Tag Archives: women’s boxing

The greatest things … Queen Underwood, Olympian!

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.

counting down ….

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Counting down …

We all have things we count down for.

Sometimes it is something grand like a fight and sometimes just the tick-tock of the clock till the end of the work day.

When I get anxious, I like to think of things in three-minute intervals, plus the sixty-second rest.

It’s a way of organizing my thoughts which otherwise race around in what my old Dharma teacher used to call a monkey mind.

If I set the clock, I can think of things in finite terms. I can count out each second, or count out other things such as the number of sit-ups I can do in three minutes or the number of words I can write, or the amazing amount of tasks that can be completed in between the buzzers.

Imagine, one can actually pretty much empty a sink full of dishes, or run down four flights of stairs, grab the mail from the mailbox and come back upstairs and find that the clock hasn’t even hit yellow yet.

At other times the clock provides order out of chaos. It quells the what-do-I-do-now panic of momentary indecision, or worse, the I-can’t-get-started rut can be kicked into gear to a set menu of things to achieve–even if that just means taking an interval or two to calm down.

I bring this up as person facing deadlines and the stress that accompanies that. Thinking of the clock and the ding of the round though is helping to soothe me. In breaking things down into the tiny snippets of time I am reminding myself that no matter how daunting something may seem, it is only ever made up of moments; moments that follow one upon another each carrying its own weight and import.

Much as when I train, I can set aside so many rounds for one thing followed by a set number of rounds for another.

In their totality the time winds up to be the same as what had been originally allotted, but somehow in breaking it down into smaller bits, one can see and touch the progress as so many things that have already been accomplished.

Exclusive Interview with Sonya Lamonakis set to fight on June 14th @ Roseland Ballroom!

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Exclusive Interview with Sonya Lamonakis set to fight on June 14th @ Roseland Ballroom!

Gleason’s Gym’s own scholar and favorite female heavyweight Sonya Lamonakis (6-0-1) will be returning to Dibella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing in a rousing six-round rematch against Tiffany Woodard (4-6-2) on June 14, 2012 at the storied Roseland Ballroom.

Lamonakis and Woodard have met twice before. While Lamonakis has won both fights, their last outing also under the Broadway Boxing banner at Mechanic’s Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts in August 2011 resulted in a split decision win.

Lamonakis and Woodard, August 2011

While Lamonakis has been hard at work prepping for this bout, she’s also been finishing up the school year at the Family Academy school in Harlem. In between her busy schedule, Sonya agreed to do an interview with Girlboxing.

1. You’ve got a fight coming up against Tiffany Woodard on June 14th as Roseland Ballroom in NYC as part of the Broadway Boxing series. Your last time out with Tiffany you won by a split-decision over six rounds. What is your game plan against her this time out?

This will be our trilogy. She is a tough opponent not to be taken lightly. We are both coming off a draw and want a win. I plan on working angles and combinations. I will be more active than the last time I fought her.

2. You are 6-0-1 now, that’s quite an achievement. What are you looking to achieve with a win against Woodard?

A win! Again, I’m coming off a draw and I need to get that W and get ready for a title fight in the future.

3. What has your training been like for the fight? I know your semester is winding down, but you are still working full-time as a teacher in Harlem. How are you able to make things work?

Training has been a little crazy.

I fired my trainers and will have Buddy McGirt in my corner. He worked with me about two months ago when he was here training a fighter for a big fight for about a month. Unfortunately, he went back to his home in Florida and I was lost without him. I attempted to work with “Blimp” Delon Parsley and Lennox Blackmore, but neither of them were to aggressive with my training and took it too lightly. I felt I was not being taken seriously enough and needed a change.

Work is winding down and the summer is here. I am delighted to greet it. I do my best to balance my career and my hobby. I always put my students first. One Saturday a month I set up a trip for my students to take them out of the city on a hike, or adventure so they can breathe some clean air and work on confidence, self-esteem, and finding themselves.

4. Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West issued a press release with her father and trainer Juan West stating that while women work as hard as men in the fight game, they are not catching any kind of breaks for fight promotions or TV air time. I know that you’ve had a great relationship with Lou DiBella and Broadway Boxing here in New York, but do you feel that Kaliesha has a point? Are things really tough right now for female pro boxers trying to gain the experience, recognition and opportunity that comes with televised fights?

Unfortunately, women are not getting what they deserve. I have never been told or heard that my fights are boring or are not worthy of television. I dream of the day that I will fight on ESPN Friday Night Fights, or even Showbox, or HBO Boxing. For now, I am thankful that Lou allows me on his cards and always gives me TV time on SNY and MSG. It’s baby steps for women. Even as an amateur I had to fight against the odds to create a path for the women to get where they are today. I am proud to be part of the movement that opened up women’s boxing at the amateur and professional level.

5. You’ve only fought two fights since last April, one in August one in January–can you tell us what’s been going on in the women’s heavyweight division and why there seem to be so few fights?

Boxing is an expensive sport. The promoters want to make money. There is not a lot of money in women’s boxing. With the more wins I get the harder it is to find opponents. There are a lot more heavyweights but not ones that want to fight me. They ask for a lot of money and my promoter can only pay so much. It’s not like Lou is making $100,000 off my fight. I sell tickets to cover my purse and my opponents. I’m waiting for an offer from a woman on her card so I don’t have to worry about tickets and I can be the guest on a show.

6. Sonya, you are an inspiration to so many people not only as a boxer, but as a teacher and in your work against bullying. Your personal story is also one of redemption, hope and faith. Tell Girlboxing readers about your work in the community and how it is affecting the lives of young people?

Teaching school and guiding children is something I’m good at. I am positive role model for the children academically and personally. I attended colleges and received masters degrees and hold five different New York State Education Certifications in a variety of fields. I’m also an athlete and the students can relate to me. I love all my children and find the good in each of them. I do my best to instill values and morals in them that will lead to towards successful lives. I tell them that if they want to have choices when they are older they need to have an education. Without an education you have no choices to make. You have to take whatever job you can and do your best to survive. As an example, remember that episode on the Cosby’s when Bill gave his son fake money and had him pay bills until he ran out quickly. At that point he wanted more things, but he had no money left. So without an education, your choices will be limited, but with an education you can go anywhere.

7. One last question — with the debut of women’s boxing at the 2012 London Olympic Games, what do you feel most proud of?

I feel proud to be a part of the movement that accomplished this mission. I attended meetings, competed in the Nationals, signed petitions, advocated for the women and being an amateur boxer allowed me to be part of the debut of women’s boxing. I look forward to the Olympics and hope that it opens the doors for more women in the future of boxing.

Check out Sonya’s new sponsor website here!

For tickets to Sonya Lamonakis’ Broadway Boxing fight at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City contact Gleason’s Gym: 718-797-2872. Tickets are: $45, $65 and $85. The first bout is at 7:00 PM.

Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West fighting hard to fight!

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Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West fighting hard to fight!

Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West (15-1-3, 4-KOs) is the current WBO female bantamweight champion having most recently defended her world title in April against the Argentinian fighter Claudia Andrea Lopez in Baja California, Mexico.

What she isn’t getting is the kind of support and boxing opportunties a fighter of her skill and caliber should be getting.

Kaliesha was featured in a recent MUST SEE Transworld Sport video in which she explains the dilemma of what it means to have to fight hard to fight. Please watch it.

The following is a press release issued by Kaliesha and her father Juan West — I am publishing it in full because this is powerful stuff.

Kaliesha West & her Father/ Trainer Juan West
Press release: Jerry Hoffman
Boxing friends,
Women’s boxing is being stymied in America by promoters who refuse to throw them a bone. No TV fights, very few undercard opportunities, and a constant dismissal of the potential interest and consequently dollars that would be generated if a major player in the business were to make a commitment and embrace the female boxing scene. MMA makes that effort. Boxing does not.

Hope you will enjoy this 13 minute piece on current World bantamweight Champion Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West who fought in Monterey a couple times earlier in her career.http://youtu.be/dIKfx1Fls7M

Somehow, California is blessed with other female boxing greats who remain unknown to fight fans. Tremendous Northern California talents such as Ava Knight, Ana Julaton, and Melissa McMorrow have won World Titles by traveling into hostile Mexican and European venues to upset the local promoter’s fighters…but the recognition and notoriety that would be afforded to men World Champions accomplishing the same triumphs remain mute.

