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K.O. Mequinonoag Reis: Exclusive Q & A Ahead Of Her May 3, 2014 Fight!

K.O. Mequinonoag Reis: Exclusive Q & A Ahead Of Her May 3, 2014 Fight!

Kali Reis (5-2-0), known in the ring as K.O. Mequinonoag Reis, will be fighting Marva Dash (0-2) on May 3, 2014 at the Irish Cultural Center in Canton, Massechussetts. Promoted by Big Six Boxing Entertainment, the bout will be on mixed card of boxing and MMA bouts–and the only female fight on the card. Reis defeated Dash by unanimous decision in a previous four-rounder.

In the words of her manager Mary Del Pino, “Kali Reis is one of the first Native American professional female boxers to come out of New England. Her rich heritage includes Cherokee, Nipmunk and Wampanoag blood.”

Kali also had a challenging upbringing in the tougher areas of Providence, Rhode Island, but it didn’t keep her down, and she used her athletic abilities and keen intellect to push through adversity. She started boxing at a young age, learning the rudiments of the game on a heavy bag with her coach, the Native American boxer, Domingo Tall Dog. In her late teens, she trained with Peter Manfredo Sr. and eventually with Dr. Roland Estrada at Big Six Boxing Academy. Reis is currently back in training with Manfredo.

Last fall, Reis shocked the boxing world with her high credible showing against seasoned boxer, Tori Nelson, in a ten-round WIBA Welterweight Title fight in Cockeysville, Maryland on November 7, 2013. While Reis lost the fight, she gained respect for her obvious boxing talent, especially since she’d been out of commission following a serious motorcycle accident in 2012. It was also her first 10-rounder.

When she isn’t fighting, Reis works as a trainer at the Striking Beauties Boxing Gym for Women in North Attleboro, MA, teaching adults and children how to box.

Ahead of her fight on May 3rd, Girlboxing had a chance to catch up with her:

1. You’ve got a 6-round fight coming up on May 3, 2014 against Marva Dash — what can we expect to see on fight night?

You can expect to see a totally different fighter on my end, from the lay time we fought in 2012. I’ve made some serious adjustments to my training camp and the results have proved to be successful thus far. I am very happy with the way I am feeling and looking in the ring.

2. What do you want to tell your fans about your upcoming bout and what motivates you to fight?

I want to tell all my fans IM BACK!! 🙂 I hope you all missed me!!! Dust off your purple and lime green attire lol!! I’ve been away from boxing for a while and I haven’t fought in New England for far too long. I came back in November and it’s my time now. I’ve been training harder than ever and I’m ready to show my fans what I can do in there

3. The 10-round WIBA welterweight title fight last November against Tori Nelson was quite a bold fight for you — especially since it was your first bout after your serious motorcycle accident. What did it take to walk into the ring that night?

It took EVERYTHING!! I had been back in training since last July and was scheduled for a come back fight locally in Rhode Island in October. We got the call about the Nelson Title fight about a week after she defeated Alex Lopes for the vacant title in early September and I jumped right on it! It was perfect timing because of the scheduled “tune-up” fight in Oct, but that fight fell thru. So I was going into a 10-round world title fight from over a year lay off. Physically I was in great shape and did what I had to do, mentally I wasn’t all there. Personally I was going thru a few changes and there were a lot of new things for me going into this fight. I had Peter Manfredo back on my corner with Dr. Roland Estrada and I hadn’t had Pete in my corner in years. I had never fought 10 rounds or a main event or in Maryland lol. Not to mention the “ring rust” I didn’t have a chance to shake off prior to this fight. The only mistake I made with that fight is not letting my hands go. I picked it up In the fourth round and every round following but it was a little too late. I want the rematch most definitely.

4. You surprised a lot of fans and boxing aficionados with your ring skills that night — and now you’re ranked number ten at welterweight. Where do you see your career going from here? Are you working towards another title shot?

