Mikaela Mayer vs. Kyong Pak – Lt. Welterweight Semifinals, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images
Women’s boxing had an extraordinary lift last week at the 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.
Watching the talented athletes in the semi-finals and finals on YouTube was a source of great pride — not only from the perspective of cheering on one’s “colors” so to speak, but in knowing that the sport had evolved to the point where those athletes were all true champions.
And yes there were winners and losers … women who are nursing hurt feelings, sore muscles and the terrible disappointments that comes when goals are missed. Sometimes, as in the case of Queen Underwood, the loss was by a point or two in the tough, tough fight of her life — but the fact that she was there at all along with Canada’s Mary Spencer and Afghanistan’s Sadaf Rahimi says something about hard work, perseverance and talent against the kind of odds that can otherwise defeat a person in life, never mind behind the velvet ropes of the ring.
Whether as spectators, Saturday boxers or athletes who are ourselves in the mix, the sight of those young women pushing themselves physically and mentally was as uplifting a gift as I can remember. That it resulted in some press in support of the sport and a bit of a mention on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights was a brilliant arc of light as well. For all of those articles that continued to question a women’s “right” to be in the ring at all, well … perhaps the response should be left to the imagination for now, suffice it to say, if ever there were 325 women who set out to grab a ring for themselves, the women who fought with elegance, grace and sheer force at the world boxing tournament certainly earned the right to be there for generations to come.
WBA Superfeatherweight Kina “Dinamita” Malpartida v. Sriphrae Nongkipahayuth(L), Credit: Ernest Benavides AFP/GettyImages
Competitions come and go as do the emotions that accompany winning and losing. For my “money” so to speak, everyone who participated was a winner and as women go about the real work of boxing — training at the gym, competing in the amateurs and trying their hardest to make something of a professional career, we can strive to make those opportunities better for the young girls who may have been inspired by what they saw.
This summer, 36 women will represent us all in the Olympics, surely that will see all of our dreams come true.
Shelito Vincent vs Carmen Cruz (female bantamweights) – Bringing a good vibe and an infectious smile, the wildly popular Shelito Vincent (3-0 from Providence RI) pounded out her third win as a professional, defeating the debuting Carmen Cruz (0-1 from Fort Meyers, FL) over four easy rounds. Vincent came on strong in the final round, rocking her opponent with a nifty combination to close the show and leave no doubts. Unanimous shutout scores of 40-36 in favor of Vincent serve to illustrate just how dominant she was.
Shelito Vincent set to fight her third bout on May 24th!
BantamweightShelito Vincent(2-0) is set to fight her third bout as a pro boxer on May 24th at the Twin River Event Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Vincent’s opponent in the ring will be Carmen Cruz in her first professional fight. (Contact Lew Beasley to purchase tickets at 860-501-4703. Seats are $35.00)
Before her professional debut against Karen Dulin this past October, Vincent had an 11-4 amateur career, capped by winning the 2011 National Golden Gloves Bantamweight Title at 119 lbs.
Shelito has recently begun training with the legendary Peter Manfredo Sr. She credits him with pushing her to the next level as a fighter, but more importantly, helping her to believe in her own potential.
A native of Connecticut, Shelito has not had it easy. She has overcome tragedy, disillusionment and incarceration, but has found herself back on a more positive road. Her transformation will see her to speak on May 14th at the Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School in New London, CT as part of their “Hope Week” Effective Leadership Conference. Shelito will share her life experiences, struggles, and talk about what she has done to overcome her demons to move on to a better life.
Girlboxinghad the opportunity to pose a series of questions to Shelito about her upcoming fight, but more importantly, about her inspirational story. This is what Shelito had to say.
Q1: Your first started boxing as an 18 year old and then found your way back to boxing later in your life having made a renewed commitment to training and to your amateur and professional competitive career. What has boxing come to mean to you?
A1: Boxing means everything to me. I owe my life to boxing. It got me out of depression, out the streets, off booze. When I was incarcerated all I thought about was what if I took it serious would I be here.. Everyone told me I was good enough to get somewhere. Think back then I didn’t believe in myself. Life is a everyday battle some harder then others… I look to boxing as if I can take blows everyday then emotional pains and blows are nothing… I survive beatings everyday… When you win a tough fight u feel great… Same with battles of life… So to me they symbolize the same.
Q2: A recent article about you discussed how your mother’s untimely death caused you to spiral into a deep depression and eventually some run-ins with the law. What can you tell Girlboxing readers about your road to recovery and how your story can be inspirational to others who have encountered similar setbacks?
