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(AUG 21) Trace the present day history of the sport of Women's boxing to
its beginning and Christy Martin is the prominent name in the
conversation. It was Martin who provided the nascent sport with it's
first national recognition, culminating on the front cover of Sports
Illustrated. It is not an overstatement that every fighter currently
participating in the sport watched and learned from Christy Martin.
Let's hope they still do.
Martin's highly anticipated fight with Lucia Rijker on July 30 was
canceled due to Rijker's Achilles tendon injury. The match had much to
recommend it aside from the fact that boxing fans had been anticipating
Martin and Rijker climbing into the same ring for more than a decade.
Both fighters are among the most skilled boxers in the sport and both
have compiled overwhelming records against some of the best competition
in the most competitive weight division in Women's boxing. But, best of
all, for the fans and for the sport, this was a fight that no one, the
"experts", the fans, not even the two fighters, was certain who was
going to win. And, therein, lies the essence of one of the big problems
facing the sport of Women's boxing, today; there are simply too many
match-ups, or more properly, mismatch-ups, in which the winner is known,
to most fans, before the first round bell rings.
Sound simplistic? How often, one might ask, is it apparent, before the
bout, which fighter is going to win? The answer is: all too often. Did
anyone, with a modicum of boxing knowledge, have any doubt who was going
to win the last five Laila Ali "fights"? Neither did I! In fact, go back
to Ali's first title win, in August, ' 02. It was a two round KO over
Suzy Taylor for the IBA Super Middleweight title. Coming into the fight
Taylor had lost her last four fights. Did anyone, with any boxing
"smarts", think Taylor had a chance in that fight. In fact, over Ali's
career, only in the Kendra Lenhart bout, and then only for a brief
period in one middle round, has Laila Ali ever been in what could be
construed as any kind of boxing "trouble." A good portion of that was
due to boxing skill, but too much was due to lackluster opposition. That
simply does not make for compelling boxing.
On June 12, Mia St. John won the IFBA lightweight title over Liz Drew, a
9-7 fighter, winning 25 of the 30 rounds on the cumulative scorecards.
This weekend, in China, St. John won the vacant IBA continental
lightweight title with a ten round decision over Donna Biggers, winning
24 of 30 scored rounds. Biggers' main claim to fame, up to this point,
was three first round knockouts over one Nicole Perkins, in a four month
period in 2004. The lone saving grace of the Biggers bout was that it
was conducted half a world away. Neither the St. John/Drew bout nor the
St. John/Biggers bout, realistically, deserved the label of championship
fight. In reality, there has been little doubt as to who would win the
vast majority of Mia St. John's, mostly uncountable and, largely,
un-watch able four round bouts throughout her career. To her credit, St.
John has, at times, ventured into the "quality opponent" area, fighting
Jenifer Alcorn, Christy Martin and Jessica Rakoczy (twice). The irony of
these bouts is that St. John's sojourn up the competitive ladder
resulted in four bouts that were, mainly, also mismatches, with St. John
coming out on the short end of each decision. Now that she has two
titles, it is hoped that St. John will seek out quality opposition for
her title defenses. That's what champions do.
Let me be clear. Laila Ali and Mia St. John both have boxing skills
which have improved over the years that each fighter has been in the
ring. Both fighters have every right to fight whatever type of
opposition they choose. Both have opted to primarily fight opponents who
are considerably beneath their skill level. At the same time, Ali and
St. John have achieved name recognition far in excess of almost every
other fighter in the sport. Thus, as a result, two of the best know
fighters in the sport of Women's boxing have largely participated in
bouts that, while certainly not pre-determined, have, for the most part,
lacked an excess of competitive integrity. That, simply, is not good for
the sport.
What about Christy Martin? Were all her fights against strong,
competitive opponents? Certainly not. When Martin was first starting out
in professional boxing, some fifteen years ago, the level of competition
was not nearly as deep as it is today. Did she duck some fighters? Sumya
Anani tried mightily but failed to get a return bout with Martin after a
stunning upset in 1998. That the return bout never happened was
unfortunate not only for the sport, but for both fighters who had staged
a terrific and very close ten round bout. The second bout would probably
have been just as good. Anani deserved a return bout six years ago and,
in truth, deserves a bout today. That said, for every Anani, there was
an Acuna, a Laracuente, a Collins, a Somers, a Holewyne, a Girgrah.
Christy Martin fought and beat the best fighters in a division, which,
then as now, was the most competitive and compelling in the sport. She
didn't avoid any one, unless and until, you get to the name Lucia Rijker.
I've written, in the past, that if the Martin camp had wanted a Rijker
fight six or seven years ago, given Christy Martin's prominence in the
sport at the time, the fight happens. I believed that then and I still
believe it. What I also believe is that Christy Martin is a smart
fighter and, maybe, an even smarter businesswoman. She once said she
wasn't "Don King smart", but she's not completely shut out of that
conversation, either. I think Martin had figured out that a "Martin/Rijker"
bout, like any good investment, would appreciate with time. Did she
anticipate Clint Eastwood and Hillary Swank and the Academy Award. Of
course not, nobody did. But, somehow, Martin figured out that the
"right" time for "Martin/Rijker" was not five or six years ago and that,
somehow, somewhere, there was a big "futures market" for the bout. She
was right.
Will the Martin/Rijker bout be rescheduled? Who knows? There has been
rumor, since the cancellation, of a slow advance sale for the bout. Add
the fact that any rehab of an injury is always uncertain and let's also
presume that Bob Arum and the Hollywood hoopla could, in "showbiz
fashion, go on to the next project. After being so close, if the
"Martin/Rijker" is gone for good, that's a big hit for the sport, the
fans and the fighters.
However, Christy Martin continues to do what she has always done. She
climbs into the ring and not with walkover opposition. Rather, on
September 16 in Albuquerque, Christy Martin steps in with Holly Holm, a
very good boxer from New Mexico, with an 11-1 record and, for good
measure, Martin goes to New Mexico for the fight. It's not Martin/Rijker,
but it's also surely not Ali/Taylor or St. John/Drew. Christy Martin
loses out on the biggest fight of her career, the biggest payday in the
sport of Women's boxing and she comes right back with a fight that is
better for the sport of Women's boxing than the majority of the
mismatches passing for legitimate fights in the sport today.
That's what some of today's best known fighters can learn from the best
know fighter, ever. You fight who's out there. You fight everyone who's
out there. You take some easy bouts, but you take a bunch of tough ones
too. The sport of boxing is simple, it's "one on one", but it's not
easy. Too many fighters, today, in the sport of Women's boxing, are
trying to make it both simple and easy. It doesn't help the fighters and
it certainly doesn't help the sport. Christy Martin led the way in the
sport fifteen years ago and she's still leading the way on September 16
in Albuquerque, N. M. Fans of the sport should take notice. More than a
few of the fighters in the sport should, likewise, take notice and
learn. Bernie McCoy
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