AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 3
Today Brooke is joined by Dallas Malloy, who is known for being a boxer who defeated Heather Poyner in the United States’ first sanctioned amateur boxing match between two female boxers.
Come talk women’s boxing and boxing, in general, each week with me, Brooke “No Mercy” Dierdorff-Millbrook, a retired Professional WBC Champion, inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022. Whether interviewing pioneers or boxers beginning their careers, we’ll be talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of female boxing. With legendary boxers from the past, we’ll uncover and explore all the things we went through and dealt with piece by piece, in fact from each generation, paving the way to where boxing is today for women in this sport. It’s time that everyone knows what it took and what we went through to get from the beginning to where we are today. You will enjoy our debates of great fights and our analysis of upcoming fights; be assured, you name it, on my show we will discuss it! Let’s talk! No Punches Pulled With No Mercy putting it all on the table!
#WomenBoxers #WomenInBoxing #GirlBoxers #LadiesOfTheRing #FemaleBoxers #SheBoxes #BoxingWomen #WomenBoxingMatters #WomenFighters #WomenBoxingHistory
Transcribed
I feel them in the shadows.
What’S up, what’s up all my fight fans out there? How is everybody doing this wonderful Tuesday evening? It’S your girl, no mercy here, it’s Tuesday night, so you already know what time it is.
It’S time for no punches pulled with no mercy.
Some of you all may know who I am but, though, for those of you that are new, who you’re in don’t know, my name is now Brooke.
Millbrook, formerly known as in the fight game, broke no mercy Theodore.
I am a retired professional boxer.
I held the international women’s boxing uh WBC lightweight title and was inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame.
Last year, 2022 um I’ve had a quite the interesting journey in this game of women’s boxing, been through some good.
Some bad and a lot of BS in the sport of boxing so welcome.
This is my platform where we will talk to talk and walk the walk.
We are trying to bring the truth to women’s boxing um, so on this podcast we will be interviewing Pioneers in the sport fighters from the past current Fighters, future Fighters future Champions gon na get a little bit of it all and hope that we can speak the Truth and you guys can really see what it’s like for females coming up in the sport of women’s boxing, because it’s it’s definitely a good story and people need to know how it really is um.
So you don’t want to miss the show today.
That’S for sure everybody make sure you like subscribe share it out, get your friends in bring your family in um.
You probably noticed Today’s show it is called uh Dallas Malloy first time ever some of you may.
Some of you may not know um, but my girl Dallas Malloy.
She made it an iconic historical first for women’s boxing after she filed a lawsuit against USA boxing organization in 1993, at the sweet tender age of just 16 years old guys on October 30th 1993.
She was the very first ever female to fight in a sanctioned amateur boxing match in Lynnwood Washington.
She was also successful that night defeating Heather Poyner making history for the second time.
First time she defeated the U.
S District Judge, Barbara rostering, winning the lawsuit and was Victorious that night, winning the very first ever sanctioned female boxing match so without further ado, Eric, let’s bring in Dallas, hey everybody great to be here great to see you thank you for That intro, yes, I’m so happy to have you here uh.
How have you been? How are things things are great busy as always complex? That’S my life always stuff going on right, always always all right, um! Well, first, I guess we’ll just start off with how about you just start off back from the beginning and just tell us how? How did you find yourself involved in the sport of boxing like what intrigued you? How did you get into it sure? Well, I had always kind of first of all, I’ve always kind of gone my own way, and I I never really cared about what was conventional, I just so interdirected and – and I started weightlifting first actually, when I was 14 and just I fell in love with That I saw Terminator two I was like.
I need that chiseled body.
That is amazing and I just started lifting and and never looked back and and um.
I always loved that bodybuilding look.
Then I had an uncle who taught me some martial arts here and there, and I just really love that too.
I like the I like being challenged.
I think I just my mind is so restless and I just get bored easily and so I’m always looking to be challenged.
It’S it’s just my nature, I’m compelled, and so I was also already interested in acting and I was already a musician and so, as usual, just like my life.
Now it’s complex and I was already doing multiple things and I was watching classic movie on the waterfront with Marlon Brando great film.
If you haven’t seen it and he was a former boxer and it wasn’t about boxing – it was about many other issues.
It was really an incredible film, but the point is that there was something about the idea of boxing that just struck me like.
I need to do that.
That’S I like that.
I like that challenge and and I started to pursue it – I looked for gyms around.
