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(NOV 18) Layla McCarter made an unflinching
pilgrimage to Las Vegas like hundreds of other boxers yearning for a
professional career.
Now 26, McCarter was but 20 when she journeyed to the desert resort
despite her mother’s reservations.
“It was tough, especially because I’m a woman,” said McCarter. “But I
wanted to be serious about being a professional.”
In this age of cable television dominating the boxing scene and
preferring to show boxers with undefeated records made against sub-par
competition, McCarter (18-12-4) represents the small core of fighters
with numerous losses but superior fighting skills. She’s one of the best
in the world.
“She has so much boxing skill,” said Mia St. John, who holds two
lightweight world titles. “Layla McCarter is way better than her record
shows.”
Success didn’t come quickly for McCarter, whose introduction to contact
sports began with martial arts with her brother.
“I followed my brother into Karate,” McCarter said. “When he left
martial arts I stayed with it.”
After dabbling with kickboxing she made the transition to boxing and
quickly decided it was a sport she wanted to pursue professionally and
saw Las Vegas as the place to do it.
“Las Vegas is the Mecca of boxing so I decided to go there,” McCarter
recalled.
In Las Vegas she discovered the harsh reality of a woman attempting a
pro boxing career.
“I wasn’t doing so well,” McCarter said, adding that she lost four
fights, drew once and captured one victory in her first six pro fights.
“I fought Laura Serrano in only my sixth fight.”
Like the title character in the Academy Award-winning film Million
Dollar Baby, the young wannabe boxing champion struggled to survive in
the Nevada city, a long ways from home.
“When you’re a professional you’re supposed to be paid well for doing
whatever you do. You should be making enough to make a decent living but
I wasn’t,” McCarter says.
Even today, though she’s captured two world titles, McCarter has never
made more than $7,500 while men make that much for club fights. One
thing that sets her aside from other fighters is her willingness to
fight from 126 pounds to 147 pounds, a span of five different boxing
divisions. Her true weight is 126.
“Finding a fight is not hard, it’s getting paid well that’s hard to
find,” said Luis Tapia, who trains and manages McCarter.
Tapia met his protégé while at a fight card in Las Vegas five years ago.
McCarter was scheduled to fight but her opponent never showed. She told
him she was looking for management. He invited her to the famous Johnny
Tocco Boxing Gym near the strip.
“Honestly, she didn’t really impress me but she really wanted to do it,”
said Tapia, a native of Chile whose involvement in the sport began at
age seven. “That’s one of the most important things in boxing: desire.”
Adding his knowledge to her desire proved to be the right recipe for the
Washington boxer. Within a year she was fighting for the featherweight
world title against Indio’s Sandra Yard and won. McCarter was 21. She
also captured the WIBF-GBU junior welterweight title in 2003 against
Lisa Holewyne.
Because of her deceiving record, bouts were easy to make for a short
while. Then possible opponents learned she was a ringer.
“Now it’s kind of hard to find a fight,” says McCarter, whose last fight
was in June, in Canada, where she severely broke her arm early in a
fight but continued until the end. “It’s kind of good to lose a fight
because they (opponents) think you don’t have it.”
Only the best fighters in the world are willing to challenge McCarter.
Last year, at the Pala Casino, McCarter and Chevelle Hallback, a
two-time world champion and another of the best in the world, met in a
furious 10-round contest that amazed those in attendance and watching on
television. Though McCarter lost, that fight raised the consciousness
and expectations of female prizefighting.
McCarter currently is nursing her broken arm that she endured against
Jelena Mrdjenovich in Edmonton, Canada. Her arm was broken in the fourth
round but she refused to quit. After an operation, she now has a
nine-inch scar along her left arm.
“She’s so tough,” Tapia said of McCarter.
A rematch between the two is underway. It will be their third match.
Both have victories.
“I have two world titles. Maybe I can make some money this time,”
McCarter said.
Pound for Pound the
Best in Women’s Boxing
Laila Ali, (21-0) super middleweight - Forget about her being Muhammad
Ali’s daughter, she can fight and she’s made a gigantic leap in the
skills department. She’s beaten some talented fighters her division. All
that’s needed are wins against Leatitia Robinson and Ann Wolfe to cap a
great career.
Sumya Anani (25-1-1) welterweight - Fighters avoid her. She’s chased
Lucia Rijker for years and fought and beat some of the best, but other
fighters just don’t want to face the Kansas City boxer. She’s looking
for someone to step up.
Melinda Cooper (16-0) bantamweight - The Las Vegas native can fight
anywhere from flyweight to junior featherweight and dominate with her
speed and skill. She’s the first of the new breed of female boxers. She
began as an amateur and made the transition to pros smooth as silk.
That’s also an apt description of her style. Smooth as silk.
Chevelle Hallback (24-4-1) junior lightweight - Fast and fearless, the
Florida fighter engaged in one of the best female fights in the last
five years in Temecula, California against Layla McCarter. In that
fight, two of the best female boxers in the world let everyone know how
good they are. The memory of that fight still lingers with those who
witnessed it live.
Regina Halmich (48-1-1)flyweight - Sure she refuses to fight outside of
Germany but Regina has fended her title from a long list of capable
opponents in her career. Now she’s scheduled to face Elena “Baby Doll”
Reid in a rematch on Dec. 3. The first contest ended in a very
controversial draw.
Mariana Juarez (17-4-3) junior bantamweight - A native of Mexico City,
she now makes Southern California her home and has picked up loads of
boxing technique to add to her macha style. Juarez loves to fight and
doesn’t care who or where the fights are. She’s all business in the
ring. Juarez is scheduled to meet Ana Castillo for the third time on
Dec. 3 in Cancun, Mexico.
Layla McCarter (18-12-4) featherweight - Forget about her record, she’s
one of the best and is willing to prove it against anyone. Her match
against Hallback set the limit for women’s boxing. That night both
fighters let it fly. She’s recovering from an injury but is anxious to
return.
Jessica Rakoczy (20-2) lightweight - Now based in Las Vegas, the native
Canadian was breezing along in dominating fashion against all comers in
the lightweight division, then came Eliza Olson. That fight needs to be
done over again. If Olson wins again, then she deserves to be on this
spot.
Wendy Rodriguez (16-2-3) junior flyweight - Little 4-11 Wendy began her
pro career fighting in Temecula and has now become a feared boxer in the
world. She can box opponent’s ears off and just wants to fight. Is that
too much to ask?
Ann Wolfe (22-1) light heavyweight - The Texan has power and verve to go
with her captured world titles. The world is waiting for a match between
Wolfe and Ali or Robinson. If these fighters ever meet, the world will
shake and the women’s fight game will move up a few notches.
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