Tag Archives: Marlen Esparza

2014 USA Nationals in Spokane, WA

UPDATED RESULTS: Light Welterweights

119 lbs/female: Jamie Mitchell, Pacific Grove, Calif., dec. Leesa Daniel, Austin, Texas, 3-0

141 lbs/female: Destiny Chearino, Warwick, R.I., dec. Catarina Lentini, Whitehall, Pa., 3-0

141 lbs/female: Monayah Patterson, Warren, Mich., dec. Jessica Radtke, Bloomington, Minn., 2-1

2014 USA Nationals in Spokane, WA!

USA Boxing’s 2014 Nationals is underway in Spokane, WA! The elite women’s boxing bouts get underway with preliminaries on Tuesday, January 21nd, quarterfinals on Wednesday, January 22rd. Semifinals will be on January 24th and finals on Saturday, January 25th.

Olympians Marlen Esparza, Queen Underwood and Claressa Shields will all be competing–and in Shields case her first competition as an elite woman since the rules changed in 2013.

The bouts are as follows:

Light Flyweight: Semifinals (January 24)

Natalie Gonzalez (NY) v Sarah Dawson (TX)

Alexandra Love (WA) v. Maureeca Lambert (IL)

Flyweight: Quarterfinals (January 22)

Marlen Esparza (TX) – Bye

Brianna Sanchez (AZ) v Katie Durgin (MA)

Ayesha Green (NJ) v Ivette Delgado (NY)

Virginia Fuchs (TX) – Bye

Bantamweight: Quarterfinals (January 22)

Christina Cruz (NY) – Bye

Jamie Mitchell (CA) v. Leesa Daniel (TX)

Kathy McPhereson (AZ) – Bye

Rory Santos (HI) – Bye

Melanie Costa (MA) – Bye

Samantha Salazar (TX) – Bye

Amanda Pavone (MA) – Bye

Featherweight: Quarterfinals (January 22)

Jennifer Hamann (WA) v Kristin Carlson (IL)

Jenelle Leal (TX) v. Tiara Brown (MD)

Lisa Porter (CA) v. Ashleigh Moore (MA)

Felisha Estrada Gonzalez (CA) v. Carmen Vargas (WX)

Lightweight: Quarterfinals (January 22)

Quanitta (Queen) Underwood (WA) – Bye

Rashida Ellis (MA) v. Cepeda Christella (NY)

Mikaela Mayer (CA) v. Franci Davila (HI)

Melissa Parker (C)/NY) – Bye

Light Welterweight: Preliminaries (January 21)

Bertha Aracil (NY) – Bye

Destiny Chearino (RI) v. Catarina Lentini (PA)

Stacey Parker (IL) – Bye

Aleah Dillard (TX) – Bye

Santana Griselda, Madrigal (WA) – Bye

Jasmine Singh – Bye

Monayah Patterson (MI) v. Jessica Radtke (MN)

Faith Franco (CA) – Bye

Welterweight: semifinals (January 24)

Fallon Farrar (NY) v. Melissa Kelly (MA)

Jobette Nabarro (HI) v. Danyelle Wolf (CA)

Middleweight Quarterfinals (January 22)

Raquel Miller (CA) v. Claressa Shields (MI)

Krystal Correa (NY) v. Franchon Crews (MD)

Light Heavyweight: Finals (January 25)

Dara Shen (VA) v. Heidi Henriksen (MN)

Heavyweight: Finals (January 25)

Denise Rico (CA) v. Krystal Dixon (NY)

2013 USA Boxing Nationals Final Results!

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2013 USA Boxing Nationals Final Results!

What a great night of boxing for the elite women in the competition! They fought tough, hard and strong with some returning champions and some newcomers getting the nod!

To my mind, it is hard to choose which fights delivered the most, though I have to say that 30 year old, Christina Cruz delivered with a capital D, executing a smart, savvy game plan, in her bout against Ayanna Vasquez, setting up Cruz’s next challenge, that historic 7th NY Daily News Golden Gloves title.