I found one actually in my town and it just fell into place and – and I just fell in love with a sport good good.
Did you have any problems finding a gym? I know like back, then a lot of the trainers didn’t want to train women.
Did you have troubles finding someone it? I did at first it was kind of one of those uh synchronicity type experiences, because I had trouble and I was looking around.
I looked in Seattle.
I found one in Seattle, but I I was in Bellingham.
That was not really practical.
I was sort of just kind of trying to figure it out and I ended up finding one in Bellingham and it was all male, but still, I think, the first time I went there, the coach did he I mean.
I know this.
He said it later that he did not think guide back, but I was compelled so I just kept coming back and – and I you know he saw I was serious, and so he he trained me yeah, that’s usually the answer they always give is well.
I thought we would get them out like in the first first session or two.
They won’t come back, we’ll just we’ll just play along and then they’ll be gone, but no most of us.
Don’T we usually stick around we’ll.
Stick it out.
Yeah prove them wrong right.
That’S right always yeah.
It’S it’s yeah! It’S so not about external things.
No! No! It’S just such a yeah! You always get that! Well, you tell me I can’t, then I’m definitely going to show you that I can attitude yeah.
That’S it yeah yeah! If I’m compelled once I’ve made a decision to do something, it’s done yeah, that’s it it’s just a matter of time.
That’S it! Even if I don’t understand it, you know right it.
Just it’s just the way it is.
You know yeah.
I understand that completely.
I do yeah, I do yeah 100 um, so tell everybody about how the lawsuit kind of came into play, how you got involved with the ACLU um and then how like what was the process and what all had to take place to get that going to sue The USA boxing right well, I remember learning about the rule.
Looking at the the rule book saying for to become a sanctioned amateur boxer, you have to go through these steps and get a license and it said females.
It literally said females shall not box.
Nice.
Isn’T that nice? I know yes, it’s like no matter how lovely you choose to word it.
It’S still messed up.
So I I just remember I I know I told my mom about it and she was the one that said that told me about the ACLU.
I didn’t know anything about them, and so I was like okay, it’s.
It was just such clear-cut discrimination to me it was never a question of well.
What should I do? Should I quit? I mean I can’t even imagine thinking that way.
It was like I’m gon na do this.
I made a decision.
I love it.
I was already training.
I don’t know how early on I found that out, but it was pretty early on, but still it was like.
I love this.
I loved it from day one.
So right, this is wrong, needs to change yeah, and so I so my mom mentioned the ACLU.
So I just remember writing him a letter, and you know it was like old school write, a letter.
You know type it up, you know and um.
They wrote me back and we just kind of went back and forth and then you know over days and weeks they ended up decided to take my case and file discrimination lawsuit on my behalf.
I don’t really remember the details well of the timing, because I was so focused on the training yeah.
That was my.
Let them do their thing.
I’M gon na do my thing and we’ll see that’s it yeah and, and you know I don’t like to use the excuse of well.
I was just a kid because I was not a normal kid, but at the same time I had my own worries about being a teenager and and just dealing with that and then here I was focused on boxing so right.
My point was already full um but like, but but so it got started got rolling and then I remember then the sun publicity started, and you know that first interview was kind of like oh wow.
That was neat, but I’m still just I’m Nothing’s Gon na knock.
Me off my game, because that’s all that really mattered was the training, but I thought: okay! Well, it’s good! I’M gon na go with it because it’s gon na just help the cause.
You know right um, I didn’t have a personal investment in it, but I do remember it was interesting because I learned about being misquoted and you know as a kid like now.
It’S so obvious, I mean the media is evil, not you you’re good, but you know so it’s just like mainstream, but I I had a lot of lessons about that and – and that was an interesting uh – simultaneous experience with everything else going on right, because here I Am I’m just doing the right thing right? How is it not the right thing right right and there’s always going to be doubters and people that are like no like no and then the haters coming in always right right? It’S it’s always that way, especially in the beginning, whenever you’re the first at something or you know the Pioneer in something you get the hate, you get the criticism, you get the doubt just there’s some people there.
I think it’s just their role in life to be trolls.
You know yeah whatever, whatever that’s their thing um but but so you know, I got some taste of that, but I went I I went forward anyway and was just really focused in the training and eventually it did go to court.
I remember I do remember my you know and my lawyer was really cool.
She was great Suzanne, Thomas and um.
The opposition was, it was just so lame.
They had nothing to say I mean they said some things that were just uh, very, very weak and um.
