Women’s Non-Olympic Championship Bout Results:

106 lbs/female: Amy Sowers, Bozeman, Mont., dec. Marina Ramirez, Las Vegas, Nev., 21-14

119 lbs/female: Haley Pasion, Waipahu, Hawaii, dec. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., 11-11 (87-86)

125 lbs/female: Heather Hardy, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Elizabeth Leddy, Portland, Maine, 21-12

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio, dec. Luvisa Matali, Denver, Colo., 27-14

152 lbs/female: Stephanie Taylor, West Hills, Calif., dec. Amournix Stamp, Milwaukee, Wis., 9-1

178+ lbs/female: Charnita Johnson, Columbus, Ohio (unopposed champion)

women’s nationals – bronze medal winners!

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Women’s nationals – bronze medal winners!

Last night, the consolation bouts were held to determine the bronze medal winners for this year’s national championship titles.

In the women’s Olympic weights — while all six fighters will have the opportunity to duke it out at the Olympic trials next year, coming in as bronze medal winners will sure be sweet.

Christina Cruz, training at Gleason's Gym, Photo: Beatrice de Gea, NYT

New York’s own Christina Cruz, (New York, NY) is this year’s women’s flyweight bronze medal winner having defeated a game Poula Estrada, (Palmdale, CA), 13-7. Christina will also be representing the Unites States in the upcoming debut of women’s boxing at the Pan-Am Games this fall.

N’yteeyah Sherman, (Barberton, OH) who lost a 23-23 decision to Queen Underwood based on the punch count, handily defeated Lisa Porter, (Northridge, CA), 19-11 for the lightweight medal.  This is exciting indeed for Sherman who is walking away with the bronze in her first-ever nationals.

Tika Hemingway

In the 165 weight division, Tika Hemingway, (Pittsburgh, PA), won a close battle over Tiffanie Ward, (Hacienda Heights, CA), 16-14, for the bronze.

The finals will be fought today with the the non-Olympic women’s weight classes fighting at 2:00 PM.  The Olympic weight classes will begin this evening at 6:00 PM.

There will be a LIVE WEBCAST on USA Boxing’s website (click here) starting at 6:00 PM MT — and the chance to preview your future Olympic heroines in actions!

 

Friday’s Consolation Bout Results area as follows:

106 lbs/female: Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii, dec. Elizabeth Rodriguez, Gilroy, Calif., 17-11
112 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Poula Estrada, Palmdale, Calif., 13-7
119 lbs/female: Nephateria Miller, New Haven, Conn., dec. Lindsay Bartels, Omaha, Neb., 30-22
125 lbs/female: Lori Argumedo, Commerce, Calif., dec. Emily Dgnan, Jasper, Tenn.
132 lbs/female: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio dec. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., 19-11
141 lbs/female: Ariel Beck, Deer Lodge, Mont., dec. Kathleen Walsh, Rankankama, N.Y., 19-10
152 lbs/female: Faith Franco, Duarte, Calif., won on medical disqualification over Diona Wigand, Lexington, Ky., Medical-DQ
165 lbs/female: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., dec. Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., 16-14
201+ lbs/female: Dominic Breazeale, Anaheim, Calif., won on medical disqualification over O’Jayland Brown, Sacramento, Calif., Medical- DQ

 

Women’s nationals semi-finals – Day 4!

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Women’s Nationals Semi-Finals – Day 4!

We are talking really smoking hot in the Olympic divisions!!!

Flyweight!

Marlen Esperza, in training

Marlen Esperza (Houston, TZ) did not disappoint when she handily defeated New York’s own Christina Cruz 9-3.  With this victory, Esperza will be competing for her sixth straight national title in the Finals.

Tyriesha Douglas (L)

Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, MD)  defeated contender Poula Estrada (Palmdale, CA) by a score of 17-11.  This will set up an exciting rematch of the Esperza v. Douglas 2010 National Championship battle!

Lightweight!

Queen Underwood

In a real barn-burner live tweeted by writer Raquel Ruiz, the momentum of the fight shifted back and forth between four-time champion Queen Underwood (Seattle, WA) and contender N’yteeyah Sherman (Barberton, OH) competing in her first national tournament.  They traded punches back and forth with Queen using her ring skill to try to outbox Sherman.  In the end, with the score tied 23-23, the judges awarded the win to Queen Underwood with a tiebreaker decision based on the punch count which was scored in Queen’s favor, 116-96.

Tiara Brown

Compared to the Underwood v. Sherman bout, the Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, FL) battle with Lisa Porter (Northridge, CA) was a relative “walk-over” with Brown handily defeating Porter, 13-7.  Underwood and Brown will face each other in Saturday night’s final.

Middleweight!