I see nothing but positive moves being made toward that number 1 spot. Especially after the recent positive changes I’ve made. I seem to have finally found my rhythm and I’m focused on doing what ever is necessary to secure my place as a top contender in the female welterweight division. I also have other plans to make some noise in Native Country. I want to (and will) start an all Native cross country boxing tournament. It’s just thoughts and conversation right now but I am determined to make it happen. I do what we as a Nation of people have been doing for centuries, I FIGHT!! Another title shot is in the works right now and hopefully everything goes thru smoothly.

5. You’ve been around boxing for over ten years first as an amateur and now as a pro — what motivates you to keep in the boxing game?

My love for the sport. I’m definitely not in it for the money lol. I’m not too bad at it either. I look at boxing as an art and I haven’t mastered that art yet; or in better terms I haven’t achieved what I want to achieve from boxing yet. Boxing is one of those skills were you will never know it all and there’s always something new to learn or an area to improve in.

6. As a proud Native American woman with a rich heritage that includes Cherokee, Nipmunk and Wampanoag ancestry — and one of the few in boxing today — you are a role model for other young women. How has your experience in boxing helped you — and what can your experiences offer by way of guidance to younger women and girls?

Boxing has definitely helped me to channel and control certain emotions. It has also given me patience in general because I am also a boxing coach and fitness/boxing instructor for all ages and teaching takes a lot of patience. Boxing is a very demanding sport and it teaches you commitment, discipline and offers a feeling of success as you learn more and more. I always teach my girls/students to be humble to the sport and don’t cheat on yourself by taking the easy way out. Boxing isn’t a team sport so if YOU don’t do something it’s YOUR fault, there’s no one else to blame.

7. With the Olympics in 2012 — and Claressa Shields’ success at bringing home the gold, there was a lot of hope that the sport of women’s boxing would find its way back to the mainstream. Your fight on May 3rd is actually on a mixed card with boxing and MMA — a format that has been used in California as well when Ana Julaton fought on a mixed card. From your perspective, do you think there is reason for optimism? Certainly the coverage is more positive … the question is why aren’t female boxing matches making it to the mainstream in the U. S.?

When Claressa Shields brought home that gold I thought for sure women’s boxing would get the push it’s been wiring for but it fizzled out quick and no one made any significant noise about it! I think mixing the MMA with boxing is a smart idea from a promoters standpoint to get more fans on board and back to being classic boxing fans as well as cater to the fight fans who aren’t into the brutality that MMA offers. I think the reason female fights aren’t making it to the mainstream is because the fights that happened to be showcased are the wrong fights. They’re unskilled sloppy “pull your hair” slap fest that no one cares to watch. We need the caliber of fighters like the era of Lucia Rijker, Laila Ali, Christy Martin when fight fans wanted those females on main big name cards.

A few tickets are still available for what is anticipated to be a sold-out show. Tickets are $40, $75 Ringside, available through Kali at 401-368-4294.

Women Box … Wordless Wednesday, March 5, 2014

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Women Box … Wordless Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Nothing but joy! Women’s Boxing 1890s

Moments in time …

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Moments in time …

New York City has been sparred the brunt of a huge snow storm system that has hit a lot of other places across the country pretty hard. We count ourselves lucky on that one and otherwise cling to the notion that Spring really is a mere few weeks away.

Elsewhere in the world individuals breathe a sigh of relief or cringe at what may befall them next. Certainly friends in Ukraine and Russia must be going through a myriad of emotions and fear as they sit on the brink of another of the world’s conflagrations in Crimea–the site of so much suffering in a prior war well over 150 years ago. Having been in places during times of strife, I can attest to the strangeness of going about one’s business while across town people are confronted with guns.

Watching the Oscars last night along with some billion others on the planet was a moment to savor fantasy and dreams as pretty men and pretty ladies adorned the images in pretty clothes, dripping with pretty jewels.

How marvelous that we could all take a collective time out from our troubles to savor Pink in pink and Ellen hocking the rich and powerful for pizza money.