The judge made a decision pretty quickly, as I recall, to to temporarily temporarily lift the ban just so we could, you know at least start the ball rolling and then ultimately, they had to set up a women’s division, but you know that took a little process.
You know, but right that way I could have get the fight scheduled that took you know so long to get that scheduled and in the meantime, I’m training all the time doing road work, yeah doing all the work, yeah yeah well yeah, I’m sure they really didn’t Have anything plausible to say other than well, we don’t think it’s safe or yeah some excuse of yeah.
We don’t want to see women get hurt or whatever they said, but there’s no there’s no like evidence that says women can’t do this, so they probably that’s right.
Stupid yeah, I’m assuming they looked pretty stupid.
It really did it was you know it’s one of those situations, you’re almost embarrassed for them almost yeah, almost yeah, but yet not because they they did it to themselves.
They did it to themselves.
You know yeah, the last.
The last Bastion of sports that was like untouched.
You know exactly exactly all this needs to get on board: yeah um, so, okay, moving forward, you know you get the temporary lift so that you guys can make the fight um.
How did you feel when you got that Victory like knowing that I mean like for me? Looking back, I mean that was like such a huge, very important impact on a game-changing event for all future women in boxing um, to be the first one to open up sanctioning for women’s to compete so like.
How did you feel when you finally got that part accomplished and you were able to get the sanctioning going right? It is always such a strange question because my mind I had.
I had gone through that fight in my mind, so many times already.
So when things actually happen in this realm, it’s like already done for me, so so in in some ways.
Of course, the the feeling of Victory is like super powerful, but it, but it’s not the same as I think people imagine it to be from the outside.
Yeah I mean me looking, I would be like yeah, I don’t know like I I’d be so emotional.
I think, because just knowing that I made because it was so like at the time of maybe it didn’t feel that way, but, like us Fighters coming after you looking back, I mean we would who knows how many more years it would have went on before we Were able to compete without somebody taking that stand so yeah that was that was like huge.
That was like the first step for women really getting.
You know even sanctioning fights in the amateurs absolutely and – and I appreciate you saying that you know, and the thing is, don’t don’t get me wrong.
I take that really seriously like like it.
It means so much to me.
I think it’s in the moment it was so surreal, yeah and I remember saying to, and I’m just very I when I’m when I’m doing something like that competing I’m really stoic.
I don’t get emotional.
I just that’s, not how I am in those moments right.
It’S it’s not that it doesn’t mean anything.
I just get really like yeah, because it was so impactful.
I knew there was a moment in the fight where it you know how sometimes you have those moments in your mind goes like.
Maybe you get a little fatigued or something like it’s a little yeah in the in the laser focus yeah and in that Split.
Second, I just remember going I’m not going to swear on your show, but it was like hey.
This is the No Mercy show you can say whatever you want.
Oh sweet.
There is no beeps here.
Oh that’s awesome because that’s like my one last advice by the way: yeah, that’s the that’s it that’s you can say whatever you like.
I was like [ __ ] that I didn’t come this far to lose right and it was just in a split second like I cannot lose this.
I cannot, after everything you know, and of course I wanted a Total Knockout, and that didn’t happen, and I mean she did get a standing, eight count in the second round, but you know in your mind, it’s like.
I have a perfectionist – and I always want up here here so I’m always looking up like it was good but uh.
You know what I mean exactly a blessing and a burden because it drives you, but then it also means I’m never content yeah and I’ve gotten better at managing that, because I’ve had to for the sake of yes, you know yeah, but um yeah, but anyway yeah Yeah I mean at that point too.
I, I would probably say that was more, so not so that you weren’t prepared, but just the emotion of like the whole aspect of it all is kind of emotionally draining on your body.
That’S it! Yes, it was your first.
The first sanctioning you were the first one plus your first match like there was a whole lot of Firsts going on there, so that was and then everybody come in there and the crowd was going crazy.
Oh, so I’m sure it was just a whole Whirlwind of emotion, a little.
Maybe that’s interesting.
I mean I I felt I mean that’s, not what I would think yeah yeah I I was really really keyed up and you know how time is such a bizarre thing and it goes so fast and yet slow.
It’S very weird.
It doesn’t it’s! It’S not like.
Really any other moment, but the audience.
You know that the auditorium, I think there was about 1400 people, I mean it, but it usually only had a couple hundred, so it was, it was really loud, and that and – and so I was just so focused um – and I was so keyed up.