Franchon Crews

To round out the Olympic divisions, Franchon Crews (Baltimore, MD) defeated Tiffanie Ward (Hacienda Heights, CA) in another close contest by the score 14-13.  The former champion will meet Alyssa DeFazio (Peoria, AZ) who handily defeated the former light heavyweight champion Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, PA), 20-14.

A Girlboxing shoutout to all of the amazing women boxers who have participated so far!  Now it’s time to get to work so *ALL* of the female boxing weight divisions will included in the 2016 Olympics!

Here’s the full roster of semi-final women’s bouts.

106 lbs/female: Amy Sowers, Bozeman, Mont., dec. Elizabeth Rodriguez, Gilroy, Calif., 16-10
106 lbs/female: Marina Ramirez, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii, 15-13

112 lbs/female: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Poula Estrada, Palmdale, Calif., 17-11
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., 9-3

119 lbs/female: Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., dec. Lindsay Bartels, Omaha, Neb., 29-15

119 lbs/female: Haley Pasion, Waipahu, Hawaii, stopped Nephateria Miller, New Haven, Conn., RSC-3 (1:44)

125 lbs/female: Heather Hardy, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Emily Dagnan, Jasper, Tenn., 25-9
125 lbs/female: Elizabeth Leddy, Portland, Maine, dec. Lori Argumedo, Commerce, Calif., 24-10

132 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., 13-7
132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio, 23-23 (116-96)

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio, dec. Kathleen Walsh, Rankankama, N.Y., 17-16
141 lbs/female: Luvisa Matali, Denver, Colo., dec. Ariel Beck, Deer Lodge, Mont., 17-11

152 lbs/female: Amournix Stamp, Milwaukee, Wis., dec. Faith Franco, Duarte, Calif., 7-6
152 lbs/female: Stephanie Taylor, West Hills, Calif., won on walkover over, Diana Wigand, Lexington, Ky., W/O

165 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., 14-13
165 lbs/female: Alyssa DeFazio, Peoria, Ariz., dec. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., 20-14

Women’s Nationals Quarter-Finals! – Day 3

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Women’s Nationals Quarter-Finals! – Day 3

Talk about a competition!  The 2011 USA Boxing Women’s Boxing division heated up yesterday with some truly fierce quarter-final action — and for the winners in the three Olympic weight classes (Flyweight, Lightweight and Middleweight), it was not only the chance to move on to the semi-finals, but the guarantee of a berth for next year’s Olympic Trials!

Wednesday Afternoon Action

The afternoon quarter finals included a barn-burner between two four-time national champions:  Queen Underwood (Seattle, WA) and Caroline Barry (Boulder, Co).  The meeting between Underwood and Barry was tough, competitive and highly skilled.  USA Boxing note the round-by-round as a battle of strength and wills with each round a tough fight between the two competititors.  In the end, however, Queen Underwood, coming off of two rousing preliminary bouts was able to pull off the win with a cleanly fought 4th round giving her the 14-10 decision over Barry.  The win guarantees Underwood a coveted spot in next year’s Olympic trials.

Tyriesha Douglas (L)

The good news is that Caroline Barry is that she can still qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials if she emerges victorious at the Women’s Golden Gloves or National PAL Championships.

Queen Underwood will fight in the semifinals against N’yteeyah Sherman (Barberton, Oh).

Full roster of Quarter-final bouts:

106 lbs/female: Elizabeth Rodriguez, Gilroy, Calif., won on walkover over, Natalie Gonzalez, New Rochelle, N.Y., W/O

119 lbs/female: Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., dec. Shanice Herron, St. Louis, Mo., 32-7

119 lbs/female: Nephateria Miller, New Haven, Conn., won on retirement over, Tiffany Griffin, Chicago, Ill., RET-4 (0:00)

119 lbs/female: Lindsay Bartels, Omaha, Neb., stopped Bryonna Sumandig, Tacoma, Wash., RSC-4 (1:47)

119 lbs/female: Haley Pasion, Waipahu, Hawaii, dec. Shanne Ruelas, Fresno, Calif., 26-19

132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Tacoma, Wash., dec. Caroline Barry, Boulder, Colo., 14-10

132 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., 23-8

132 lbs/female: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio, won on retirement over, Jayli Fimbres, Newton, N.D., RET-4 (0:00)

132 lbs/female: Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., dec. Jesse Owens, Virginia Beach, Va. 27-9

Wednesday Evening Action

Christina Cruz, New York Golden Gloves Winner

New York’s own and 2010 National PAL Champion Christina Cruz won a decision over Nicole Pasillas, (Aurora, CO) with a rousing 18-6 decision.  In the other highly anticipated  female flyweight division bouts 2010 USA Boxing National Championships finalist, Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) handily defeated former National Champion Cynthia Moreno (Guadalupe, Ariz.) 25-15.