Olympian Queen Underwood’s four round non-stop battle against teammate and champion in her own right, Tiara Brown was nothing short of awesome. Both women fought their heart’s out trading hard shots, combinations and a yin-yang momentum that kept shifting. Still Underwood was able to pull out the close split-decision to claim the 132 lb. championship, but to my mind, both women came away women came away winners having put on a tremendous effort.

Olympian Marlen Esparza also won by split decision after four rounds of a surprising and spirited defense from Virginia Fuchs in the 112 lb. weight class. Fans really got into the fight and actually booed when the decision was called.

At 106 lbs, the two mighty-mights fighting for the championship, Elisha Halstead and Alejandra Mercado, set the tone for the night: two terrific boxers working everything they had in the ring. In the end Halstead got the nod with a split decision.

In the 125 lb. weight class, newcomer Jen Hamann gained momentum for four rounds to win the close split decision over Rianna Rios. Jen’s third round, where she threw tough, hard shots and a lot of body/head combinations turned the tide for her, and by the fourth round she knocked Rios around enough to get her a standing eight.

The veteran Bertha Aracil, who fought with a cool, lean style, cruised to victory in the 141 lb. weight class over Faith Franco to gain the championship.

Another great battle was Danyelle Wolf’s effort with Fallon Farrar in the 152 lb. weight class. Both fighters came out throwing hard shots from the outset, but Wolf’s superior skills and ring generalship gave her the decisive win and the championship.

Franchon Crews once again claimed victory of the middleweight title at 165 lbs. over teammate Raquel Miller. The spirited fight gave Crews the win and the chance to reign as champion.

The 178 lb. weight class saw Tiffanie Hearn win the title over Dara Shen. Hearn fought at a fast pass and pushed her way past Shen to claim the championship.

The new scoring system certainly has some kinks to work out, but as Tiara Brown noted, in training for it, the fighters have had the chance to execute truly remarkable performances.

Christina Cruz was also quoted as saying of her opponent, “She’s a strong girl, but with the new scoring system, I was able to pick my shots better. Plus, I think I kept my composure a little better in the last round than she did.”

With these women on the roster of Team USA along with the young women who fought alongside them, there is a lot to be proud of looking ahead to Rio 2016!

Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone with the heart of a lioness who took to the ring!

Elite Women’s Finals Results
106 lbs: Elisha Halstead, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Alejandra Mercado, Rockford, Ill., 2-1
112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Virgina Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, 2-1
119 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Ayanna Vasquez, Las Cruces, N.M., 3-0
125 lbs: Jennifer Hamann, Seattle, Wash. dec. Rianna Rios, Alice, Texas, 2-1
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, wash. dec. Tiara Brown, Ft. Meyers, Fla., 2-1
141 lbs: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., dec. Faith Franco, Duarte, Calif., 3-0
152 lbs: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., dec. Fallon Farrar, Staten Island, N.Y., 3-0
165 lbs: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., 3-0
178 lbs: Tiffanie Hearn, Oxnard, Calif., dec. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va., 3-0

2013 USA Boxing Nationals finals set for 4/6/2013!

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2013 USA Boxing Nationals finals set for 4/6/2013!

Yet another USA Boxing Nationals is coming to an end on Saturday with two Olympians vying for titles along side newcomers and seasoned veterans.

The event has not been without controversy given the introduction of a new scoring system and the change in the age categories which meant that Olympic gold medal winner, Claressa Shields competed in the Youth Women division.

The Nationals is also the first major amateur competition allowing Elite Men to fight without helmets in years. This continues to raise serious concerns as the athletes may well face increased risks for head trauma and cuts — along with probing questions as to the motives for the change. Elite Women were excluded from this change — to the consternation of some — although in this case, exclusion might actually have been a good thing … for a change.

The Semi-final bout between Tiara Brown and Mikaela Mayer has also been controversal. Brown was given the nod with a 2-1 decision, but there are those who feel that Mayer was “robbed.” One question to ask is whether the scoring is such that Mayer’s team is basing their complaint on what might have been a different outdome in the old system.