Best of all were the wins and none more than lovely Lupita Nyong’o whose speech was uplifting and full of hope. “When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every child, no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid,” she said.

That is something to savor on a Monday morning when besnowed or not, troubled or fantastically happy, we chase our best selves as Matthew McConaughey implored us to do.

May all your wishes come true.

Friday Night At The Women’s Boxing Fights … February 28, 2014

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Friday Night At The Women’s Boxing Fights … February 28, 2014

La Barbie Juarez (l) in the ring against a tough Melissa McMorrow as they battled for the WBC Female Superflyweight International Title, February 22, 2014.

Up this week … two women’s boxing title bouts!

Co-Main Event:

Fernanda Alegre (18-1-1, 9-KOs) vs. Marisol Reyes (13-8-1, 6-KOs), WBO Female Light Welterweight Title held at the Club Atlético Huracán, Necochea, Buenos Aires, Argentina, on February 21, 2014.

Main Event:

WBC Champion Mariana “La Barbie” Juarez (39-7-3, 16-KOs) met WBO Flyweight Champion Melissa McMorrow (9-4-3, 1-KO) in a tough 10-round fight at the Gimnasio Miguel Hidalgo de la Angelopolis in Peubla, Mexico on February 22, 2014. They competed for the WBC Female Superflyweight International Title. There was a lot of contraversy associated with the decision so you be the judge! (Fight starts approximately 12:00 minutes in.)

Women Box … Wordless Wednesday, February 26, 2014

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Women Box … Wordless Wednesday, February 26, 2014

The boxing Gordon Sisters, 1890s variety stage artists.

Women Box … Wordless Wednesday, February 19, 2014

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Women Box … Wordless Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Lucia Rijker, women’s boxing heroine!

Shadow Boxers, feature-length documentary by Katya Bankowsky, 1999.

A day off …

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A day off …

A daily something, whether it’s work, going for a run, posting a blog piece or any of a myriad of things can bring a nice bit of order to the day–or act as a set of moments for oneself and oneself alone.

Even with that daily something, it is sometimes nice to have a day off!

Yesterday was just such a day for me–when somewhere late in the evening I realized I hadn’t blogged for the day. Yes, I could have rushed it, but the truth was–it was okay.

Sometimes that break is what we need to kick start something new.

Today, my actual day off from work (the President’s Day holiday), turned out to be a gift of another kind — one extra day at the gym.

I saw friends I rarely run into — and had another chance to box at a leisurely pace, this time going into the ring with boxing trainer, Darius Forde. With Lennox Blackmoore in my corner to coach me through it, I worked through all sorts of issues in the ring offensively and defensively — plus the different looks that Darius showed me.

The rounds on the heavy bag and upper cut bag afterwards were also something a little bit new as I worked through different boxing problems I experienced in the ring.

It got me to thinking that it’s what makes the best part of any day — working through a problem from a different angle. Rather like a piece of art — we get to enrich ourselves by creatively thinking through how best to make something work before moving along.

At any rate, as official day’s off go, it was pretty wonderful.

Back in the saddle …

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Back in the saddle …

After my ring melt down last week, not to mention two snowstorms and my left wrist going all carpal tunnel on me, I didn’t necessarily have high hopes for my return to sparring this morning with Lennox Blackmoore. To be honest, I was dreading it during the middle of the week, but by yesterday, my Pollyanna attitude took over and I started to think that I had a line on how to get respectably pummeled rather than the usual total pummeling!

Getting to the gym a little early, I spent four rounds in front of the mirror working on my stance before heading over the slip rope to do exactly that … slip.

My strategy was to sit lower and use my abs more to propel my legs and to hold my body taut. It also meant that my movements were smaller and I could get my hands back faster to cover up!

By the time Len came, I was very warmed up with a good sweat and when we entered the ring I felt more in control, with tighter punches and at least s-o-m-e slipping. When it came to the dreaded right hook (yep, he was fighting me southpaw again), I still didn’t know how to handle it. By the third one I just said, “let’s stop for a minute,” and asked Len what I should do.