Rounding out the lightweight division Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.) defeated Berenice Hernandez (Las Vegas, Nev.) 25-14 and Poula Estrada, (Palmdale, Ca.) defeated hometown Alicia Avila, (Colorado Springs, Co) in a closelfy fought contest by a mere, 11-10.

Tika Hemingway

The women’s middleweight division  was no less exciting in a bout between two-time national champions. The reigning middleweight titlist Tiffanie Hearn (Louisville, Ky.) battled the former light heavyweight champion Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, Pa.). According to USA Boxing, “Hemingway took the early lead in the bout, holding a 10-5 edge after two rounds.”  Hemingway was able to win an upset victory with a final score of 17-14 margin. She will face 2009 National Champion Alyssa DeFazio (Peoria, Ariz.) in Thursday’s semifinals.

Franchon Crews

In other exciting action, the rousing fighter of the Pan-Am qualifier, Franchon Crews, (Baltimore, Md.) had a forth round stoppage over Audrey Drew, (Dallas, Tx), RSC-4 (1:10).  To round out the quarter finals, Tiffanie Ward, (Hacienda, Heights, CA) defeated Christina Jensen, (Centereach, N.Y.), 31-11 and Alyssa Defazio, (Peoria, AZ) won her bout over Dara Shen, (Fairfax, VA), 29-10.

Full Roster of Quarter-final bouts:

112 lbs/female: Poula Estrada, Palmdale, Calif., dec. Alicia Avila, Colorado Springs, Colo., 11-10
112 lbs/female: Tyreishia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Berenice Hernandez, Las Vegas, Nev. 23-14
112 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Nicole Pasillas, Aurora, Colo., 18-6
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Cynthia Moreno, Phoenix, Ariz., 25-15
125 lbs/female: Emily Dagnan, Jasper, Tenn., dec. Asia Stevenson, Washington, D.C., 20-18
125 lbs/female: Heather Hardy, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Andrea Peters, Fort Carson, Colo., 22-9
125 lbs/female: Elizabeth Leddy, Portland, Maine, dec. Casey Morton Carissa, San Francisco, Calif., 45-26

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio, dec. Kristin Gearhart, Oak Park, Ill., 13-5
141 lbs/female: Kathleen Walsh, Rankankama, N.Y., dec. Kendra Macon, Charlotte, N.C., 29-11
141 lbs/female: Luvisa Matali, Denver, Colo., dec. Jessica McCaskill, St. Louis, Mo., 14-9
141 lbs/female: Ariel Beck, Deer Lodge, Mont., dec. Rachell Wehrl, Stafford, Va., 21

165 lbs/female: Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda, Heights, Calif., dec. Christina Jensen, Centereach, N.Y., 31-11

165 lbs/female: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa, dec. Tiffanie Hearn, Louisville, Ky., 31-11

165 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., stopped Audrey Drew, Dallas, Texas, RSC-4 (1:10)
165 lbs/female: Alyssa Defazio, Peoria, Ariz., dec. Dara Shen, Fairfax, Va., 29-10

Women’s Nationals results – Day 2

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Women’s Nationals results – Day 2!

Tuesday Afternoon Action

Queen Underwood, training in Seattle

Caroline Barry

Four-time national champion Queen Underwood won her second fight with a stoppage over Darina Mimms yesterday. Four-time national champion Caroline Barry also won her bout against the 2010 Bantamweight National Champion Lauren Fisher (Dania, FL).  This sets up a terrific quarter-final match between Underwood and Barry for the right to enter the semi-finals and an all important berth in the Olympic trials next year.  Look for this fight to be about as exciting as it can get.

The full roster of bouts included:

119 lbs/female:  Amanda Pavone, Burlington Mass., dec. Erica Rosenburg, Fountain, Colo., 18-11

132 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Jody-Ann Weller, Pomona, N.Y., 18-9

132 lbs/female: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., dec. Mikaela Mayer, Marquette, Mich. 14-12

132 lbs/female: Caroline Barry, Boulder, Colo., dec. Lauren Fisher, Dania, Fla., 11-9

132 lbs/female: Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., dec. Sherry Whetten, Tucson, Ariz., 17-9

132 lbs/female: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio, dec. Rita Martinez, Las Cruces, N.M., 19-7

132 lbs/female: Queen Underwood, Tacoma, Wash., stopped Darina Mims, Greensboro, N.C., RSC-3 (0:57)

132 lbs/female: Jayli Fimbres, Newton, N.D., dec. Ishika Lay, Jacksonville Beach, Fla., 12-11

132 lbs/male: Jesse Owens, Virginia Beach, Va., dec. Amorena Baca, Denver, Colo., 14-13

Tuesday Evening Session

Marlen Esperza, in training

In an exciting evening of boxing, the top female flyweights fought simultaneous close bouts. Five-time national champion Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) fought against the 2010 USA Boxing National Championships bronze medalist Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.).

