(JAN 5) WBAN caught up with
southpaw Rachel "The Joker" Clark this week, a light
middleweight from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Clark has been
boxing as a professional since April of 2008, when she pro
debuted at the Plex, in North Charleston, South Carolina. In
that first fight, Clark stopped her opponent, Betsy Rowell, with
a second TKO. Rowell was also making her pro debut.
Clark then went on to fight Lisa Garland in August of 2008,
stopping Garland in the first round by TKO. In Clark's third
fight she traveled to Costa Rica and fought undefeated Hanna
Gabriel, 4-0-0, in Gabriel's home turf, having a
"majority draw" with Gabriel, knocking her down in the fourth
round.
From there.....Clark
sported a 3-0-0 (2KO) as a pro---with her next 10 fights
speckled with wins and losses. Some of Clark's losses
occurred in her opponent's back yard------and we all know what
that is about. Clark's current record is 6-6-1 (3KO).
WBAN asked Clark how she got interested in boxing....Clark said
the following: " I've always enjoyed boxing. There was a
teacher at my high school who boxed. He told one of my sisters
about it and I started following her to the gym."
Clark has an unusual ring name "The Joker" and we asked her how
did that come about. She said, "When started boxing at sixteen
years of age, I actually got the name The Joker then. My boxing
name, just like anything else that I do---has meaning. The Joker
is the #1 card in the deck. The Joker also is known to fool
others."
In regards to her boxing training in the sport...Clark
told WBAN that she had a boxing coach when first starting out in
the sport as an amateur, but that when she decided to turn pro,
her trainer felt that he had taken her as far as he could. So at
the beginning of her pro career as a boxer, she was actually
fighting and training herself without a trainer. (In
her amateur career, she had a 12-2 (6KO) amateur record and won
the 2006 national golden gloves light middleweight champion, she
became the 2007 southeast regional champion, 2007 female boxer
of the year, and 2007 bronze National Golden Gloves champion.)
Clark said, "I now have a coach
that resides in North Carolina, so I can now be consistent with
my training and sparring. Coach Brian is also well- versed in
martial arts, kick boxing, and grappling, among other styles.
These skills have their advantages because he shows me boxing
from angles no other coach has. I will look totally different
the next time I enter the ring."
Clark's thoughts about being in boxing?
"Boxing isn't a sport I'm just trying out. I have passion for
this sport and purpose in this sport. I will stay in boxing to
see and get what is meant for me. Some of my goals in the
sport is to help make a big impact in women's boxing. I plan to
box at least five more years and within that time would like to
be able to compete for any championship belt that is
available to me."
"As far as future plans...I would like to fight Holly Holm.
Holm is a humble, respectable boxer and I would be excited to go
against such a top athlete."
"When not in the ring....I work with the military, clearing
ranges of bombs and frag. Yes, my life is excitement all
around....and my eight year old daughter just adds the icing to
the cake," added Clark.
WBAN
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