Have a look at the video and you be the judge.

The Finals action begins at 1:00 PM on 4/6/2012.

For informationclick here for the USA Boxing Website

You can also watch all the action live HERE!

ELITE WOMEN FINALS

106 lbs: Elisha Halstead v. Alejandra Mercado

112 lbs: Marlen Esparza v. Virginia Fuchs

119 lbs: Christina Cruz v. Ayanna Vasquez

125 lbs: Rianna Rios v. Jen Hamann

132 lbs: Queen Underwood v. Tiara Brown

141 lbs: Faith Franco v. Bertha Aracil

152 lbs: Danyelle Wolf v. Fallon Farrar

165 lbs: Franchon Crews v. Raquel Miller

178 lbs: Tiffanie Hearn v. Dara Shen

USA Boxing Nationals! April 4, 2013 Women’s Boxing Results

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USA Boxing Nationals! April 4, 2013 Women’s Boxing Results

Another exciting day of bouts brought some veterans of last year’s Olympic trials in Spokane, WA forward and one defeat. As it stands, Olympian Queen Underwood will be facing Tiara Brown in the Finals on Saturday. Underwood managed a decisive 3-0 win over Melissa Parker, while Brown, won by decision over teammate and fellow Olympic Trials veteran Mikaela Mayer, 2-1. Other big wins in the morning session included Christina Cruz who defeated Amanda Pavone, 3-0 by decision. Cruz, who is also making a bid for her seventh history making NY Daily News Golden Gloves title moves on to the final against Ayanna Vasquez.

Olympian Marlen Esparza handily won her semi-final bout by TKO at 1:59 of the second round over Maureeca Lambert. She will face Virginia Fuchs in the finals who won her bout 3-0. Also advancing as expected were Bertha Aracil defeating Aleah Dillard, 2-1, Raquel Miller over Alicia Napoleon, 3-0 and crowd favorite Franchon Crews who will face Miller after getting the nod by a walk-over.

Jen Hamann making her first bid at Nationals also came out a winner by defeating Monayah Patterson, 3-0. Hamann will face Rianna Rios who defeated her opponent, Karla Herrera 2-1.

For information on upcoming bouts click here for the USA Boxing Website

You can also watch all the action live HERE! Final bouts on April 6, 2013!

11 a.m. Session

Elite Women’s Division
119 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Maine, 3-0
119 lbs: Ayanna Vasquez, Las Cruces, N.M., dec. Carissa Morton, San Francisco, Calif., 3-0
152 lbs: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., dec. Nisa Rodriguez, Bronx, N.Y., 2-1
152 lbs: Fallon Farrar, Staten Island, N.Y., won on a TB over Amournix Stamps, Milwaukee, Wisc., TB
106 lbs: Elisah Halstead, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2-1
106 lbs: Alejandra Mercado, Rockford, Ill., dec. Melissa Kaye, New York, N.Y., 3-0
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Melissa Parker, Spring, Texas, 3-0
132 lbs: Tiara Brown, Hyattsville, Md., dec. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., 2-1

Youth Women’s Division
106 lbs: Marisol Lopez, Stratford, Calif., dec. Monica Van Pelt, Toledo, Ohio, 2-1
106 lbs: Monica Suazo, Tucson, Ariz., dec. Yajaira Ramirez, McKinney, Texas, 2-1

5 p.m. Session

Elite Women’s Division
112 lbs: Virgina Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, dec. Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J., 3-0
112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, won on TKO over Maureeca Lambert, Glen Ellyn, Ill., TKO-2(1:59)
125 lbs: Rianna Rios, Alice, Texas, dec. Karla Herrera, Los Angeles, Calif., 2-1
125 lbs: Jennifer Hamann, Seattle, Wash., dec. Monayah Patterson, Warren, Mich., 3-0
141 lbs: Faith Franco, Duarte, Calif., won on a TKO over Griselda Madrigal Santana, East Wenatchee, Wash., TKO-3(0:47)
141 lbs: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., dec. Aleah Dillard, Dallas, Texas, 2-1
165 lbs: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., won on a walkover over Jasmine Acevedo, Beeville, Texas, W/O
165 lbs: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Alicia Napoleon, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 3-0

Of endings and beginnings …

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Of endings and beginnings …

As is inevitable for this time of year, we relive our triumphs and disappointments and much like the wisdom espoused by the rituals of the Jewish High Holidays, may even set about examining those aspects of our lives we are most proud of and those we may be at a loss to explain.

