(FEB 18) ProSieben Fight Night, which went on air last Friday, was yet another challenge for Europe's most successful female boxer, Regina Halmich. She usually works inside the ropes on these occasions, but this time her role was that of boxing expert and co-presenter to talk show host Stefan Raab.

Some time ago Halmich announced, that she would retire from boxing later this year, and she has previously aired her interest in working within the world of Television once the gloves are hung up. Regina Halmich is certainly no new comer to TV. She has been a popular guest on a countless number of TV shows, not to mention the many interviews she has given in connection with her boxing career. I last saw her as a guest on a consumer program, where she helped making washing powder, fish fingers and stain removal more glamorous. Particularly the last item seemed to interest the world champion, as she received instructions how to remove blood stains. No doubt, most of the blood stains she has removed from her own clothes, has been that of her opponents, but that does not make them any easier to deal with.

It could be a good omen for Halmich, that she makes her debut as a TV presenter on the channel and with the man, that made her a household name in Germany back in March 2001.

Until then, Halmich was mainly known and respected by boxing fans for her commitment and serious approach to a sport in it's infancy. It is in a way ironic, that it took a huge publicity stunt of a mixed show fight, to rid women's boxing from it's image of a sleazy side show, and make it both respected and popular in Germany. Whether Halmich reasoned: "the aim justifies then means" before accepting the challenge, I do not know, but it worked.

Stefan Raab's reward for challenging Regina Halmich to a boxing match, was a broken nose, a defeat to woman approximately half his weight, and not least, the highest viewer rating ever for the channel.

Friday evening the two worked together to make the Proesieben's new boxing show a success.

This time Raab didn't have to worry about jabs, hooks and uppercuts, but he did receive some good humoured verbal punches during the show. Raab challenged Halmich to return match late last year, and he brought this up a couple of the times during the show. When Halmich said she would probably take two more fights before retiring, Raab said "Don't forget I have already told you, that I would also like to beat you up" she replied "I am talking about real fights" and later when he persisted "I get the impression you don't want to fight me - you are fed up" she told him "What I need is opponents - not victims". The subject also came up the night before, during Halmich and Kentikian's appearance on Raab's talk show. Halmich's reply on that occasion was roughly translated "you must posses a masochistic gene to want a rematch".

Halmich already posses many of the qualities required by a TV presenter, such as eloquence, popularity, self confidence, quick wittiness, good looks and this combined with her great knowledge of boxing, gave her promising debut in the world of TV. She would probably need a little journalistic schooling if she want's to pursue a career in TV, but considering what she has already achieved in life, this should be a very easy hurdle for her.

Halmich's contribution to women's boxing in Germany is invaluable. Her achievements in the ring has convinced millions of women's boxing skeptics that courage, heart and boxing skills is not determined by gender. Outside the ring, she has earned respect by her commitment to a number of charities and good causes and her always impeccable behavior. She has paved the way for many female boxing in Germany, and when she retires later this year, she leaves women's boxing in Germany in a very healthy state with talents like Susi Kentikian, Ina Menzer, Alicia Graf, Julia Sahin, Ramona Kuhne, Rebekka Hermann to compete for the "German Boxing Queen" crown. Women's boxing could not wish for a better ambassador than Regina Halmich.

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