The “Old Boy Network” of established American promoters continue to keep women’s boxing off the fight fan’s radar by design. Their intent is not to offer opportunities and open up new potential markets. Golden Boy, Top Rank and other promotional companies who can make a difference refuse to do so, for fear of looking “soft” among their colleagues. It’s time for them to man up and seize the challenge and enjoy the benefits of expanding the scope of the sport, operating in the “interest of boxing” rather than self serving male dominated discrimination.

Women’s boxing is an Olympic sport for the first time, but it’s unlikely any American will medal at the London Games this summer. If American women were to be promoted in their own country, aspiring females would be inspired with potential returns for their dedication.

The noted pro boxers above have achieved Championship status despite prejudice in their own back yard. Their accomplishments overcome the long odds against them. They are compelling and entertaining fighters with talent who remain anonymous in the public eye, because the entities who could easily elevate their status, refuse to do so.

Holly Holm v. Anne-Sophie Mathis 2 — The Reckoning

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Holly Holm v. Anne-Sophie Mathis II — The Reckoning

Anne-Sophie Mathis KOs Holly Holm with a “stunning right” on December 10, 2012. Credit: Chris Cozzone

Much has been written about the oft described “stunning right” delivered by Anne-Sophie Mathis (26-1, 22 KOs) that KO’d Holly Holm (30-2-3, 9 KOs) at 1:39 in the seventh round of their International Boxing Association (IBA) and WBAN Welterweight title fight.

Boxing writers dubbed Mathis’ victory the upset of the year, though many pointed to Mathis’ fifth round hit and subsequent 6th round shot that sent Holm down to the canvas as having clearly rocked Holm before she ever made it to the seventh round. Holm was knock into the ropes, but got up before the final straight right that put her back through the ropes and finally prompted the referee, Rocky Burke to stop the fight.

Anne-Sophie Mathis who is a KO artist of the first order and proved that over and over again in her victory over Holm. What many have questioned is whether Holm was prepared for the onslaught in the run up to their December battle–but more importantly, have questioned why both the Ref and Holm’s corner let her continue after the 6th round when she was so clearly rocked and still wobbly in the early part of the 7th.

The two are set to meet again on June 15th in what is being billed as Holly Holm v. Anne-Sophie Mathis II — The Reckoning. The fight will be no doubt be a momentous battle and we will see for ourselves what the ensuing months have brought both fighters in terms of preparation and mental toughness as they go at it again.

Mathis has been quoted as saying, “I haven’t changed anything since our first fight. I’ve continued working to improve my technique and mental approach. I study my opponent so I am as prepared as possible. I don’t disrespect anybody but trust in myself and my work.”

Holm, seeking redemption in the ring has said, “I could have fought the rest of my career, never losing again, but I wanted to fight her. It was a rough fight for me and I’ve battled my demons over that night. If I didn’t believe in myself, I’ve already lost. Nobody is going in there fighting for me.”

In what looks to be an attempt to forestall any controversy, the New Mexico Athletic Commission announced three well-respected and seasoned judges who will officiate at the bout. All three will come in from Las Vegas: Duane Ford, Dave Moretti and Lisa Giampi. Among them they have judged such world title bouts as Larry Holmes-Muhammed Ali and more recently Manny-Pacquaio-Juan Manuel Marquez II.

Tom King of the New Mexico Athletic Commission stated, “They are among the most qualified officials in boxing,” when the announcement was made.

The referee chosen for the bout is Jon Schorle who in his 20 years in the ring has refereed a total of 27 title fights.

For further information on one of the most highly anticipated rematches in recent memory, click on www.FresquezProductions.com or www.rt66casino.com for ticket information.

Cecilia Braekhus retains her titles in 10-round bout by UD!

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Cecilia Braekhus retains her titles in 10-round bout by UD!