What he recommended was that I weave under the punch to the left and set myself up to throw a left uppercut followed by a left hook.

Talk about a wow! Who knew that old bob-and-weave actually worked as a strategy in the ring! We practiced it a few times, taking us all the way through the bell, and then went back to sparring. Admittedly I got tagged several more times with his right, but at least I tried to weave under it–and in so doing even surprised him with a few sneaky shots of my own.

By the end of five rounds I was tired, but armed with my new (old) defense, went on the uppercut bag to practice the move some more. The challenge there was timing the bag to duck under and then come up into position to set up throwing the uppercut-hook combination. It took a while, but I actually started to get it, and then used the bag to bob-and-weave on both sides. I also worked out using my “tweaked” stance to the point where my abs actually started to ache a bit by the end of my fourth round on the bag.

Old dog, new tricks … maybe, maybe not, but I certainly felt better about things. Thinking about it as I pounded on the speed bag to close out my workout, I did at least feel as if I’d pushed things along, just enough to sense that maybe, one day, I’ll look in the mirror and actually see a boxer looking back at me!

Happy Valentine’s Day @ the Women’s Boxing Fights!

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Happy Valentine’s Day @ the Women’s Boxing Fights!

Mako Yamada newest WBO Champion. Photo: Ulysses Sato and Aaron Jang

This was a big upset, Mako Yamada (7-0, 2-KOs) defeated defending title-holder Su-Yun Hong (9-1, 5-KOs) for the WBO Female Minimum Weight championship fight! The bout was held on Sunday, February 9, 2014 in the city of Chuncheon, South Korea. Yamada, a 19-year-old from Fukuoka, Japan, won by split decision with a decided body attack in the early going, and came out on top with scores 97-93, 96-94 in her favor and 97-96 for Kong. You be the judge!

Next up, the main event! The WBC Female Super Bantamweight women’s boxing champion, Alicia “Slick” Ashley (20-9-1, 2-KOs) in her WBC title defense against Zenny Sotomayor (10-5-2, 8-KOs). At age 46, Alicia Ashley is all the more remarkable for her longevity in the realm of professional boxing and for her extraordinary exploits in the ring over a professional career that began 15 years ago in 1999. In her fight against Sotomayor held in Las Pulgas, Tuijuan, Mexico, on October 23, 2013, Ashley won by TKO at 1:43 in the fifth round.

Slipping, sliding along

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Slipping, sliding along

What with the snow falling vertically and wind gusting as high as 40-miles-per-hour, my usual leisurely 15 minute walk from home to work was quite an adventure in negotiating where to step. And as for the walk home, Adams Street near Fulton was a veritable icy lake of slush.

When it comes to slip sliding along though, the real dream is avoid the punch that inevitably finds its way onto my head, not the huge piles of snow, ice and all around yuck that is our New York City winter.

The good thing is, life goes on anyway and bitching and moaning aside, it is after all the 13th of February which means not toooooooo many more of these snow-laden morning and evening rush hours to go. Least ways, that’s the hope.

Apropos of nothing in particular, if you do have to think winter–it might as well be skating where so far at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, some of the performances have been remarkable.

Women Box … Wordless Wednesday, February 12, 2014

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Women Box … Wordless Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Women in boxing gloves, 1890-early 1990s

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome … oh no, not again!

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome … oh no not again!

It began this afternoon, a twinge on the inside of my left wrist, and then the sudden awareness that my pinky finger and ring finger were feeling a bit numb. Talk about an “oh no” feeling, I had surgical treatment for the same thing in my right wrist about nine years ago, so the thought of having to repeat is not exactly high on my list. While carpal tunnel syndrome generally entails a narrowing of the sheath where the nerve that feeds the thumb, index and middle finger (medial nerve), it can also cause symptoms in the Ulnar nerve.

Thinking about it and given that I’ve had relative wrist health (with the exception of a ganglion cyst on my wrist as a result of rehab on my shoulder), my first question was what’s different?

