(JAN 17) In sports the advantage is known as "home court," "home field," or even "home ice." In boxing the advantage is labeled "hometown," possibly because the edge a boxer gets fighting at home sometimes seems almost as big as a good sized town.

Jelena Mrdjenovich has had 15 fights, winning 14, and all of those bouts have been in the Canadian province of Alberta. Jaime Clampitt, a winner of 16 of her 21 bouts (1 draw), has had 16 of those fights in her current hometown New England area, including the last 12. In addition to not being too well know on commercial airlines, these two fighters have at least one other thing in common, they are both very good boxers.

The issue of fighters rarely, if ever, venturing beyond the limits of a certain hometown geographical area is one of particular contention in the sport of Women's boxing. Mrdjenovich and Clampitt are by no stretch of the phrase "hometown fighter" the only boxers in the sport who generally limit their activity in the ring to familiar venues. The practice extends to several other major fighters in the sport, in both the U.S. and Europe (New Mexico, Michigan and Germany spring immediately to mind).

However, it should be noted that fighting in Canada and New England for Mrdjenovich and Clampitt has some decided marketing advantages. Both fighters are exceedingly popular fighters in their respective hometown areas and regularly sell out each boxing show. In addition, when fighting in familiar territory, these two fighters are usually the main attraction on a fight card, avoiding the usual lot of good female fighters who are often shunted to under-card status in a "out of town" venue, where they are a less than familiar name.

It is, likewise, incontrovertible that those sell out local crowds are most vocal in support of the hometown fighter and respond to every move of the local boxer. This din, not surprisingly, often has an effect on the fight judges, who, it should be noted, are usually local officials. In sum, local fighters competing, in hometown venues, makes sense from a marketing standpoint, particularly in the sport of Women's boxing where the dearth of TV coverage often makes the "local gate" an important factor in the break even chances of a fight card. However, the hometown advantage for a local fighter is as sizable as any in any sport.

On February 12, 2005, Jelena Mrdjenovich lost the first fight of her career, a decisive, six round unanimous decision (59-55 3X) to Layla McCarter. Four months later, as part of a Rock and Sock Production's "Ring of Their Own" fight card, Mrdjenovich avenged the loss with an eight round unanimous decision over McCarter. The win was somewhat marred by an arm injury, in the middle rounds, to McCarter, who courageously finished the bout by switching to a southpaw stance to avoid further injury to her left arm. Mrdjenovich dominated most of the last four rounds and won going away, (77-75, 78-74 2X) Since then, Mrdjenovich has had two TKO wins, in (where else) Alberta, over LeAnne Vilareal, a 1-3-1 fighter and an overmatched Francesca Alcanter. The latter fight, also a "A Ring of Their Own" attraction, was for the IWBF and WBC Super Featherweight titles. McCarter has been rehabbing her injury and now says she is ready to return to the ring. Among the many hoped-for marquee match-ups in the sport for the coming year, Mrdjenovich/ McCarter III is not only on the list, it is high on the list. This bout is a perfect fit as the premier attraction on a future Rock and Sock program.

Speaking of great fights, many fans of the sport thought the female "Fight of the Year" for 2004, occurred on June 12 of that year at Foxwood Resorts in Connecticut as Englishwoman Jane Couch won a unanimous, but close, decision over Jaime Clampitt for the IWBF light Welterweight title. A return bout was scheduled for the following December. Shortly before the bout, Couch was stricken with a skin ailment and asked for a postponement of the bout. Unaccountably, the IWBF stripped Couch of her title and substituted Eliza Olson to fight Clampitt for the crown. In a bit of poetic justice, Clampitt and Olson fought to a draw and the title remained vacant. Unfortunately, Clampitt suffered a hand injury in the bout and she was out of action for the first half of 2005. In August, dropping down in weight, Clampitt won the IWBF Lightweight title with a relatively easy four round TKO over Shelby Walker, a 7-4-1 fighter in (surprise) Providence, R. I. A Clampitt/Couch rematch, either at light Welterweight or Lightweight (Couch fought at 133 against Jessica Rakoczy in July) is another main event match-up just waiting for a promoter.

Thus, whatever the popular feeling about fighters who don't stray far from familiar territory, the fact remains that the sport of Women's boxing needs as many good fighters fighting each other as possible. Jelena Mrdjenovich in Alberta, Canada and Jaime Clampitt in New England both assure sellouts for fight cards. Against other good fighters such as Layla McCarter and Jane Couch, those sellout crowds will be assured of terrific rematches. It is expected that in 2006 Jaime Clampitt and Jelena Mrdjenovich will continue to exhibit their considerable boxing skills in the hometowns, before sell out crowds. However, at the very least, both fighters should institute an "open house" policy that allows logical match-ups with the likes of Jane Couch and Layla McCarter. There's no place like home and there's nothing better in the sport of boxing than two good fighters fighting two other good fighters. All that's needed now is a promoter and someone to ring the bell.