Weigh-in for Cecilia Braekhus (R) and Jessica Balogun ahead of their June 2, 2012 WBA/WBC/WBO Female Welterweight Title Fight, Credit: Photo Wende

Cecilia Braekhus, the WBO, WBA and WBC female welterweight champion came out blazing to score a unanimous decision over contender Jessica “The Hammer” Balogun (22-1) through ten hard-fought rounds of action at the Herning Kongrescenter in Herning, Denmark last night.

The judges scored the bout 99-92, 97-93, 97-93 in favor of Braekhus who exhibited much better boxing skills than her opponent. The previously undefeated Balogun, from Aachen, Germany, was a game opponent, however, who kept on coming despite Braekhus’ evident dominance. This led to some rounds that have been characterized as “messy,” but Braekhus’ superior ring generalship kept her in control of the fight to take the win.

Braekhus, a Columbian-born fighter who resides in Bergen, Norway, is considered pound-for-pound one of the best female boxers in the world. Her record stands at a perfect 20-0 with five wins by way of knockout. In recent outings she has defeated such boxing luminaries as Jill Emery (2011) and Chevelle Hallback (2011) with similar results.

Highlights from the fight are as follows:

Moaning and groaning … oh yeah, about that shoulder!

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Moaning and groaning … oh yeah, about that shoulder!

Shoulder Anatomy (Credit: Massageitsgoodforyou.wordpress)

Oy … so here’s the story. Back in December my shoulder started hurting after boxing. I didn’t think too much of it and let it slide for a while.

By February I noted serious “ows” when I swam–so I stopped doing that, but kept boxing, avoiding things like the right cross. By March it was still hurting and making “popping” noises so I saw an orthopedist and after getting an MRI got the diagnosis: A torn labram. Specifically, I was diagnosed with a SLAP Tear (Superior Labrum from anterior to posterior), a tear where the biceps muscle tendon connects with the labram in the shoulder joint.

Labram Tear (Credit: Healthandfitness101.com)

Here’s a good explanation from About.com: An injury to a part of the shoulder joint called the labrum. The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, similar to the hip; however, the socket of the shoulder joint is extremely shallow, and thus inherently unstable. To compensate for the shallow socket, the shoulder joint has a cuff of cartilage called a labrum that forms a cup for the end of the arm bone (humerus) to move within. A specific type of labral tear is called a SLAP tear; this stands for Superior Labrum from Anterior toPosterior. The SLAP tear occurs at the point where the tendon of the biceps muscle inserts on the labrum.

The MRI also showed tendonitis of the supraspinatus tendon (the tendon at the top of shoulder) and bits of inflammation in a couple of other places).

Next up was a course of physical therapy — and no more boxing for the duration.

I worked with a terrific therapist name Eddie who patiently took me through a myriad of stretches and strengthening exercises.

Twice a week I lay on one of the tables while I had a heat pack applied to my shoulder that felt GREAT–for a few minutes. Next up was a massage and gentle manipulation to try to improve my range of motion–and get me out of pain.

After the heat and massage came the hard part: lots of exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and improve range of motion which I had already begun to lose. The biggest problem was my shoulder was feeling even more unstable–meaning lots of popping when I moved it plus it hurt even more after PT was done. In other words, not a great sign.

So … back to the orthopedist I went only to learn that I was also developing a frozen shoulder, meaning my shoulder was stiff and losing range of motion big-time.

I’d already known that I hurt when I tried to move my arm up and to the side or across my body–but the shocker was realizing that I couldn’t scratch my back anymore on my right side. I had also started to wake up in the middle of the night in pain, and trying to put on a sweater was becoming a challenge (not to mention hooking a bra!).

In other words my favorite shoulder Yoga pose was a pipe dream and I could no more do the pose than launch into space.

Options?? Well pretty much only one if I want to gain back the use of my right shoulder — arthroscopic surgery to repair the labram tear, clean up the “junk” around it and to “unfreeze” those parts of the shoulder capsule that are impeding range-of-motion.

Arthroscopic means that the surgery will be performed through 3-4 small incisions around the shoulder using a camera and specialized surgical instruments. Depending upon the severity of the repair, tiny ceramic screws may also be inserted to help stabilize the shoulder joint.