The obvious culprit was a new keyboard at work–slightly smaller, lighter and not as angled as the previous one. I certainly hadn’t given it a thought, but as each new key stroke caused yet a new ache on the top of my wrist, I knew I was probably onto something.

The mechanics of my body position in relation to the keyboard aside (which will have to get dealt with tomorrow), my task now is to immediately reduce the inflammation, which includes taking an anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen or aspirin). Next up will be wearing a wrist brace to keep it angled in a non-stress position for a few days. There are also a series of exercises that can be done to aid in wrist health. The main thing is to address it fairly immediately and if it continues over a few days–to seek out medical attention.

For further information here are some links:

National Institute of Health: Carpal Tunnel Fact Sheet

University of Maryland: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The main thing is to see if non-invasive treatments can be started to mitigate the problem before it gets to the point of requiring serious medical intervention.

Physical Therapy exercises for Carpal Tunnel:

Yoga exercises for Carpal Tunnel:

The winter doldrums …

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The winter doldrums …

Fortress of Solitude

Having blown off the gym tonight, I’ve been tucked into my WARM apartment with the family, the cat, some delicious potato-leek soup and lots of the Olympic sport of curling. I even watched a bit of women’s hockey and saw the American team score three goals inside of a few minutes in the first period, quite an impressive bit of playing. And of course yesterday, Sunday, I spent the afternoon and evening watching wall-to-wall figure skating and the men’s downhill, Friday night’s boxing. Oh, plus the Downton Abbey episode with lots of new possible suitors for Lady Mary in the offing, the dowager’s illness and more!

That the thread of the past two days has been non-stop sports and the vicissitudes of life for the upper classes not to mention denizens of their “downstairs” rooms is, admittedly, even for a devoted television watcher like myself, beginning to get to be a bit too much–but given the alternative, c-o-l-d, it is about the best I can muster. Yes, yes, I was out and about too … party on Friday night, a fabulous lecture series at my daughter’s high school Saturday morning (“Knowledge College” at Bard High School Early College Queens), and a trip to Staples to get Spring term school supplies, but really … those freezing puffs of air on the way to and from places is getting to me.

What with the new season of Netflix’s House of Cards set to begin on Friday, there is that to look forward to, plus the next round of figure skating, so really, aside from the walk to and from work, and yes, maybe even the gym, I’m homebound for the duration until the the temperature reaches into the 50s!

2014 NY Daily News Golden Gloves …

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2014 NY Daily News Golden Gloves …

Christina Cruz won her seventh consecutive Golden Gloves at the 2013 Finals. Credit: Bryan Pace/NY Daily News

The 87th annual New York Daily News Golden Gloves got underway a couple of weeks ago at B. B. Kings Blues Club. At last year’s Golden Gloves, USA Boxing National Champion Christina Cruz made history with her seventh consecutive Golden Gloves win–surpassing the previous record holder, David Viller.

This week marks Week Three — with two events planned. The full schedule of “fight nights” is as follows:

WEEK THREE

Thursday, February 13
PLATTDUETSCH RESTAURANT – RING 8
1132 Hempstead Turnpike, Franklin Square, NY 11010

Saturday, February 15
ST. PATRICK’S HIGH SCHOOL
401 97th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11209

WEEK FOUR

Wednesday, February 19
POPS GYM
3134 Jerome Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468

Thursday, February 20
NY ATHLETIC CLUB
180 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019

Friday, February, 21
HOLYCROSS HIGH SCHOOL
26-20 Francis Lewis Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11358

WEEK FIVE

Tuesday, February 25
PAC PLEX CENTER
1500 Paerdegat Avenue N, Brooklyn, NY 11236

Wednesday, February 26
CLUB AMAZURA
91-12 144th Place, Jamaica, NY 11435

Thursday, February 27
TOTTENVILE HIGH SCHOOL
100 Luten Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10312

Friday, February 28
ST. RAYMOND’S HIGH SCHOOL
2151 St. Raymond Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462

