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(DEC 31) WBAN has listed "some" of the most outrageous things that went on
in the sport for 2005. It would be impossible to list them all-but
here are some of our top picks! Here you go....
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“MILLION DOLLAR BABY”! |
Did you get as tired as WBAN hearing the words, “Million Dollar Baby” in
2005? This had to be the most over used phrase in just about every news
story written about women boxers this year. We even had a “Million Dollar
LADY” fight that was supposed to take place until one of the boxers got
“injured.” Let us NOT forget OTHERS who jumped on the bandwagon to attach
themselves to the “Million Dollar” phenomenon.
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FEMALE PRISONER MAKING PRO DEBUT IN BOXING---FIGHTS FOR WORLD TITLE
IN A THAILAND PRISON |
Who could forget about Nog Nai Siriporn, the Thailand boxer who never
had a pro fight, was a prisoner in a Thailand prison, and where the world
title bout took place in the prison. Did I mention, she was fighting
for a WBC world title belt? There was little information on Siriporn,
and we were led to believe before the fight that Siriporn was 8-0. BUT it
took Siriporn, herself , who gave her true record to the press--she
WAS making her pro debut. JUST WHEN YOU THINK it could not get worst, more
information is revealed through the news media that Siriporn was told
that they would shorten her prison sentence if she won the fight!!
Link to story
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THE IOC REJECTS WOMEN’S BOXING
FOR 08’ OLYMPICS |
The IOC rejected women's boxing, but approved open-water swimming and
women's steeplechase for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The International
Olympic Committee Executive Board rejected the request to include Women's
Boxing in the Beijing's Olympic Games in 2008. However, the IOC left the
door open for women's boxing to be included at the London Games in 2012.
(Oh…thank you---you are SO Generous). Amateur Boxing Champion
Angel Bovee wrote the following, about this decision that not only
affected her, but other female boxers, “Believe it or not, even after all
our exhausting work, boxing is the ONLY sport in the Games that does NOT
include women. After competing on the first-ever Women’s World Championship
team back in 2001 and again in 2002, I cannot believe that we may not see
women boxers in the Olympic Games until 2012! The opportunities for women
boxers will continue to be on a sub-level to that of the men until we
receive the necessary funding from the IOC and USOC to support both national
and international competitions for the women. My years of dedication to
Olympic-style boxing (never going pro because I believed the world would
recognize the importance of gender equality and equal opportunity) and
dreams of Olympic Gold have been taken away, simply because I am female. I
do not want that fate to happen to a single girl out there that wants to
train, sacrifice and deserves an equal opportunity chance to reach the
Olympic Games and believe in the Olympic ideals.” Yes folks….this was
definitely OUTRAGEOUS!
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MAN VS WOMAN RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD IN 2005 |
Just when the sport was looking up----we had the Million Dollar Baby
buzz, and the sport in general was receiving a heavy influx of media
attention. AND THEN the Ann Wolfe team announces that Wolfe was fighting a
“man.” Whoopee! Fans couldn’t wait---or could they? Luckily for the fans,
the “man vs. woman” bout had been postponed for various reasons—and did not
happen in 2005. A noted matchmaker Chris Middendorf, could not
have said it any better when he wrote, “I read with real sadness that RPM
has decided to totally devalue their fighter and the sport of women's boxing
by turning Ann Wolfe into a Tonya Harding-like circus act and having her
face a male fighter. I do not know whether it is outright stupidity on the
part of every member of the Wolfe team, desperation because they do not have
a clue how to manage and promote one of the best female fighters, or once
again the overwhelming arrogance that they, and they alone have it all
figured out, but to me it is the saddest day in women's boxing.”
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BOXERS FIGHTING FOR WORLD TITLES
WITH OPPONENTS NOT RANKED, NO WINS, AND MORE! |
Well it has definitely been a “Rocky” year in 2005 (no, the Rockys'
don't generally win in these true life scenarios) for not only
some of the worst matchmaking, but the craziest matchmaking. Some of these
“TITLE HOLDERS” fought for supposed “WORLD TITLES” fighting soft and
inferior opponents. After these “TITLE HOLDERS” won “WORLD TITLES”
some of them would then step in the ring fighting more inferior and
inexperienced boxers.
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FIRST “TWO ROUND” BOUT! |
Yep…we actually had a commissioner, Aaron Davis, who apparently thought that
women only fight two rounds! The fight took place in Topeka, Kansas, where
two women boxers were fighting a four-rounder. When the fighters were coming
out for the third round, the Commissioner and Ref stopped the
fight---because they thought it was over. What was MORE outrageous, was that
the fighters left the ring, took their wraps and equipment off, and when the
nimrods figured out the Blooper they created---they actually tried to get
the boxers to re-enter the ring! Luckily the fight was ultimately
called a “no contest.” This information was confirmed with the ABC
Commission. Full Story
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FEMALE BOXER ACCUSED OF MURDERING HER TRAINER |
A big shocker in 2005 was when WBAN learned that a female boxer was arrested
for murder. According to reports in the Paraguayan press on January 4, 2005,
Severino Riveros, former Paraguayan amateur champion, active as both a
promoter and trainer in Sao Paulo where he has lived for the last 15 years,
had been shot dead allegedly by one of his pupils, 23-year-old Dávila Miura
Ferreira, with whom he was romantically linked.
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TYSON IS BACK….OR IS THAT “BITE” |
No..No...WBAN is not talking about Mike Tyson, but a female boxer who was so
outrageous in 2005, that she BIT her opponent! Zarrika Fatuma was
fighting Frida Wallberg for a 10-round WIBF Intercontinental bout, when
Fatuma apparently got frustrated, and took a chunk out of Walberg’s
collarbone. In the Swedish news, where Wallberg is from, they reported the
following (excerpt): “Forget the bite. Forget the scandalous fight. Forget,
that Frida Wallberg probably will be unable to see with her left eye for the
next week or so. Remember, that Frida Wallberg took the first big step
towards the world top at the Scandinavian Congress Center in Århus
yesterday. “She (Fatuma) lowered her head and bit. I was so angry”, said
Frida Wallberg after the scandalous fight. Zarrika Fatuma tried to bite her
way to victory in frustration. The kenyan woman bit Frida twice just above
the left collarbone. Once in the sixth round and another attempt in the
eight. I don't know why she did it, but I realized immediately what she was
up to. It hurt bad, but I couldn't lose my temper. When that happens the
boxing gets bad. Later she bit once more. It was very bad taste on her part,
says Frida. The referee didn't see any of the bites, but Frida's new trainer
Mikael Löwengren yelled out so it could be heard through out the arena. -She
is biting. A red mark shows where she was bit.
Story
Next on WBAN's Agenda are the 2005 WBAN
Yearly Awards that include the Good, the Bad, and the "Not so Good".
So Stay Tune!
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