Surgery typically runs from one to two hours and may also entail repairs to the biceps tendon depending upon the amount of damage.

Recovery is another challenge. Immediately post-op, patients wear an ice-pack on their affected arm for 72-96 hours and pretty much keep the arm immobilized in a sling for upwards of four weeks. PT starts pretty early though and patients usually start a course of exercise from about the second day or so.

The prospect of surgery is miserable to say the least — but given that I can’t even run because the motion hurts my arm gives some indication of its necessity. As my surgeon said, if I want to be active at all, I kinda’ have no choice and given that I DESPERATELY want to box again, onward I march into a summer in recovery mode.

My surgery is scheduled for June 20th at NYU/Hospital for Joint Diseases. I’ll let you know how it goes from the other side.

For further information on Labral tears here are a few good resources.

Johns Hopkins Orthopedic Surgery

NYU – Shoulder Labral Tear

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

Kate Sekules and The Boxer’s Heart: A Woman Fighting!

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Kate Sekules and The Boxer’s Heart: A Woman Fighting!

As Kate Sekules says of her love affair with boxing in her memoir, The Boxer’s Heart: A Woman Fighting, “I wonder myself what set this obsession in motion.” Kate never stops describing it either, from her affection for the sport on through her experiences beginning with her early forays into the gym and what it felt like the first time she stepped into the ring to fight. As she says,

“Training to box is one of the toughest physical challenges you can set yourself, and it is clean. But once you step through the ropes, a dimension rears up that is not pure at all. To compete as a runner, a swimmer, a player of tennis, golf, basketball, football-any noncombat sport-what you do is an extension of what you did in training, only more intense; but to compete as a boxer, your aims are suddenly quite distinct from those of your training sessions. You hope to inflict so much pain on your opponents that they fall over and can’t get up.”

Kate’s book is a warm, colorful homage to her years training at Gleason’s Gym — and of the women she trained along side beginning in 1992 on through the late 1990’s. Originally published in 2000, Kate has reissued her memoir with a new afterward to coincide with the historical debut of Women’s Boxing at the 2012 Olympics.

As for the ensuing 11 years, Kate notes the sport has “actually become less visible.” Something we all feel with “more female mis-matches … and more neglect of women’s bouts by mainstream media.”

What comes across, however, in Kate’s highly engaging book is truly the viewpoint of a boxer’s heart. She shows us her love of the sport, the camaraderie of her fellow boxers and an intimate perspective of the journey of a boxer. As Kate said recently in an interview with Girlboxing, “We confront through boxing the same issues every woman faces,” only in the case of a female boxer we add a touch of “rebellion perhaps and a counter to mainstream culture.”

Kate also made the point that the “book is for men and women about gender roles as much as about the sport.” Still what Kate provides is a treasure trove of details about the sport at a certain time and place — as well as an intimate portrait of Kate and her cohort of boxing friends all working hard to practice the art they love so much.

These days, Kate can be found back at Gleason’s Gym once a week — after having worked out at Chelsea Piers for a while doing their “Lunchbox” series which she swears was “amazing, he’s really, really good.” She’s also the owner of Refashioner, a marketplace for pre-owned couture.

The Boxer’s Heart: A Woman Fighting will be hitting bookstores this week — and if you happen to live in Brooklyn, be sure and stop by BookCourt on Friday, June 1st for a live reading! Details are as follows:

Reading – June 1, 2012 @ 7:00 PM

BookCourt

163 Court Street

Brooklyn NY 11201

To purchase Kate’s Book from Amazon.com click on the link!

Tea and Sympathy …

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Tea and Sympathy …

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.

AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/19/12 Finals!

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AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/19/12 Finals!

The finals were an exciting culmination to a remarkable tournament that pitted 325 superb amateur athletes from 77 nations in a test of ability, skill, savvy and courage. The competition was also something more, the first international Olympic qualifying test for female boxers in history.

Tiara Brown in her Semifinal win over Svetlana Staneva, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images Asia Pac

Team USA came away with two Olympians, one gold medal, two silver medals and two bronze medalists.