A2: Nothing is too big to overcome… Pain is temporary.. You can’t let anything keep you down… With me being openly gay and at a time gay was not accepted like it is she and my Great Grandmother were all I had at that time I lost my grandmother shortly after also… Talk to someone! There’s always someone there… Channel the emotions… These are all things I’ve come to learn… It was a Lil bit deeper then just my that though that pushed me over the edge.. I had a tramatic thing happen to me at 13. Which I’m not ready to let out yet… My team Dena, Mary an Peter my best friend an corner Marcia an Brother Lew keep me focused and on point now…
Q3: You have a loving partner with a four year old son. How has raising a child affected you and what can you share with us about the stability of your family life as you embark upon your professional boxing career?
A3: They make me a better person! Keep me pushing and make me want to obtain bigger goals to build us a better future… His room has all my trophys an accomplishment… I think maybe if these were things I seen everyday maybe that’s what I’d of worked for… Just a theory lol hope it works… He’s a great kid wants to be a ninja an boxer when he grows up lol.. And my woman takes care a me as well as my corner in Peter, Mary, Dena, Marcia, an Lew my Grandmother’s an Father also my family in the Hadley’s an Vincent’s and all my friends that come out an support… I feel complete again… They are my “new family” as well… I have my nieces an newphews that look up to me heavy now… Have to show them what hard work will get you and NEVER let them down!!!
Q4: It has been quite a year for you. You won the 2011 Golden Gloves National Bantamweight title this past July, and then made your pro debut in October. You are also training for your third professional fight on May 24th with a perfect 2-0 record. What has been the secret to your success in the ring?
A4: Listening to Peter with Hard work an Dedication… An respect for the game… Also listening to what the rest a my team and what they suggest… They all have strong points an roles.. I take it all in.
Q5: Your trainer, the legendary Peter Manfredo, Sr. has described you by saying. “She’ll do anything a man will do and more. She’s looking to show everybody, ‘I’m here.'” How do you react to that? What does the gym give you?
A5: Always remaining that person… I have so much respect for Pete… I promise to always give him a 110%… He makes me believe in me and I know we are just going to keep building and getting stronger I mean look at our guys we got Falowo, Ayala, Toca Kahn who is about to shine as a pro! Missy the fury Fiorentino… Look at what JR. did… Being in that building gets me pumped… I love Peter he’s the best… I feel like I found my nest there.
Q6: Women’s professional boxing is replete with women who are finding success in the ring well into their 40s and yet, it is hard to earn a living as a professional fighter. What challenges are you overcoming in order to pursue your dreams of winning a professional world title?
A6: Traveling but it’s worth it… Failure is not an option for me anymore!!! TEAMWORK make a DREAM WORK… I’m chasing my dreams, no obstacles will stop the kid no more!!!!
Q7: As you look into the future, what do you hope to achieve?
A7: Happiness, RESPECT, become a role model an counselor to troubled youth… And WORLD TITLES!!!!!! I know this will take a lot of work but I have great support in my team with Dena and Mary an Zack at Striking Beauties an the girls there… And Peter, Diego Periera and Ron, my dudes at Manfredo’s… I give thanks to Jaime Clampitt everyday also, she pulled me back into the sport!!!
A Boxing ‘Ohana, Sonny Westerbrook and The Kona Boxing Club, Credit: Sasha Parulis
A Boxing ‘Ohanais a documentary in development by the New York based filmmaker, Sasha Parulis. The piece will be a short film about Sonny Westbrookand his gym, The Kona Boxing Club. Set on the big Island of Hawaii, Parulis envisions her work as a tone poem to the hard work of the gym and Sonny Westbrook’s efforts to create an ‘Ohana or family among his young fighters.
Sonny Westbook is most known for his recurring role on the reality show, Dog The Bounty Hunter. Sasha Parulis met Sonny two years ago during a visit to Hawaii and was moved to begin her project. “He is a kind soul,” she said, “People need to know who he is. He is also a mentor to a lot of kids.”
Shalei, The Kona Boxing Club, Credit: Sasha Parulis
It is his role as a mentor to troubled youths that most impressed Parulis. As she notes, while we may all think of Hawaii as a honeymooners’ paradise, the island is beset with the devastating effects of methamphetamine on the community. This has torn families apart and has left a generation of kids with nowhere to turn. What Westerbrook has attempted to build is a place where upwards of 15 young people can go to feel safe and through the discipline of boxing, find a way out of their troubles. In the words of the filmmaker, the story of The Kona Boxing Gym is at heart a story of “transforming the survivors of troubled times into warriors.”