In considering my own 2012 I certainly ran the gamut from graduating with my master’s degree to emerging from surgery on my shoulder with a pathetic wing that has taken months to set right.

Meanwhile, my own highs, lows and in-betweens are graced by the luxury of lots of comfort, a loving family and a Brooklyn home that experienced nary a sprinkle during Hurricane Sandy.

I’ve also gotten a book contract, my straight right back and a husband who even squired me to the movies two days running over the weekend!

Counting myself among the luckiest of the lucky, I also keep in mind the triumph and trials of my pals at Gleason’s Gym, the thirty-six young women who courageously took up the gloves to box at the London 2012 Olympic Games and another year in the history of women’s fight for equality whether it be in the boxing ring or the hope that a bus ride home in New Delhi doesn’t result in a brutal gang-rape and death.

Maybe it’s the latter that saddens me most.

I’ve been around a long time and the fact that a woman still isn’t safe whether it’s in New Delhi, Johannesburg, London or the Bronx reminds that me that for all our female bravura at embracing martial sports, the fact remains that there is always some part of what we do that is informed by our need for self-defense.

Talk to my thirteen-year-old about it and she’ll regale you with how to leg sweep a potential attacker or such street savvy stratagems as using big glass store front windows to check on who is walking behind her. The operative thing here is that she is thirteen and has already experienced men saying gross things to her on her short walk between school and home. And while her martial art, Aikido, is defensive in nature, it hasn’t stopped her from figuring out that sometimes the best defense is offense: that and the sense to scream, act crazy and run like hell.

So if we are talking New Year’s wishes, mine is to end assault with the first toll of midnight … that said, keep up the fight to claim the boundaries of the ring as your own, whatever your ring happens to be.

Happy 2013!

The same old song …

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The same old song …

One would think that Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm (31-2-3, 9-KOs), the current IBA & WBF lightweight welterweight champion, who is set to fight a world title defense on December 7, 2012 against Diana Prazak (11-1, 7-KOs) on a much ballyhooed card called “Fire and Ice” would command the attention of the boxing world enough to land the fight on HBO Boxing, Showtime, ESPN, Fox Sports, NBC Sport, PPV — heck ANY sports network that broadcasts boxing.

But no …

This much-anticipated bout, following on the heals of Holm’s two tough, hard-fought contests against France’s own Anne Sophie Mathis which should have promoters beating down the door at Fresquez Productions will not be aired.

And this AFTER the Olympics when women kicked serious butt and the US women’s team brought home not one, but two medals courtesy of Marlen Esparza (Bronze) and Claressa Shields (Gold).

So what gives? What’s a “girl” got to do to get some friggin’ air time in the United States?

If fighters of the caliber and quite frankly fame of Holly Holm can’t get a fight broadcast, up-and-coming fighters don’t have a “prayer” to gain any visibility beyond a loyal crowd of followers and the potential for a local cable station to broadcast the fight card and/or video streaming of the event with the hope that it gets loaded on to YouTube.

No one’s talking either.

Meanwhile when it comes to MMA, women routinely fight on nationally broadcast fightcards such as Strikeforce — and even UFC is planning on adding women to their PPV fight cards in 2013. UFC in particular is readying to promote Ronda Rousey, who won acclaim and a lot of fans when she captured her women’s bantamweight championship belt on Strikeforce. Rousey’s championship fight in August of 2012 also drew big numbers to Strikeforce, no doubt playing an important part in the calculus of UFC’s decision to bring her over as a UFC fighter on a PPV fight card. (See Dave Meltzer’s excellent piece here.)