You know like, I think it was just imagine a matter of trying to keep that focus, and I remember too uh at in between rounds.
My coach was giving me some words right.
I don’t remember anything he said, but I remember just going.
Am I winning and he he goes yeah you’re winning you’re winning? I think that’s so funny, because I think that literally every single one of us asked that in every single fight about half and through but like am I winning am I up or, like be honest, tell me the truth now like how am I doing yeah? Oh my gosh, that’s so funny because I yeah I mean my husband was my trainer for the whole end of my career um and I think every single fight, probably about halfway through I’m always like, but am I winning though yeah I mean not all coaches will, But yeah I prefer honesty like don’t don’t sugarcoat it like tell me if I’m getting my ass, because I need to know what’s happening right right, do I need to pick it up or do it am I good? Are we yeah like what’s happening yeah? I totally get that yeah um, okay, well Eric my lovely assistant Dallas was generous enough to give me her personal footage from the fight night.
So Eric.
Why don’t you run that? So everybody can take a look at the first match: Suzanne Thomas [, Music, ], [, Music, ], [, Music, ], [ Applause ].
I got the first one.
I got the first city yep I was like got ta get the first hit in oh man, it’s hard.
It’S in a while, you probably haven’t watched this before, not really no yeah, it’s because there’s it’s so it just makes me keep my chin down.
Like oh yeah, you know like I really I I was such a puncher.
Oh God, I love being inside [ Applause.
], it’s amazing, too.
I always think how much conditioning I did and still I’m like, come on pick it up like.
Let’S go, I’m not tired, there’s no way.
I know I know, but I think that’s part of it.
You know yeah.
Absolutely.
He called me.
He called me the Relentless Dallas Malloy that was really yeah.
I was going to ask you what was your ring name, because I knew you had one yeah.
I couldn’t find it yeah that that was he coined that in that moment, and it was actually perfect for me because that sums up my personality, Relentless absolutely absolutely yeah, I mean you definitely had some mean left Hooks and some uppercuts yeah yeah yeah.
Those are some of the not so not everybody can Master those, especially the uppercuts, but you definitely were throwing some good uppercuts.
I could say that for sure, thank you um.
So I mean we all do it.
I don’t know I mean you probably did, but I know I rated myself after every single fight.
So how did you write the like? How do you feel you did? Obviously you said you felt well like maybe you should have been tired and you could have did more yeah, but we all want the chaos right, always you know yeah, but you know in a way Brooke though it’s almost like that would have been too perfect.
It’S like too much it’s like look.
I I I’m glad that she, she was tough yeah she’s been trained in martial arts.
She made a good fight, she’s entertaining yeah, absolutely yeah yeah.
It was a good match, it was a good match, and so I’m glad it would be yeah it just would have been to it.
I’M glad how it went down.
I but yeah, I think the conditioning, even though you always look like God, why? How can I be fatigued, but I think part of that was the being so keyed up that you just burn it up.
You know I would have been more a little more deliberate with my moves because, like I said, I really was a puncher, even though amateur style is so much more like.
My coach would always tell me get in and get out get in and get out and I’m like, I don’t care if I’m getting hit, I’m gon na get in the inside and just Wallop with these.
Yes, you know, that’s me, but yeah yeah.
What that’s my style, I’m not a boxer whatsoever, I’m 100 brawler yeah every day, all day like I love it, I love it.
Yeah we’re not doing the skipping around the ring.
Let’S go like this is a battle.
Let’S do it and I and don’t get me wrong.
I love the.
I love the footwork, I love the the dance of it.
You know that part of it and the Angles and the and the and coming in and coming out and then and just timing.
It right, but it’s like I like to get down to business.
I did like that and – and you know maybe it’s also partly just having a background with weight training where I was thick.
You know I was thick and I like, I was tough yeah.
You know.
I could take a punch, you know, especially after my nose got flexible.
You know, yeah mine never got flexible girl.
Mine has been broken like I don’t know how many times it’s so funny yeah, I never.
I have a big bridge, so it yeah.
I think I broke it in almost every fight because if you get hit wow, if you get hit straight once it’s broke like yeah, you don’t even have to be hard because it’s just all bombs.
So I didn’t I wasn’t lucky there I contemplated having the surgery.
I don’t know how many times, but my doctor was like I’m not doing the surgery until you retire, because it’s pointless, oh my God right and then I never and then, when I’m done, I didn’t even care about having the surgery.