Parulis also sees her film “as an educational outreach tool,” one she hopes will prove inspiring to everyone who watches. She will be returning to Hawaii soon to continue filming with an eye towards having a finished product sometime next year. The following is a clip of her project so far.
For further information the website link for the film is as follows: www.aboxingohana.com
Okay, I promise this won’t be a “boo hoo” post or anything, but I’ve got to tell you having a boxing related injury plain s-u-c-k-s! I mean really, I can’t even put a jacket on these days without a yelp, never mind shadow box! Even my old shower favorite, slip the water streaming out of the nozzle isn’t exactly cutting it and I’ve got to tell you that attempting a run with one arm pasted to the side of your waist is ridiculous!
When I have gone to Gleason’s Gym over the past three weeks, I’ve been downright wistful. I mean there were tons of women there last Saturday for the second annual All Female Boxing Clinic — exciting right? — and even saw my friend, wait for it blogger Amy Scheer,who’d come in for the clinic, but was I elated? The answer is no, I actually felt kind of sad.
Well it seems I am not alone in all of this. Medical scholars are pursuing research in the psychological effects of sports injuries on Saturday athletes like myself on through elite practitioners.
In a journal article for the Journal of Sport Behavior(1994), authors Nancy Quackenbush and Jane Crossman have written that:
… athletes experience feelings of separation, loneliness, guilt and a loss of identity and independence, because they feel that they are no longer vitally contributing to the team and that they are reliant upon others in the rehabilitative process.
The fact is that athletes and fitness enthusiasts get injured all the time, when injuries necessitate time away from cherished activities, however, it is important to understand that recovery is not only physical. There can be a psychological component as well. And just as it takes a long time to build-up skills to a level of one’s own peak performance, rehabilitation of the injury doesn’t happen overnight either.
If I use my own recovery as a case in point, my shoulder rehabilitation is actually progressing. During my first week of physical therapy, I could only use one-pound weights for certain of the strengthening exercises, however at the onset of my third week I progressed to three-pound weights. And sure, it still hurts, and on some days worse than others, but I can actually lift my right arm straight up which I couldn’t do at all in my first week.
My basic four rotator cuff exercises. (Curtesy JumpUSA.com, Topic #474)
And I guess that’s part of the secret. Realizing that progress is relative. That, and giving yourself a kick in the butt for feeling sad at those points when being in a place like your favorite gym usually brings you nothing but joy!
Kaliesha West retained her title through ten rounds of fighting against challenger Claudia Andrea Lopez. West won by majority decision with the judges scoring the bout 98-92, 98-92, 95-95. Having live tweeted the bout, it is really hard to see how the third judge could have scored it a draw. West was firmly in control, though the fight was tough and Lopez’s southpaw style took some getting used to. Kaliesha has been quoted as saying, “Lopez was a crafty veteran who was aggressive during the entire fight. Other boxers avoid her because she is a tough lefty, who has experience fighting good competition. She was what we expected and then some.”
The fight is now on YouTube (albeit in Spanish). You be the judge!
Great championship boxing on April 14th: Kaliesha West v. Claudia Andrea Lopez.
The pride of California, Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West (14-1-3, 4-KOs), the current WBO Bantamweight Champion will be defending her well earned title against Argentina’s own Claudia Andrea “La Chica 10” Lopez(18-5-0, 4-KOs) at the Ernesto Ruffo Appel Municipal Gymnasium, located in Rosarito B.C. Mexico.
For those with access to Televisa, the 10-round, championship take-no-prisoners bout will air as part of their weekly boxing series “Sabados de Corona.” The fight card is presented by Box Latino, and is slated to be led by seven-time world champion, Mexico’s Erik “El Terrible” Morales.
West first won the WBO Bantamweight title in September of 2010 and will be offering her third WBO title defence. Her last fight was in August 2011 when she won handily over Jessica Villafranca by unanimous decision. This will be West’s third fight in Mexico – a place she is beginning to call home especially as there are excellent boxing opportunities for her there.
West’s opponent, Claudia Andrea Lopez has the reputation as a fierce competitor and is taking this fight after winning four straight bouts. A champion in her own right, she is the current WBC Latino Super Bantamweight champion, however, her title will not be on the line in her fight on April 14th,
Boxing News 24 has quoted West’s father and coach Juan West as saying, “I’ve done my research and Lopez is the type of fighter that managers avoid. She’s strong, left-handed, has a solid chin and she’s a champion. She’s had some close losses to highly rated fighters. This is an opportunity for Kaliesha to make a statement and take her game to another level. She is on a mission to gain the respect of the boxing community and to build a broader fan base by grabbing the attention of casual sports fans.”