But not so with boxing.

Is it that the sport itself is too stale and out of ideas on how to creatively promote itself in a way that can include the talent, heart and boxing savvy that women bring to the ring?

Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of answers — mainly just frustration and disappointment that yet again, a fabulous outing will be lost to viewers aching to watch it unless they can manage to glean a video stream.

Women’s boxing: past, present, future tense

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Women’s boxing: past, present, future tense

Christy Martin & Mia St. John, WBC Title Fight, 8/13/12, Photo: Mary Ann Lurie Owen

Pictures always tell stories. They speak of triumph, pain and the extraordinary toughness that is distilled down to a moment in time.

For Christy Martin (49-7-3, 31-KOs) and Mia St. John (46-11-2, 18-KOs) two legends in the field of women’s professional boxing those pictures, framed within the confines of a ten-round championship battle are indelible for what they tell us about tenacity, courage and love for the sport that both of these women has put so much heart into. Mia St. John won the fight by decision: 96-94, 96-94, 97-93. The decision was considered fair, and evened up their previous meeting on June 12, 2002 when Martin defeated St. John by decision.

Both women announced their retirement after the fight and given that they are 44 and 45 years old respectively, why not. They’ve earned the right to hang up their gloves as much as any two champions who ever lived.

Christy Martin (r) & Deirdre Gogarty, March 16, 1996, Credit: fscclub.com

Christy Martin began her boxing career in the Toughwoman contests of the early 1990’s before finding her way to Don King and her most famous bout against Ireland’s great boxer Deirdre Gogarty on Showtime’s PPV in 1996. That fight put women’s boxing on the map — and ready or not, into the primetime of promotional gambits that sought to capitalize on Martin’s success in the ring without regard for the women who actually fought these battles, or the consequences ten years later when the bottom seemed to fall out of professional women’s boxing in the United States. Mia St. John was able to capitalize on that first wave herself, entering the ring in 1997 and signing first with Don King and then with Top Rank. She continued to box, just as Christy did through the good and lean times of the sport.

Women fight, win, lose, and tough out purses that barely cover expenses, never mind the cost of hitting the gym every day or going into camp for several weeks before a particularly tough bout, things that are taken for granted in the world of men’s boxing, but seem like flights of fancy for the female fighters. Martin and St. John and countless other women who fought alongside them, some highly renowned, others only in their respective cities or gyms, fight on even now if for nothing else than for love of the sport and the opportunity to fight through the things that bring them to the ring in the first place.

Martin and St. John’s bout was their last battle, but to borrow a term from track and field, they have passed on the baton and then some to countless women who have been inspired by their fortitude as they’ve braved the gauntlet to fight and fight hard in the ring. That it comes on the heels of the debut of women’s boxing in the 2012 Olympics is so much the sweeter.

Women’s boxing has Marlen Esparza (Bronze, flyweight medalist), Queen Underwood (lightweight Olympian) and Claressa Shields (Gold, middleweight medalist) to mark another milestone in the sport as great as the night of March 16, 1996 when Martin and Gogarty put the sport on the map. But they’ve also got sisters in gyms across the United States and the world working out two to three hours a day for the chance to climb through the velvet ropes to tell their own stories in minute frames of images.

What we owe to Christy Martin and Mia St. John is incalculable, suffice to say Girlboxing sends a salute to these two remarkable women who have literally pounded the flesh for glory.

The faces of the women’s Olympic boxing!

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The faces of the women’s Olympic boxing!

The faces tell the story.

Joy.

Exuberance

Ferocity

Engagement

Pride

Intensity

Pain

Women’s Olympic Boxing Finals!!!

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Women’s Olympic Boxing Finals!!!

“I wasn’t supposed to bang with her, but she didn’t respect me, so I had to!” – Claressa Shields on winning her semifinal bout 29:15 over Marina Volnova.

Update:

Claressa Shields wins the first middleweight gold medal in history by the score of 19:12!!!