Franchon Crews winning her semifinal bout over Timea Nagy, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images AsiaPac

Olympians!

Marlena Espara (Flyweight)

Claressa Shields (Middleweight)

Gold Medalist!

Tiara Brown (Featherweight)

Silver Medalists!

Franchon Crews (Light Heavyweight)

Raquel Miller (Welterweight)

Bronze Medalists!

Christina Cruz (Bantamweight)

Mikaela Mayer (Light Welterweight)

Raquel Miller defeating Irina Porteyeva in the semifinals, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images AsiaPac

Click here for the Full Bout roster for the Finals held on 5/19/12:

5:19:12 Full Roster Finals

Click here for full results for Semifinals (5/18/12) & Finals (5/19/12):

5:18:12 Results Session 12A

5:18:12 Results Session 13A

5:19:12 Results Session 14A Finals

Click here for Medalists!

2012 World Championship Medalists

AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/18/12!

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AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/18/12! (Update 2)

The Semifinals!

LIVE NOW!!!

All five of the remaining USA Boxing team members are scheduled to compete in the semifinals today.

Results so far are as follows:

Franchon Crews (81kg) routed her opponent Hungary’s Timea Nagy by the score of 22:8 to win her semifinal bout in the first session of today’s Women’s World Championship action today. She led the fight from the beginning, but really put it away with a 6:2 third round and a 9:3 fourth round. No word yet on who Crews will face in the finals!

Raquel Miller (69 kg) proved victorious in her semifinal bout over Russia’s Irina Poteyeva winning the close bout 13:10. Miller was able to hold Poteyeva off through most of the match and will proudly move on to the finals!

Christina Cruz (54 kg) lost her semifinal bid to Italy’s Terry Gordini by the score of 7:11. The low scoring bout saw Gordini to effectively hold Cruz to low points throughout, though Cruz was able to tie Gordini 2:2 in the third round. Cruz has been a true champion with excellent showings throughout the tournament so this is a big loss.

From the PM sessions, Tiara Brown (57kg) defeated Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva by the score of 22:14. She moves onto the finals as the top seed in her division!

Mikaela Mayer (64gk) who fought the North Korean light welterweight Kyong Pak on the heels of her quarterfinal rout of India’s Meena Rani, lost a tough, close battle 24:25 to Pak. Mayer and Pak each won a round in the first two, but Pak pulled out a 3-point advantage in the third. In the fourth round Mayer came back very strong, however, a mid-round stop effected her momentum and though she took the round 10-8, Pak’s holding at the end of the round cost Mayer the bout.

Other results from the first session are as follows:

Ireland’s Katie Taylor took her semifinal bout and will be in the finals against Russia’s own Sofya Ochigava. Ochigava defeated the heavily touted British fighter Natasha Jones 18:10 to gain her spot in the final.

Click here for the Full Bout roster for 5/16/12:

5:18:12 Full Roster Semifinals

Click here for full results for 5/16/12 & the first session for 5/18/12:

5:16:12 Results Session 10A

5:16:12 Results Session 10B

5:16:12 Results Session 11A

5:16:12 Results Session 11B

5:18:12 Results Session 12A

AIBA’s article link is here: Russian women continue terrific form in quarter-finals.

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

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AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/16/12! – Updated (3)!

Quarterfinals for the Lightweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight, Light Welterweight, Welterweight and Heavyweight divisions!

Marlen Esparza, USA Olympian, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images AsiaPac

All six of the remaining USA Boxing team members are scheduled to compete on 5/16/12. While Marlen Esparza is the first American female boxer to have one a place at the Olympics, she is still avid to medal at the 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships!

Christina Cruz, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images AsiaPac

In Results from today’s bouts it seems that the USA Boxing team has won four bouts out of five so far with one bout still to go.

Christina Cruz (54kg) fought a tough close bout against Sopida Saturmrum of Thailand, but managed to take the bout by the score of 29:19. Cruz managed to tie the first round 3:3, but actually lost the second and third round trailing by a total of two points before she put everything she had into the fourth round to take it by the score of 6:3. She advances to the semi-finals against Italy’s Terry Gordini on May 18th, giving her a well-need rest day.