Saturday, March 1 (4:00 PM)
XAVERIAN HIGH SCHOOL
7100 Shore Road, Brooklyn, NY 11209

WEEK SIX

Wednesday, March 5
WILLIS AVE BC
401 E. 141st Street, Bronx, NY 10454

Thursday, March 6
ST. PATRICK’S HIGH SCHOOL
401 97th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11209

Friday, March 7
HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL
26-20 Francis Lewis Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11358

WEEK SEVEN

Wednesday, March 12
ST. BERNARD’S CHURCH
2030 E. 69th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234

Thursday, March 13
JUDAH BROS AT PAC PLEX CENTER
1500 Paerdegat Avenue N, Brooklyn, NY 11236

Friday, March 14
PETRIDES HIGH SCHOOL – ATLAS FOUNDATION
715 Ocean Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301

WEEK EIGHT

Wednesday, March 19
BISHOP FORD HIGH SCHOOL
500 19th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Thursday, March 20
VARIETY BOYS & GIRLS CLUB
21-12 30th Road, Long Island City, NY 11102

Friday, March 21
ST. ATHANASIUS CHURCH
6120 Bay Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11204

WEEK NINE

Monday, March 24
ST. FINBAR AUDITORIUM
1839 Bath Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11214

Tuesday, March 25
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
275 N. 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Wednesday, March 26
NAZARETH HIGH SCHOOL
475 E. 57th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11203

Thursday, March 27 (7:45 PM)
GLEN COVE HIGH SCHOOL
150 Dosoris Lane, Glen Cove, NY 11542

Friday, March 28
ELECTCHESTER HALL
158-11 Jewel Avenue, Flushing, NY 11365

Saturday, March 29 (2:00 PM)
SUFFOLK PAL
99 3rd Avenue, Brentwood, NY 11717

WEEK TEN

Monday, March 31
CHIAM FOUNDATION
4401 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11104

Tuesday, April 1
POPS GYM
3134 Jerome Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468

Wednesday, April 2
EMPIRE CITY CASINO
810 Yonkers Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704

Friday, April 4
AVIATOR SPORTS RECREATION
FLOYD BENNET FIELD
3159 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11234

FINALS

Wednesday, April 16
Barclays Center
620 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn 11217

Thursday, April 17
Barclays Center
620 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn 11217

The spirit is willing the but the body’s not!

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The spirit is willing the but the body’s not!

I had a bunch of things to do today (Saturday) — so I switched things around and trained yesterday (Friday), before going to work. The great thing was Len Blackmoore agreed to meet me early and after I warmed up with four rounds of shadowboxing, we hit the ring to spar.

Earlier in the week, I’d been at the gym working out on my own and quite frankly, was feeling pretty great: lots of rounds on the uppercut bag and four great rounds on the double-ended bag gave me a feeling of confidence that carried over as I readied to work out with Len.

Now I’m *not* saying that I was overly-confident or even mostly-confident, let’s just say, I felt as if I’d worked things out with my stance, with moving around in the ring and with slipping Len’s dreaded right hand. Well as the saying goes, “the best laid plans …”

Right from the start I was able to throw punches, and even managed a few combinations, but nothing I seemed to be able to do defensively protected me from his punches. It’s not exactly as if I was frozen, not at all, but it became obvious that aside from deflecting jabs, no matter how I positioned myself, I was open to hooks and uppercuts.

It was only after my four rounds with Len when I observed him sparring with someone else–someone obviously more experienced in the ring–that I began to see how to work things through defensively by keeping my hands up higher and standing straighter in my stance. What I realized is that I was leaning forward, mistaking it for slipping a punch! Talk about an easy target–no wonder I was getting tagged at will from the right!

Thinking about it later I admit to feeling emotionally stung, as if all of the work I’ve been putting in has been wasted … but of course I know better.

I just have to go back to basics.

Yep … its time to tweak the boxing stance.

So where to begin … again … grrrrr …. the MIRROR!

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