Well it’s down to this, the first women’s Olympic boxing finals in history.

Fighting for the gold for the United States will be middleweight Claressa Shields who put the proverbial “beat down” on Kazakhstan’s Marina Volnova by the score of 29-15 after rocking her to an eight-count in the third and forth rounds. Claressa’s opponent will be Russia’s Nadeszda Torlopova who defeated Li Jinzi by the score of 12:10 in a somewhat lackluster contest.

In speaking about Claressa, AP sportswriter Greg Beacham wrote: “And just like Cassius Clay, Joe Frazier and Oscar De La Hoya before her, Claressa Shields is about to fight for a gold medal.”

Claressa has that effect. She’s infectious and has the same kind of star quality that makes putting her in the company of boxing greats seem like the most natural thing in the world. She’s also promised to bring home nothing less than gold — and knowing Claressa, she probably will.

Claressa Shields and Barbara “The Mighty Atom” Buttrick backstage at the Excel Arena. Buttrick began boxing in 1949 in carnival shows all over England. Credit: Sue Jay Johnson

In the Flyweight division, China’s Cancan Ren who defeated the USA’s Marlen Esparza by the score of 10-8 will take on Great Britain’s Nicola Adams who won her semifinal match against India’s Magnificent Mary Kom by decision 11:6.

Marlen Esparza and Mary Kom will both be awarded the first women’s flyweight bronze medals for women’s boxing. Both performed their best and should feel proud of their place in the evolution of the sport. Marlen has been a fierce competitor and a model of selfless achievement in the American amateur boxing community. And as for Mary Kom — having boxed in the first ever AIBA World Women’s Boxing tournament in 2001, she has persevered in the sport she loves to become an Olympian.

Ireland’s wildly popular Katie Taylor the reigning world champion in the Lightweight division handily defeated Mayzuna Chorieva 17:9 to earn her berth in the finals. She will face the number two seed, Sofya Ochigava from Russia who defeated the Brazilian fighter Adriana Araujo, 17:11.

Katie is a veteran amateur fighter who has long been lauded as the best of best. She also works tirelessly for women’s sports in her native Ireland and has become so beloved that she led the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin in 2011.

Whether these remarkable women win silver or gold — they each have stories to tell of how they made their way through the labyrinth of training, competition and the dings that life threw them along the way. As women they are trailblazers in a sport that more often than not has neglected their presence or worse attempted to meddle in such things as whether they should wear skirts. Still they have boxed their way into the hearts of their fans — and new ones who are being won over by the poise, skills and temerity of these athletes.

As you watch the women’s Olympic boxing finals today remember that you are part of history — and then send up an extra loud cheer for the sheer guts that these women embody as they step into the ring!

Don’t watch the Finals on your own! Cheer on with a terrific web chat!

Join Girlboxing, Sarah Deming and 2012 World Champion Tiara Brown and producer Marianne McCune online with WNYC.org Radio’s online chat as part of the WomenBox coverage! The festivities get underway at 11:30 AM (EDT) in the US. Link to the chat is here.

Great articles from around the web!

Ariel Levy, New Yorker: Claressa Shields Boxes for Gold

Greg Beacham, AP: US’ Claressa Shields advances to gold-medal bout

Eric Woodyard, MLive: Claressa Shields’ promise: Nothing less than gold in the Olympics

John Henderson, Denver Post: Olympic Boxing draws interest from all corners of the world

Ignacio Toress, NBC Latino: Marlen Esparza gets bronze and makes history

Lyndsey Telford, Independent.ie: Katie Taylor hailed as role model in hometown Bray

Olympics Results

Semifinal Session Results

Women’s boxing is going for the Gold!

2012 Women’s Olympics Boxing Semi-Finals!

2012 Women’s Olympic Boxing Quarterfinals!

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2012 Women’s Olympic Boxing Quarterfinals!

Yep, today’s the day. Twelve bouts across three Olympic weights: flyweight, lightweight and middleweight. Action gets underway at the ExCel arena starting at 1:30 PM local time (8:30 ET).