For women’s boxing fight fans who happen to be in Mexico, tickets will be available at the Ernesto Ruffo Appel Municipal Gymnasium box office or by calling the offices of Bobby D. Presents at +1 (619) 420 8866. On fight night, the doors will open at 5pm, with the first fight starting at 6pm.
Christina Cruz (l.) beats Florina Novac to take record sixth Golden Gloves title. Credit: Ken Goldenfield/NY Daily News
Aside from my absolute joy at the fact that Christina Cruz won her sixth (count ’em) New York Golden Gloves Championship (not to mention that she is the 2012 USA Boxing National Champion at 118 pounds!) boxing has definitely had the better of me lately.
And while I go to bed thinking about my left dig and wake up thinking of how to work in the left hook off the jab, my body isn’t cooperating in fact it’s in downright rebellion what with a labral tear in my right shoulder socket (that’s along the top, a classic repetitive stress injury from banging) and supraspinatus tendinitis (yep, plus a rotator cuff injury)!
Ssssh…. Talk about the proverbial “bummer.”
To go back a step or two, I’ve had intermittent pain in my shoulder area since about Christmas, mostly when I’d throw a right cross and sometimes on the speed bag. It wasn’t awful, but if I moved my right arm back, I yelped a definite “ow.” I was easy on it and figuring to lighten the exercise load tried swimming. It turned out that didn’t work out well either as I could only swim using a Side Stroke because the overhand movements of the American Crawl stroke — and the lateral movements of the Breast Stroke caused even more ows than boxing.
The ouches seemed to subside and I thought, must be a trigger point or something because the discomfort was mostly felt in the back of my arm. Still, it didn’t go away, and I began thinking it might be a rotator cuff injury which can be more serious.
Rotator cuff injuries up to and including actual tears involve the tendons and muscles outside the shoulder joint where the tendons attach the muscles to the humerus (arm) bone.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “A rotator cuff injury includes any type of irritation or damage to your rotator cuff muscles or tendons. Causes of a rotator cuff injury may include falling, lifting and repetitive arm activities — especially those done overhead, such as throwing a baseball or placing items on overhead shelves.”
In the case of boxing, the constant repetitive motion of throwing punches, not to mention, banging away, hard, on heavy bags, pads, not to mention sparring can certainly cause injuries.
With that in mind I headed over to an orthopedist at NYU/Hospital for Joint Diseases and within about five minutes, some “popping sounds” and several pushes on my right and left arms he was convinced I was suffering a rotator cuff problem and ordered up an MRI to be followed by physical therapy.
It was only after receiving the results from the MRI that it became clear that I had both a labral tear along the top of the labram — also called a SLAP tear (Superior Labrum Anterior-Posterior — aka top of the labram running from front to back), as well as tendinites of the supraspinatus tendon at the top of the shoulder. In other words, “ouch.”
After talking it over with my doctor, we both agreed that a conservative approach was preferable, so the next will be physical therapy (tomorrow) with a focus on treatment, pain relief and muscle strengthening to give better support to the shoulder area.
Unfortunately, when it comes to SLAP tears, the alternatives after physical therapy can be rather bleak — as in arthroscopic surgery, though my doctor feels strongly that the physical therapy should do the trick, and with your indulgence I’ll likely write another piece about the physical therapy process once it gets going.
The real cautionary tale here is that if you shoulder is starting to “catch” when you pull your arm back, or if you find it aching to the point of an “ow” after a work out, do get it checked out. There are, it seems, a lot of things that can go wrong with the shoulder — and a good course of physical strengthening of the muscles in the area, as well as good warm-ups may mean the difference, especially if you are shall we say … older!
For some more information on rotator cuff injuries and SLAP injuries here are some links!
Okay, I admit it. I have a case of early spring grumps. We’re talking ridiculous, right? There it was 70+ degrees when I walked out of work yesterday and was I happy? No. I was decidedly grumpy.
Okay, it wasn’t terminal grumpiness or its cousin irascibility and certainly hasn’t drifted to chronic grumpiness, at least not yet, although the cat might think differently after getting soaked with the water sprayer this morning after waking me up at 5:00 AM, yet again. I know, I know, I should love the little kitty and say, how cute as she scratches at the dresser with her paws to say, “wakey, wakey!” … but really, 5:00 AM?