Alex Love

USA Boxing noted that “Love kept the bout close through the first two rounds, but Esparza extended her lead to a comfortable margin late and won a 13-7 final decision.” Esparza will go to fight the former bantamweight national champion Cynthia Moreno (Guadalupe, Ariz.) in the Wednesday night quarter-finals for a berth in the first-ever U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing.

These bouts are particularly heartbreaking for fighters such as Alex Love who have set their sites on fighting in the upcoming 2012 Olympics.

All of the quarterfinal bouts will be contested on Wednesday in two sessions at noon and 6 p.m., with the victors moving on to the semifinals and those in Olympic weight classes earning berths in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

The full roster of Tuesday evening’s bouts are as follows:

112 lbs/female: Berenice Hernandez, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga., 32-13

112 lbs/female: Poula Estrada, Palmdale, Calif., dec. Maryquenn Vellinga, Salt Lake City, Utah, 22-8

112 lbs/female: Alicia Avila, Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Jamie Mitchell, Pacific Grove, Calif., 13-12

112 lbs/female: Cynthia Moreno, Guadalupe, Ariz., dec. Megan Rembold, Oswego, Ill. 27-13

112 lbs/female: Tyreishia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. LaTonya King, Harrison, Mich., 17-11

112 lbs/female: Nicole Pasillas, Aurora, Colo., dec. Autumn Anderson, Bellevue, Neb., 17-16

112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., 13-7

112 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Noemi Bosques, Pinellas Park, Fla., 25-6

141 lbs/female: Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio, dec. Griselda Madrigal, Wenataliee, Wash., 18-12

141 lbs/female: Ariel Beck, Deer Lodge, Mont., dec. Urbana Hernandez, El Paso, Texas, 14-11

141 lbs/female: Jessica McCaskill, St. Louis, Mo., dec. Samantha Griffith, Pittsburg, Pa., 27-18

165 lbs/female: Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., dec. Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif. 13-12

165 lbs/female: Audrey Drew, Dallas, Texas, won on walkover over, Marie Ybarra, Greeley, Colo., W/O

165 lbs/female: Christina Jensen, Centereach, N.Y., dec. Heather Bassett, Jackson, Tenn., 25-9

165 lbs/female: Alyssa Defazio, Peoria, Ariz., stopped Tara Weisshaar, Burlington, Colo., RSC-1 (0:55)

165 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Raven Barnes, Marquette, Mich., 29-7

165 lbs/female: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., stopped Amy Castillo, Bakersfield, Calif., RSC-1 (0:40)

165 lbs/female: Dara Shen, Fairfax, Va., dec. Kalita Marsh, Smithfield, N.C., 18-8

165 lbs/female: Tiffanie Hearn, Louisville, Ky., stopped Melinda Levasseur, Magnolia, Del., RSC-1 (0:55)

West v. Knight: Boxing the way it’s supposed to be!

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West V. Knight: Boxing the way it’s supposed to be!

Ava Knight and Kaliesha West, Photo: Mary Ann Owen

Kaliesha West  (13-1-3, 4 KO’s) and Ava Knight (6-1-3, 3 KO’s) fought ten hard Main Event rounds to a draw this past Saturday night at California’s Pico Rivera Sports Arena on what was otherwise a mixed martial arts and Muy Thai fight card.  The judges scored the bout 95-95, 96-94 Knight and 96-94 West.  The draw meant that West was able to retain her WBO female bantamweight title.

Both women fought their hearts out in their second outing together.  In their first meeting, Knight had handed West her only loss.  One can only hope that their likely third match will be as exciting.

In listening to West’s interview after the fight, the resounding message is one of respect for her opponent and a sincere desire to better her sport.  All I can say is what sports-womanship!  And beyond that, a giant Girlboxing shout to advocate for putting  women’s boxing of this caliber on something other than streaming video!

Ava Knight and Kaliesha West, Photo: Katherine Rodriguez

If ever a fight should have been broadcast it was this one! It was a rematch of a terrific fight. It was Kaliesha West’s first outing after a horrific car wreck — and more to the point these two women CAN FIGHT and represent the best in their generation of up-and-coming strong women’s boxers who not only fight with skill but with heart!

Perhaps with National’s going on now, World’s in the Fall and the Olympic trials next Spring some more momentum will swing towards women’s boxing — but I’ve got to say that the continuing black-out of women’s boxing on main-stream American television not only denies a loyal fan base the opportunity to follow their sport, but importantly denies these tremendous fighters an opportunity to grow and progress as athletes.

It’s time to bring the sport to the next level!

For a nice recap of the fight, check out The Sweet Science here.