Now, what’s the point yeah it’s a little crooked, whatever it gives me character, it is so cool.
I love it like what happened.
Oh, I just broke my nose in here and four times.
No more, no worries we’re good.
I like it yeah it’s cool, yeah yeah.
I mean I mean it’s, it’s better, worse, that’s what it is yeah.
I have to say one thing when I, whenever I see this, that fight that stupid chest protector that they made me wear, that thing was so awful.
I it messed me up so bad because it was so hard and shaped too big.
I never could get the right one.
There was no, it was the stupidest.
Sorry, sorry company, I don’t know who you are it’s the stupidest design.
It was awful and they required it and it it.
You know how you have to keep your elbows in yeah.
I was like this who couldn’t because it was yeah.
I could never wear the full body ones because they didn’t like you, it never fit right and I felt like it always poked me in the side or it was poking my arms and I couldn’t get my arms down yeah so later.
I because they make you wear, they still make you wear them today.
You know I mean like we still have to wear them, so at least they finally came up with these little like round ones.
Just like one for each side that you just stick in your bra, which was worked, wonders yeah, except for when you know you’re in the inside and you’re working and you’re doing all this and that and then it pops out.
Because I had that happen in a fight – and I was totally embarrassed, oh because it came flying out and then when I went back and watched, the commentators are like something like something fell out.
I don’t think it was a mouthpiece and then there then he go with the rest, goes and picks it up and gives it to my coach to stick it back in um and I’m like, and this was a televised fight, and I’m just like this is so Embarrassing, like I’m so embarrassed right now, so they made him like they had to put it back in before we could even continue the fight.
So now they’re pulling my my bra open to stick this thing back in and I’m like you guys, are totally embarrassing me like.
I don’t need it anyway, just take it out like yeah yeah.
That’S the downside of the other ones, they’re more comfortable, but they’re not very secure in there, because you know your rest.
You know you’re they’re, holding or you’re inside and you’re working and your arms are rubbing up again and then it yeah it’s a pain in the ass is what it is.
You know I think I remember someone sent me those I someone sent me some.
It might have been a different brand whoops.
Oh okay, there we go.
I think it was called like tortoise shells, and I thought that was so cute, but it was like after the fight and then I I I was such my.
I was a kid I was like and I haven’t used that excuse now.
I I my head was so scrambled at that point.
I never use them and I was like oh man.
I wish I’d had those before you know but, like you said, there’s no perfect.
Yeah, I might be like the turtle shells.
It was just two separate ones that went in yeah.
I mean it was much more comfortable, but except for the fact that they could come out, we found that that’s the only problem yeah that was yeah yeah um.
I mean what are you gon na do like they make you wear them, so you don’t really have a choice, pick one or the other right at that point.
Yeah um, my lovely assistant Dallas, also gave us some shots.
Let’S take a look at some of the pictures, okay, so so I guess you can I mean everybody can read on my show, I’m assuming um, so this was basically like the fight poster um, announcing like the fight announcement, poster correct.
That’S right, yeah, first time ever, I love how it says sanctioned ladies boxing sanctioned, ladies boxing, not girls or women, or right right, ladies because, but we weren’t acting like ladies yeah.
That’S right.
I think that’s why I always thought it was funny, I’m just like yeah.
All right, because you had to make it proper, like we got to make this proper somehow so we’re gon na, say the ladies yeah yeah awesome, yeah um Eric go to the next one.
Okay.
So so I love that you came in with the flag and you definitely looked so focused here, yeah yeah.
So what was your thought I mean? Did you automatically when you were getting ready like automatically like I’m gon na wear the flag in, or was that like? How did you come up with that yeah? I thought of that before that was planned.
I I was absolutely like this is.
This is why I can do this because of this country.
You know yeah and I’m exercising my freedom.
You know to stand up and say this is wrong and I have you know their thing.
There are efforts.
I can make to change this exactly right and I did and it it came together and God Bless America, absolutely yeah.
Um Eric go to the next one.
You look like you’re um, ready to shoot to kill here yeah I was focused.
Were you looking at her yeah yeah the giving her the stare down yeah yeah yeah like bit? Let’S go absolutely.
I was so keyed up man.
Even when we touch gloves.
I I think I I touch gloves.
You know I touched them and then I brought them back up out of habit and she just kind of stood there like I wasn’t trying to be bad.
I was just like boom and I wasn’t you’re I mean the address.
First of all, she should have been the same way.
She should I mean yeah.