That little discomfort aside I do admit to craving chocolate cake and bags of potato chips: two seriously never, ever eat again foods in my lexicon of things to eat and things not to eat.
Saying it, however, doesn’t mean I have to like it. And while I “get” that in the immortal words of Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, “… the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world,” aka, my larynx, my esophagus and my stomach, I still want to complain.
And that’s the rub. The complaint thing. Sometimes I just want to complain! You know, the old, “why me?” or a personal favorite around my house, “it’s your fault.”
So, meanwhile, back in the real world, the antidote is, as always, those sixteen hard pounding rounds at Gleason’s Gym where lately, the workout has come to mean that space where I can truly say my two favorite chestnuts: “its good to hit things” and “work it out on the bag.”
In the scheme of things, my out-of-sorts mein will right itself (say by the end of this post?), but the space for working things out will remain and whether it’s in my own head, on a walk where I pause just long enough to recognize that 70+ degrees in the middle of March is truly great (while forgetting the climate change thing that could get me to spiral backwards again), eating a truly delicious stalk of asparagus (of the fresh spring farmer’s market variety) or pounding on the double-ended bag, life really is a miraculous experience — even when the grumps get you down.
Gleason’s Gym Second Annual All Female Boxing Clinic!
The World Famous Gleason’s Gym and Brooklyn’s own treasure, will be hosting the second annual All Female Boxing Clinic on April 19, 20 and 21, 2012!
There will be two days of boxing basics followed by a sanctioned all female boxing show. The training will be handled by Gleason’s top female trainers and our female World Champions.
The amateur show will be sanctioned by USABoxingmetro and will be video-streamed live on www.gofightlive.tv with Gleason’s own Sonya Lamonakis providing the on-air commentary.
Last year’s All Female Boxing Clinic was highly successful with contingents from Great Britain and Germany joining women from all across the United States, as well as former Australian national champion Mischa Merz.
From the Girlboxing perspective, it’s a fantastic opportunity for novices on through established boxers to hone their skills plus have the opportunity to work out with some of the best in the business!
If you are interested contact Bruce Silverglade at Gleason’s Gym.
Whether it’s prepping for the first EVER women’s boxing Olympic trials next week or waking up to the fact that there are some fabulous women boxers out there, women’s boxing has arrived!
WNYC Radio has had a fabulous series running entitled Women Box: Fighting to Make History which has included remarkable photo essays by Sue Jaye Johnson as well as radio interviews with Olympic contenders, amateurs boxers, coaches and pro boxers.
Last night, WNYC hosted an event at The Greene Space in lower Manhattan that featured Photojournalist Sue Jay Johnson, 16-year-old Claressa Shields who will be competing in the upcoming Olympic Trials in Spokane, Washington, World Champion Alicia “Slick” Ashley, Golden Gloves contender, Heather Hardy, and host Rosie Perez.
The sold-out event adds momentum to what has become a veritable crescendo of positive media stories that have celebrated the tenacity, hard work and plain courage of these remarkable athletes.
The Greene Space event link is hereand includes the video!
An interview with Chevelle Hallback, Women’s Boxing Champion for the Ages!
Chevelle “Fists of Steel” Hallback first laced up the gloves in 1996. Given that women’s boxing didn’t have many amateur boxing opportunities, she dove right in and fought her first professional fight less than a year later in 1997, earning her first win against Connie Plosser. Hallback has fought continuously since then with an impressive 28-8-2 (11 KOs) record.
On March 2, 2012, Chevelle Hallback will do it again, fighting a rematch against Terri “The Road Warrior” Blair (11-15-3, 6 KOs) at the Civic Center in Tampa, Florida. In a year of firsts, this will be the first female main event boxing match in the state of Florida, an honor bestowed on Hallback in her first fight fought at home since she began her professional career!
“I’m looking forward to fighting at home for the first time in my career,” Hallback is quoted as saying. “Terri and I had a great battle in 2007. She’s fought the best, has never been stopped and I’m training hard to make this an exciting fight for all the fans. I appreciate Terri for stepping up for this fight.”
The “must see” March 2nd card is promoted by Estrada Entertainment Productions in association with Tampa Baby Boxing Promotions and Reyes “Macho Times” Promotions. (Ticket information can be found at www.tampabayboxing.com.)
Girlboxing had the opportunity to speak with Chevelle Hallback who graciously took time from her training schedule to talk about her upcoming bout, her career and her hopes and dreams for the future.