FLYWEIGHTS

First up will be China’s Cancan Ren against Elena Savelyeva who won by decision yesterday over Hye Song Kim 12-9, in the first women’s Olympic bout in history.

The USA’s medal-hopeful and six-time national champion, Marlen Esparza will fight Karlha Magliocco of Venezuela who won her bout by a 15-14 decision against the Brazilian flyweight Erica Matos.

Next up will be India’s great champion Mary Kom who fought a gallant prelim bout against the much larger Polish fighter Karolina Michalczuk taking the decision by a score of 19-14. Kom faces Tunisia’s Marous Rahali who had a BYE yesterday.

The last flyweight quarterfinal match will pit Bulgaria’s Stoyka Petrova who proved herself to be a talented competitor in her bout against New Zealand’s Siona Fernandes by taking the decision 23-11 against Great Britain’s Nicola Adams.

LIGHTWEIGHTS

The great Irish fighter Katie Taylor who as the number one seed is favored to win the gold may have had a BYE yesterday, but she will have her hands full when she faces the popular British fighter Natasha Jonas. Jonas defeated the highly popular USA fighter Queen Underwood in a heartbreaker in the prelim round taking the decision 21-13.

The second fight will pit China’s Cheng Dong who won her quiet bout 10-5 against Mihaela Lacatus of Rumania. She’ll face Mayzuna Chorieva of Tajekistan who had a BYE in the prelims.

The next outing will pit the scrappy Brazilian fighter Adriana Araujo who pulled out her win with fierce forth round action against Khassenova Saida (KAZ) by decision with the score of 16-14 against Mahjouba Oubtil (MAR) who will be making her Olympic debut.

The last lightweight bout will pit New Zealand’s popular boxer Alexis Pritchard who took her decision 15-10 against a very scrappy Rim Jouini of Tunisia against Russia’s Sofya Ochigava who sat out yesterday’s prelims with a BYE.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Great Britain’s Savannah Marshall, the number one seed in the middleweight division will make her Olympic debut facing Marina Volnova (KAZ) who took her decision 20-11 against Kenya’s great champion Elizabeth Andiego who quite frankly gave it her all in the ring during their preliminary bout–and should have won on heart alone.

Claressa Shields, the 17-year-old American phenomenon will enter the Olympic boxing ring for the first time against Sweden’s Anna Laurell who fought a tight technical bout against Australia’s Naomi Rasmussen winning the bout with a 24-17 decision.

The third bout will see Canada’s best hope for a boxing medal Mary Spencer against China’s Jinzi Li who fought a tough controversal bout against Brazil’s Rosell Feitosa. Li won the bout 19-14, but commentators felt that while she may have won the bout, the fourth round scoring did not accurately reflect action in the fight.

The last quarterfinal bout will pit Nigeria’s Edith Ogoke who won a close hard fought bout against Elena Vystropova (AZE) by the score of 14-12. Ogoke is matched against the number two seed, Russia’s Nadezda Torlopova who sat out the prelims with a BYE.

Yesterday’s scoring results can be found here.

Today’s official bout sheet can be found here.

Queen Underwood’s emotional post-fight interview from NBC.

Olympic dreams all 36 of them!

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Olympic dreams all 36 of them!

One of the great things about life is the capacity to surprise. Beyond surprises though are the hopes and dreams that inform all of our greatest achievements. Today marked one of those brilliant moments when the first of the thirty-six female boxing Olympians donned the gloves to make their mark on history.

The first women to step into the ring were two flyweights: Russia’s Elena Savelyeva in her bout against North Korea’s Hye Song Kim. The rounds were hard fought if not the most elegant of bouts, but it didn’t matter. Both women fought with heart, tenacity and gumption having both spent years in the ring perfecting their skills for that one moment. Savelyeva won the fight by a 12-9 decision after four rounds–and with her win, what had at one time seemed so impossible became something ordinary, women boxing at the Olympics as if they had always boxed at that vaulted contest whose history as a venue for boxing spans millennia.