Raquel Miller (69kg) was equally victorious in her bout over Turkish boxer Bilgehan Karabulut by the score of 11:5. Raquel led the low scoring bout throughout all four rounds. Her next bout in the semifinals of her division will be against Irina Poteyeva of Russia on May 18th.

In the third afternoon fight for the American team, Franchon Crews had a big win outscoring her opponent for Kasakhstan, Dariga Shakimova by the score of 30:12. Franchon came out blasting from the beginning and finished her fight with a devastating 10:2 round. Franchon will fight Hungary’s Timea Nagy in the semifinals. Her fight is also scheduled for May 18th.

In the 7:00 PM (local time) session so far:

Yesterday, Marlen Esparza’s (51kg) became the first American female boxer in history to win a spot in the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, Esparza has lost her quarterfinal bout against China’s Cancan Ren by the score of 8:16. Ren was able to outscore Esparza throughout the bout, and although she came back with a 3:3 tie in the third round, Esparza was not able to take the win in the fourth. Still, this loss does not take away her victory yesterday or her place in history as America’s first female boxing Olympian!

Tiara Brown (57kg) who is considered the top seed narrowly defeated China’s Jian Quin by the score of 23:22. The tightly fought contest saw Jian in control in the first two rounds, however, Brown came roaring back to win her quarterfinal match. No word yet on who she will fight in the semifinals.

To round out the PM session, Mikaela Mayer (64kg), following her fantastic win yesterday by the score of 34:13, will be taking on India’s Meena Rani. In yesterday’s bout, Mayer led throughout with huge scores in the second and third rounds (10:4 & 10:3).

Queen Underwood in her heartbreaking lost to Ingrid Egner, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images

As a reminder, in a true heartbreaker, Queen Underwood (60kg) lost her very close battle with Norway’s Ingrid Egner by the score of 26:25. Egner held a slight advantage in the first two rounds scoring 6:4 and 8:5. Queen was able to tie up the score 6:6 in the third round and came back with a fierce fourth round scoring 6:10, however, it was not enough. This is very, very tough for Queen, and she joins Claressa Shields in the waiting game for a place in the Olympics.

In a couple of notes on the Lightweight division, Ingrid Egner went on to lose today to Natasha Jonas of England by the score of 32:9. While Ireland’s Katie Taylor received a walkover against Mihaela Lacatus.

For one other bit of news, Australian flyweight champion boxer, Bianca Elmir was provisionally banned due to a failed doping test from her national championship battle this past February. She was notified of the ban in China, and while her team has appealed to allow her to compete, the appeal was denied. Elmir tested positive for a banned diuretic. For more details on the issues click here.

Click here for the Full Bout roster for 5/16/12:

5:16:12 Full Roster

Click here for full results for 5/15/12 and 5/16/12 Afternoon Session Results:

5:15:12 Results Session 8A

5:15:12 Results Session 8B

5:15:12 Results Session 9A

5:15:12 Results Session 9B

5:16:12 Results Session 10A

5:16:12 Results Session 10B

AIBA’s article link is here: Ochigava eliminates the first Chinese boxer in Qinhuangdan

AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/15/12!

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AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/15/12! – Updated (5/15/12 Afternoon Session Results)

More Preliminary Rounds!

USA’s Claressa Shields in defeat against England’s Savannah Marshall, Credit Getty Images

Well in early results from today’s bouts it seems that the USA Boxing team has had mixed results.

For the great news, Marlen Esparza (51kg) had a decisive win over Viet Nam’s Thi Duyen Luu, taking the decision by the score of 28:13. Marlen led through out with a whopping 9:2 forth round to close out the bout. Marlen will continue to fight tomorrow in the quarter finals for the Flyweight division against China’s much ballyhooed Cancan Ren. Marlen’s win means that she is going to the Olympics!!!

Christina Cruz (54kg) also proved victorious in her bout against Norway’s Shora Rezaie Johroni, taking the bout by the score of 14:10. Cruz kept fair control of the fight except for the third round when Johroni came back with a 7:4 round, however, Cruz was able to beat back her advance with a 5:2 forth round. The next bout for Cruz will be in the quarterfinals against Thailand’s Sopida Satumrum, on May 16th.