1. You have a fantastic rematch coming up on March 2nd against Terri “The Road Warrior” Blair, what can you tell Girlboxing readers about this fight?
This is going to be a great fight! This is our second time meeting and when I say her name speaks for itself, I mean she is a warrior. She’s been in there with everyone that is a somebody in boxing. I don’t think her record really speaks for her [11-15-3, 6 KOs] because she is an amazing fighter. The truth is, she got the short end of the stick in most of her fights.
Our first fight [in 2007] was a hell of a fight. It was a tough fight. I came out with a win [78-74, 79-73, 77-75, 8×2], but it was a close fight.
With the upcoming bout, the first time I’m fighting at home, history is being made. The first time a female fight will be the main event on a boxing card in Florida. I can’t ask for anything more. I’m just excited about it and grateful!
2. When you fought Blair in 2007, you were quoted as saying, “It was rough. She never hurt me in the fight, but after the fight, those body shots she landed bruised my ribs.” What are you looking for in your rematch with Blair?
She is a “come get you”, “come right at you” style fighter, but I train for everything. I’ve found through experience that when you think a fighter’s going to come straight at you and you train just for that, they may switch it up on you fight night. To prepare myself whatever they may bring, I fight for all different styles. I don’t know what Blair’s going to do this time around, so I’m training for each and every style of boxing that you can think of.
3. Your last two fights were in Europe against Miriam Lamare and Cecilia Braekhus, both great fighters in the female light welterweight division. You’ve made it known that you are itching to have a rematch against Miriam Lamare after a controversial loss in November of last year. How is that going?
Hallback vs. Lamare
I want a rematch with both, to be honest with you. Right now, I’m starting out with Miriam Lamare, I really, really believe that I got robbed in that fight. I really believe that I beat her hands down. The Braekhus fight, it could have gone either way.
I’m going after Lamare first. I personally asked her for a rematch, but I haven’t had any feedback. After the fight my boxing advisor asked the matchmaker of the fight could we have a rematch and he was like, “no,” at the time.
In terms of a rematch I want it. I want to do this again. I went to her woman to woman. The fans want it, even her fans were saying that they wanted a rematch. I feel that I was robbed, and I’ll even go back to France. I just want the opportunity to get a rematch. [See below for video of Chevelle Hallback’s fight against Miriam Lamare.]
4. Can you tell our Girlboxing readers a bit about your boxing career.
I started training on March 20th 1996 to be exact when I first went into a boxing gym, and I turned pro in 1997, I think it was February of 1997. I’ve been doing this for a long time. I don’t have an amateur background. I never fought any amateur bouts at all so it was on-the-job training! But I progressed fast.
I am a student of the game and I used to study fighters like Roy Jones, Jr. and old fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson. I wanted to fight like them. Fighters that had awkward and unique styles.
I’ve been boxing for a long time, but I never took any serious damage during my career and I thank God for that.
5. What are your goals after you’re upcoming match against Terri Blair?
It’s been a long time, but my goal and my dream is to be the first woman to fight on HBO. There’s never been a women’s bout on HBO, not even Laila Ali. That’s my goal. I’m going to keep going till either one of two things happen: I reach the goal or my body tells me it’s time to quit. Right now my body is not telling me that! Like I said, it’s a plan and a goal and I’m striving for it.
I also want to tell Girlboxing readers, no matter how old you are if you feel that you’re capable of anything you keep going pursuing your dream, because if you don’t you end up saying, “I wish”, “I coulda’ woulda'” and it’s too late.
6. You’ve also had an amazing several months because you started the Fists of Steel Boxing Academy, how is that going?
I just started it this past July and it is going great! I love it!
With any business it takes a while for it to build, but it is coming along and I’m happy about it. I have an amateur now and I have a pro fighter, I have my kids and I also have classes. I even have a professional football player taking one of my classes and he loves it.
My amateur fighter, Rebecca just won a fight at the state level. I was very excited about that and my pro fighter will be fighting on the undercard of my fight against Terri Blair on March 2nd.
7. You’ve been in the sport as a pro since 1997 and you’ve witnessed a lot. What are the two or three things that have really changed in women’s boxing since then?
Well, number one, women will be fighting in the Olympics! That’s huge for women’s boxing!
There are more women fighting and it seems that there’s usually one women’s fight on every boxing card these days, especially when it comes to local shows because the women are as good as the men. And more females are getting involved too.