There should have been so much adrenaline in this fight and the lead up to the fight and everything and then getting it to happen.
I can only admit I know how much adrenaline I have before fights.
I can only imagine yeah that how much adrenaline there so she should have been the same way she should have been like.
Let’S go yeah bring it on, like I’m gon na whoop, your ass.
That’S yeah, that’s that’s the look we got here.
Yeah it was.
It was I’m feeling it yeah, yeah um go to the next one.
Nick, oh Nick, you got a pixelated.
What happened um.
So this is just an action shot.
Obviously, you’re in the blue she’s in the black um um Nick go to the next one this one here.
I really liked because um I you just threw a uppercut and you’re getting ready to throw the left hook.
That’S right, yeah, yeah yeah! I love that my favorite.
I don’t know why, but always when I was on the inside, it was Notorious nobody.
I don’t think ever really knew that, but that was like my signature move.
Wasn’T oh yeah the right uppercut left hook on the inside yeah yeah the same anytime I got on this inside.
It was like that sneaky sneaky uppercut that they didn’t see coming with the left left hook.
So I actually said that I already know exactly what you did when I saw the photo.
I was like she just landed the right wow and the left hook is coming.
Oh man, six three, four yeah that was like the perfect, still shot ever right there.
I love that shot.
Thank you.
Thank you totally get it yeah um.
I don’t know how they got that at the perfect timing, but that was just like.
I know they did.
Yeah um go to the next one.
Eric so tell us how you’re feeling here like I want to know the emotions.
How are you feeling, ah man, he just said the Relentless Dallas Malay yeah.
I it was like a sense of completion.
I guess that would be, and I know that’s not a sexy emotional answer.
It’S just my mind is so I was like job well done.
Yeah like got it done, get yourself on the back like we did this.
We did it.
That’S right! That’S right! Yeah yeah! I love that that was a very good photo too.
I mean it was just right on time.
The flowers and everything that was yeah yeah, epic, is epic is the only word I could come up with for that one.
Thank you historic um.
Let’S go to the next one Eric.
I think it’s the same yeah same one, only oh yeah a little bit farther back, and but I like this one too, because you can’t really see the whole photo, but you can see her disappointment.
Yeah um! I have a photo very, very similar to this from one of my fights that was like there was a lot of bad blood between the two of us, oh and um.
I can remember when I won that fight.
She was undefeated and I took her o and it was in her hometown, so wow it was like winning.
I was a decision, but I won the decision in her hometown and she was 17-0.
So I can remember – and she looked almost exactly like this when they read the decision, because you know when they raised my hand in her expression.
So I I kind of like this because you can see yeah like her her dismay and her disappointment in the in that photo.
Oh man, I mean yeah, I’m sorry I mean, I guess I’m not sorry, but I am you know it’s.
You know, that’s the that’s.
Why did she keep fighting after that? Do you know, I honestly don’t know yeah yeah, I mean it’s, it’s it’s the old saying the the thrill of victory and Agony of defeat yeah exactly it’s there’s, no other.
It happens to the best of us.
I can tell you that I think we’ve all been there at some point in time.
Absolutely man um what else you got Eric? Okay, so here with the trophy, is that the trophy you won yeah, that’s my trophy right: there yeah, okay cool and then in the photo who’s in the photo.
Marlon Brando.
That’S a beautiful picture that my drum on the waterfront that my uh writer producer, who bought my story or no I’m sorry.
She was the Paramount by my story um and she wrote the screenplay they later shelled it, which is actually a good thing.
And that’s that’s another story which I can go into um in hindsight, but she was there and she brought me that awesome and I was the interview at post fight.
Yes, that’s right interviewing you yeah yeah, all the media and everybody yeah it was it was.
It was quite the scene, man awesome, it really was yeah yeah, it’s just phenomenal to me and it’s I’m so honored to have you on, because it was like one of the biggest moments for females right there, um Eric what else we got so here.
This is obviously later on yeah yeah, definitely later on.
Um was this before or after the bodybuilding that was during.
I looked pretty soft, so that must have been off season for I for a show I’ll put it right right.
You weren’t, like in season right at the moment a little down time, a little down time, a little down time, yeah some shots exactly Eric what else? Yeah? Okay! So here here we get into the bodybuilding photos.
Yeah um was this the California state championship? No, no! That was later, this one was Tournament of Champions.
Uh, okay, yeah won that one and the overall yeah yeah.
I can’t imagine the amount of work that you put into that yeah, it’s insane um I mean I like to.