And to my mind, watching it through the miracle of digital images transported across space, Teddy Atlas‘ voice speaking to the heart of what makes a champion, it was hard not to feel the pomp and circumstance of the Olympian spirit that permeates the Games in the best sense. I thought of old Nestor in The Iliad lamenting his age and its denial of his chance to sport once more in the ring of combat. It gave those moments a kind of “churchiness” as each young women resplendent in blue and red, their shiny new head-gear and gloves in place; gave it their all with skill and ring savvy and dreams of Olympic glory informing their pas de deux around the canvas.

I ached for Queen Underwood whose years of hard work came to a crashing halt–pushing through tears as she spoke so eloquently for the cameras about her 21-13 loss to Natasha Jonas. Queen fought with fire, each punch the culmination of thousands of hours of gym time as so many pathways of muscle memory. She said, “I took a big jump in my life to get here.” And she did, but more than her jump, she jumped for all of us. Yes, she is terribly disappointed that she didn’t go on–but she should also know that she was a champion walking into the ring and no less a champion walking out.

Perhaps that’s the point. Each of the thirty-six athletes who will box over the course of the next few days has taken a big jump to get to the Olympics. They have endured countless years of hard labor at their craft and have overcome the personal trials and tribulations that inform a life to step up into the ring in the first place–not to mention enduring the “slings and arrows” if you will, of a wider public that has been somewhat unforgiving when it comes to supporting the sport of women’s boxing.

What I saw today, however, was a brilliant display of skill and temerity–pure and simple and as my husband put, “I keep forgetting that I’m watching women because they’re just great boxers!” Would that all of us could embrace this wonderous sport with such ease.

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Today’s bout sheet results from AIBA!

Queen Underwood’s emotional post-fight interview from NBC.

The greatest things … Queen Underwood, Olympian!

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The greatest things … Queen Underwood, Olympian!

Sometimes things just work out.

For USA Boxing‘s Olympic Lightweight Trials Champion Queen Underwood, talent, determination and sheer courage have won the day in the Olympic Tripartite Commission’s decision to give her the last lightweight boxing berth available to the American continent in this year’s historical debut of women’s boxing at the 2012 summer Olympic Games in London.

Queen will join her teammates and fellow Olympians, Marlen Esparza and Claressa Shields in representing the United States this year.

Also getting the nod were Canada’s fabulous boxing talent Mary Spencer in the middleweight division and Brazil’s great flyweight champion, Erica Matos.

All three women were tremendously worthy of the honor not the least of which for their incredible skills as boxers.

In Queen Underwood’s case there is also something extra.

Her personal story is one of triumph over odds none of us should ever have to face or even consider. She is a survivor and a role model for punching through and finding a way to grapple with the demons that can haunt a person late into the night or otherwise push them into a spiral of self-abnegation and decline. Queen chose another way–and in that choice we are all the beneficiaries of an enormous talent not only in the ring, but in life itself.

(See this superlative article in the NY Times for more on Queen’s personal saga.)

In the game of life as in the ring we often roll with whatever the shots are. Sometimes they are to the gut and sometimes not, what’s great to know is that life has the capacity to surprise and to reward greatness when it counts.

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Note to readers:

I will be a one-armed bandit for a while as I am about to undergo the “knife” so to speak for arthroscopic shoulder surgery on June 20th.

It’ll mean I’ll be out of the box for a while, but I will attempt to post, albeit, one-armed. That will likely be next week, but sooner if I can manage.

While I can’t say I’m jumping for joy about all of this, I do look forward to walking into Gleason’s Gym to spend many a happy hour at work on the double-ended bag.

My surgeon is Dr. Andrew Feldman who has otherwise had a lot of “practice” on New York Ranger’s hockey players (he’s their team physician) so I’ve got to figure he’ll be ready for the “show” when he works his surgical magic on my labrum and tendons tomorrow.

I’ll see you from the other side.

AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/16/12!

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