When I first started, I went to the amateur shows, but there was no one to fight. Either they weren’t in my weight class or they didn’t have the skills. That’s why I turned Pro. Now the amateur shows are amazing. There are many more women fighting and the turnout is much bigger.
We still have a long ways to go, but with the Olympics and with what I’m trying to do, we might get it to the half way point where it’ll tip over and get into the spotlight in a positive way … but from when I first started, there’s a huge, huge improvement.
8. If I mention Chevelle Hallback to a room full of female boxers they swoon! They don’t call you “Fists of Steel” they call you “Abs of Steel.” You mean a lot to the sport and continue to inspire a lot of women from professionals on through “Saturday” boxers. What do you tell your own boxers in the gym to keep them going?
First of all, especially when they come in, I ask them, what they want to do and what their goals are. I then tell them what to expect and what the path they’re going to take will be. If they’re there for at least a week, I remind them of their goals and of what they first told me — when I do that I’m talking to them on the inside. It helps people. It is not an easy sport. Sometimes we have to bleed for it.
Most important of all though is when you say you want to do something and you’re determined, and you have it in your heart and in your soul to do it, and you go through whatever you have to go through to do it, at the end of the day you can say, “I did it.”
I think that’s the best reward that anyone can have.
You say, “I did it,” and no one can take that from you. You can give a person a gold medal, or titles or belts, and they’re going to get old or vanish, but what can never be taken away is that you did it. And that’s what I tell my fighters and that’s what I’ll tell Girlboxing readers.
9. Do you have any closing remarks?
Yes. Tell them, Chevelle Hallback is here — and I’m not only doing it for me, but for women’s boxing and for women to do this in the future, “big time”!
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Chevelle Hallback vs. Miriam Lamare Rounds 1 – 8 (Fight starts around 12:00 and is in French)
Chevelle Hallback vs. Miriam Lamare Rounds 8 (end)-10
Whether it is the dangers of the ring, such as the one that has seen Ishika Lay on her long road to recovery from second-impact syndrome, or something closer to home, such as the sudden illness of a relative or friend, living each day to its fullest is an important mantra: even when that means walking away from the things we love to do.
That means not only pursuing your dreams, but knowing when to sit out because the risks are too great.
Have a headache after sparring that won’t go away? Go and get it checked out and follow the mantra: when in doubt, sit it out.
I know we all tend to ignore the long-term effects of our actions or even cast a “blind eye” to their very existence, but headaches and the like are also symptoms of acute problems that can be dealt with much more readily early on. Sometimes it is only a matter of facing down the demons that seem to haunt us when we contemplate the “why” question that prevents us from taking the next step — say to a doctor’s office. Not to do so, however, is to play a dangerous game of roulette with one’s own health and well-being. It is also an example of breaking a cardinal rule that can best be translated as cheating at solitaire.
Here’s another one: Do you have indigestion every time you eat a slice of pizza? Or in the absence of that, cough after every pasta or pizza meal? Has it seemed to escalate at night lately, even when you don’t eat pizza? Go and get that checked! And P.S. … stop eating pizza and pasta till you know what’s going on. At the very least you might have GERD (Gastric Esophageal Reflux Disease), but it also might mean (depending on your age), that you are starting to see changes to the actual make-up of your esophagus (Barrett’s Esophagus) which can lead to “no joke” complications.
I bring this all up because so many of us “live” with things that we think are nothing that end up being a big something in a hurry when we least expect it. When that happens the effects are often horrendous, both to the individual undergoing treatment and to family and friends who suffer along with each bump in the road.
Athletes presumably have a great sense of their bodies – certainly of the cause and effects of too little sleep, poor eating habits and so on; however, that doesn’t always translate into evaluating the relative risks of injuries or of even recognizing that the twinge in a shoulder is really a rotator cuff injury about to blow.
That’s when we all have to take some responsibility not only for our own health and well-being, but for what we see going on around us by taking to heart the “if you see something, say something” mantra. Sure, you might be accused of putting your nose into someone’s business, but you well might recognize something that your sparring partner just doesn’t see.
Part of living each day certainly translates into living it with gusto, but we also need to be cognizant of all the aspects of our day, even the things we’d rather ignore. The problem is the things we ignore have a way of slamming us in the face whether we acknowledge them or not, and for my money, it’s better to face an issue head on than wait for the unexpected surprise.
Some days are filled with big things and others have the “usual suspects.” The same it seems with working out: peppy for two or three training sessions in a row and then the dogs. We’re talking no energy, no pop and not so much going through the motions as just having no energy to get where you want to go!