I would like to think that I was somewhat a little ripped and I mean not compared to this, but a little bit Rich when I was competing um.
But I not like that.
The old, like actually thinking about it, the only person I can even think that remotely compares to this that’s ex like a fighter.
Yeah is Chevelle halbeck, because she’s ripped she’s got like the six pay, eight pack ribs with the big muscles, and that’s the only one.
I can even think of off top of my head that would even kind of resemble that body right there yeah it’s right right well and – and you know it’s completely a different goal so, like I was so weak there.
That’S that’s the irony of bodybuilding.
It’S a total Paradox.
You know the way.
The day you look your best.
You feel your worst right, because you’re dehydration and the diet – and yes, you detoxing your entire body.
It’S crazy, yeah! It’S it’s as much! I tell people, it really is as much sport as it is Art it’s half and half, because the art, the goal is to be like a living statue and – and I love the artistic part of it – I love the choreography.
You know we do these routines to music um and the posing, which is extremely hard because it’s it it’s it’s a show because you make it look like it’s not hard, because your face is relaxed but you’re Flex, everything continuously it’s isometric.
So it’s just unbelievably hard and then, on that day, you’re dehydrated you’ve been dieting for for months.
It’S crazy! So it’s I! But again I love that challenge.
You know it’s I I love it.
It takes a special kind of mindset to be able to do something like that absolutely yeah.
I can tell you that when I was competing, I was one of those that I’m like I’m fighting at what I’m walking around at period, I’m not losing 20 30 pounds to go down and wait yeah, because I’m not starving myself.
No, nor should you that’s so I did it one time I dropped.
I thought four pounds would be super easy.
I was fighting at 126 and they wanted me to do a title fight at 122 and I’m like it’s four pounds sure I didn’t have four pounds.
So that was like – I was already like not that ripped but like there wasn’t anything to come off really so literally I just dehydrated myself.
So then what come fight night I was drained uh, so yeah.
That was.
I would never ever do that ever again.
Yeah one time one and done that was a one and done for me.
I was like yep nope I’ll, go up and wait, but I’m not going down right 126 and up.
That’S it! No more! No more going down! Oh man, uh yeah um.
I think we got another uh bodybuilding pose.
What do you got Eric? This is the poses yeah that one’s from I think, and there might be another one they’re from um that one was the Cal State.
I think in 2012.
yeah, okay, yeah um Eric.
What’S the next one yeah that one yeah I love that post, that’s the Bev Francis she’s, a bodybuilder from the 80s yeah.
I remember finding the old Pumping Iron to the women.
Not everybody knows about that one.
I think I saw that in high school.
They showed it um just to be clear: it wasn’t the 80s when I was in high school, but anyway it was Old Dan, just saying but uh, but they they showed it, and I was like oh man, I love this.
She was so cool.
She was, you know: she’d been a power lifter at like 180 pounds cut down to about 140, for this certain show that they covered in the in that documentary and uh she’s from Australia.
She was cool, but she she did a beautiful pose just yeah.
That’S I mean that’s a phenomenal pose it looks kind of tricky.
It is to get it to get it just right to that angle.
Like I mean people looking at oh she’s just turned sideways, but, like me, being an athlete, I can see that there’s a lot more involved in that than just a turning to the you know.
Turning sideways pose, there’s a whole lot going on there.
Everything is flexed from your toes to your neck yeah.
It’S like that.
Calf that hand that glute those abs, like you, everything, has to be tight.
That’S right! It’S amazing yeah! It’S I I mean that, like it’s amazing, uh the process – and I learned a lot from doing, shows and then looking at the pictures, because and I’d be like man, we don’t realize how you breathe and it flattens your abs you’re, like nope, bring it in bring It in the whole time little breasts, you know yeah it’s right, like the breathe like in boxing the breathing like yeah the Breathe Right, everything takes breathing.
That’S right, you got ta, have a certain rhythm with with the breaths to make it work just right.
That’S right! Yeah 100.
I mean you, look beautiful, I mean that’s awesome.
Thank you.
Thank you, um.
I think the rest are um Eric go.
I think the rest are.
Let me see what’s next.
Oh Eric next photo.
Please thank you.
Um was this like a photo shoot or just like a was it yeah that was a photo shoot like a head shot, and then I put the flag behind me because I’m a good Patriot, it was recent that one’s recent yeah okay, see I can do it.
Yeah um.