In a true heartbreaker, Queen Underwood (60kg) has lost in a very close battle with Norway’s Ingrid Egner by the score of 26:25. Egner held a slight advantage in the first two rounds scoring 6:4 and 8:5. Queen was able to tie up the score 6:6 in the third round and came back with a fierce fourth round scoring 6:10, however, it was not enough. This is very, very tough for Queen, and she joins Claressa Shields in the waiting game for a place in the Olympics.

In the second of Team USA Boxing’s defeats today, Alex Love (48kg) lost a very close bout to Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaybay by the score of 20:19. The bout was very close through out and will Alex led in the first round 2:3 and tied the second 5:5, Kyzaybay was able to take the third and forth rounds scoring 7:6 and 6:5 respectively to win the bout.

Set to fight in the PM session today is California’s own, Mikaela Mayer (64kg) against New Zealand’s Laura Matthews. (Results to be posted later).

One other note in the Lightweight Division, Ireland’s Katie Taylor proved successful in her bout against Kazakhstan’s Saida Khassenova, defeating her by the score of 20:8.

Bouts in the Olympic Flyweight, Lightweight and Middleweight divisions and non-Olympic Bantamweight, Light Flyweight, Bantamweight, and Light Welterweight divisions dominate today’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Quinhuangdao, China.

Click here for the Full Bout roster for 5/15/12:

5:15:12 Full Roster

Click here for full results for 5/14/12 + 5/15/12 Afternoon Sessions:

5:14:12 Results Session 6A

5:14:12 Results Session 6B

5:14:12 Results Session 7A

5:14:12 Results Session 7B

5:15:12 Results Session 8A

5:15:12 Result Session 8B

AIBA’s article link is here: Katie Taylor Opens her World Championships in Style

Shelito Vincent set to fight her third bout on May 24th!

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>>>>UPDATE>>>>

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!

Bantamweight Shelito 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.

Girlboxing had 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!!!

AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/14/12!

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AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/14/12! – UPDATED! (Added 5/14/12 Results Session 6B)

More Preliminary Rounds!

Erika Guerrier (Red) & Nives Radic, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images AsiaPac

Well in early results from today’s bouts it seems the USA has three winners so far!

As the PM results come through, however, it seems that Claressa Shields has suffered a defeat at the hands of Great Britain’s Savannah Marshall by the score of 8:14. The low scoring bout saw a 2:2 draw in the first round followed by a steady increase in points by Marshall. This is a heartbreaker for Claressa who was an early favorite to go all the way.

The USA’s own Queen Underwood continues to advance with a huge win against New Zealand’s Alexis Pritchard by the score of 28:9. Queen dominated throughout the fight with an amazing third round that saw her to receive the score of 10:2. Queen will go on to fight in the Elite 8 next where she will face Norway’s Ingrid Egner.

Franchon Crews (81kg) the USA Boxing Champion also routed her opponent, Sabrina Arlette Jaqueline Delarue of France with a score of 22:8. She advances to the quarterfinals where she will face Kazakhstan’s Dariga Shakimova.

And finally, the USA’s Tiara Brown who has been awarded the top seed handily won her bout against India’s Mandakini Chanu Kangabam by the score of 21:16 in the 57kg division. She faces China’s Jian Qin in the quarterfinal.

Bouts in the Olympic Flyweight, and non-Olympic Bantamweight, Light Flyweight, Light Welterweight and Welterweight divisions dominate today’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Quinhuangdao, China.

The afternoon and evening sessions include bouts in the Featherweight, Lightweight, Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions.

Click here for the Full Bout roster for 5/14/12:

5:14:12 Full Bout Roster

Click here for full results for 5/13/12 + 5/14/12 first two sessions:

5:13:12 Results Session 4A

5:13:12 Results Session 4B

5:13:12 Results Session 5A

5:13:12 Results Session 5B

5:14:12 Results Session 6A

5:14:12 Results Session 6B

AIBA’s article link is here: China, Russia and the USA still perfect in Qinhuangdao