I had one of those mornings at Gleason’s Gym today. Sure, I did my sweet 16 (four rounds each of shadow boxing, pad work, double-ended bag and speed bag), but did I ever have to work for them. Lennox kept shaking his head saying, “wake up, girl!” And maybe that helped because I did manage to bring it towards the end with two hopped up rounds on the double-ended bag and some serious da-da-da-da / da-da-da-da on the speed bag.
In analyzing it later, I realized that part of the problem is I’m still not doing enough during the week to keep the momentum up for a meaningful Saturday session. A clue on how to do that in an otherwise busy life came from my old Peace Corps buddy Mark who had a post on Facebook today proclaiming that he’d hit his goal of 1,000 sit-ups in a week.
I thought, “1,000!?! That is a lot!.” Breaking it down to daily increments, however, brought it more in line with what actual humans can achieve! Reading further, Mark wrote about his formula for success: starting at just 130 for the first week until he had brought himself along to 1,000.
Given that I struggled through my 100 sit-ups this morning at the gym (having only done 20 all week) — it occurred to me that if I followed Mark’s formula of defining weekly goals, it might get me off my tush and into a regular daily sit-up routine. Not wanting to set the mark too high for myself the first week, I’ve settled on accomplishing 300 between Sunday and Friday. That means 50 a day — meaning about 10 minutes! Seen that way, there is no way I shouldn’t be able to achieve it. The same thing for push-ups — or my version of them which means on my knees or against a bar at this point. Sure, I did 20 today at the gym (in two sets of 10 each), but it was hard and strained my shoulder. So there again, I’ve decided on setting a goal between Sunday and Friday. I’m staring off with 60, that means 10 a day — or another 5 minutes a day at most!
Summed together, if I give myself a mere 15 minutes a days, I can meet my weekly goal and have sacrificed nothing. No excuses here!
Claressa Shields (r) and Andrecia Wasson, Photo: Sue Jaye Johnson
What with the first-ever Women’s Boxing Olympic Trials set to commence February 13, 2012 at the Northern Quest Resort outside of Spokane, Washington, it is wonderful to see the media begin to wake-up to the wonders of these remarkable young athletes. (BTW, click here for ticket information.)
This seven-day event will feature 24 athletes competing in the three Olympic weight classes: featherweight, lightweight and middleweight, in a double elimination format. Winners, one from each weight class, will earn the right to represent the United States in what USA Boxing has called “the lone international Olympic qualifier, the 2012 Women’s World Championships” set to occur in May in China. In order to qualify for the Olympics — they will have to have landed in the top eight!
Recent press articles and pieces have included the following all of which are well worth the read!
The New York Times has a piece by Sue Jaye Johnson entitled, Bout Time. It features video and slide shows of three Olympic hopefuls: Claressa Shields, 16, Flint, Michigan, Alex Love, 22, Monroe, Washington, and Tiara Brown, 23, Fort Myers, Florida. The images are just great. The link is here.
Tyrieshia Douglas, WNYC, Sue Jaye Johnson
WNYC-AM radio has put together a series entitled Women Box: Fighting to Make History, that includes two slides show pieces. Boxing Toward the Olympics features a mix of four wonderful photos of Olympic hopefuls. Tyrieshia Douglas offers a 16-slide photo essay of her efforts. All of the photos are by photographer Sue Jaye Johnson. WNYC will also host an event at The Greene Space in New York City on February 10 featuring a conversation about women boxers with Rosie Perez, a 16 year old Olympic hopeful and a four-time world champion.
Queen Underwood, The Spokesman Review, Dan Pelle/AP
Seattle’s own Queen Underwood has featured in an article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer entitled Seattle boxer preparing for U.S. Olympic team trials for women’s boxing by John Blanchette. The piece gives an overview of what Queen has been up to in her quest for a lightweight berth.
Meanwhile, we all still await the AIBA’s final decision on whether boxing skirts will be a necessary part of their uniforms. As if!
And yes there were winners and losers … women who are nursing hurt feelings, sore muscles and the terrible disappointments that comes when goals are missed. Sometimes, as in the case of Queen Underwood, the loss was by a point or two in the tough, tough fight of her life — but the fact that she was there at all along with Canada’s Mary Spencer and Afghanistan’s Sadaf Rahimi says something about hard work, perseverance and talent against the kind of odds that can otherwise defeat a person in life, never mind behind the velvet ropes of the ring.
Girlboxing 