I like the backdrop, though that’s I love the backdrop, I’m all about the flags in America, I’m a veteran and then the boxer and all that, so I’m all about America, oh man, well, thank you for your service.
Thank you.
Yes, thank you.
Yeah um Eric what’s next another photo shoot yeah, another headshot, believe it or not.
I took that one myself really yeah, you can’t tell did you have? Was it like a professional camera? No, it was my do.
I have it here, your phone, my little iPhone.
Really.
I swear to God and this very light – that’s not doing a great job right now, because I have a position wrong, but that’s my fault anyway, but yeah.
That’S phenomenal for a self-portrait.
Thank you.
Well, I have the lighting and everything I would have never got.
I came from a phone, it’s it’s amazing how good the photos are, but I think after you know, I’ve done so many head shots and so many shoots and – and it’s like you look at him after and you’re like.
Why didn’t the photographer tell me I had that hair right there that I can’t edit because it’s impossible and you just kind of learn how to do it, and you know that moment and of course I had to take.
I took a bunch, you know well, yeah yeah, you kind of learn and as as long and I was like, let me just try it and see if the quality is good enough, so yeah that I would have never ever guessed that it’s almost better than the Last photo, I know, and now was a good camera believe it or not, yeah.
I know I know it’s it’s after this experience.
I I thought I am never going to pay for headshots again.
Sorry photographers sorry, I I yeah, because I know what I mean.
Why yeah, why yeah like so and then the time that it takes to be in like yeah? Why that’s it like? I don’t have that kind of time and that’s yeah.
That’S it and and take getting head shots.
It’S so you’re always rushing because you’re trying to you’re on someone else’s time, which I always respect because my time’s precious me, but it’s like.
If I’m doing it myself, I’m not stressed out – and I know exactly what I need I’ll take it if it’s not right I’ll, make the little change and then I’ll get it exactly what I need.
No one else is going to take that time.
So yeah exactly.
I mean yeah time is precious and time is money.
Yes, I mean that’s.
That saying is very true: yeah yeah um Eric.
What’S next, oh there we go yeah there we go.
So I think um.
If I remember you do um you’re a big advocate for animals too right yeah, that’s right, yeah, yeah, I’ve done a lot of volunteering and working with animals, and – and I just I love them so much they they they’re.
I I think I love the more than life itself.
You know the the many lessons I’ve I’ve gotten from my That’s, My Boy Domo and that’s another Selfie by the way.
Yes, it is yeah, that’s phenomenal yeah and then I added the fun background, but um yeah.
He he loves the camera.
I mean he’s looking right at it.
Like I’m ready, cheese mom.
I know I have I’ve done so many shoots where he’s walked through and I love it.
I I leave it.
That’S my signature yeah because I I laugh um as most as recently I just for Christmas.
We went up to do in our subdivision.
They had um like a santa santa there.
You know, and you would be surprised – the amount of older people in our subdivision that went up that don’t have little kids anymore, but they went up to see Santa for a pet photo with Santa like them with their pets, right yeah and I’m cracking up because You know you’re watching them and they’re trying to get the dog or the whatever just just right for the photo, and some of them were pretty, you know accommodating, and then you got the ones that really don’t want to sit there and they’re, like I don’t know Who this is they just want to smell them, and you know the mom and dads are like trying to get them just perfect and I’m just like I’m kind of laughing baby yeah.
Okay, I’m doing an interview honey.
Did I just say that earlier yeah, you warned me that’s okay, I, like it, it’s real you’re, a real person with a life.
It’S wonderful, yeah um! It’S not my baby, because he’s downstairs with my husband, but it’s my 10.
It’S my ten-year-old daughter.
She came to.
Let me know she was taking a bath okay, so everybody knows now: that’s important.
Um good habit, keep that habit, yeah yeah um.
So where were we? Yes, but I was cracking up about just how position they wanted and some of them were not very Cooperative.
But yours look like they love it yeah.
I I swear.
I never force it.
The Domo is so funny he almost without exception when I set up the lights and something to shoot an audition or or whatever he was kind of usually he’ll start to come around and I’ll just be like hey buddy.
Can I just pick you up pick him up get a shot done and he he I never force it yeah I mean and I’m assuming there was nobody else over there that he was looking at.
He was just looking yeah yeah yeah, that’s perfect, nobody’s shaking the little the little no no yeah didn’t even have like we do with the babies right right.
Yeah! Look at this! I love that.
That’S awesome, yeah, yeah um! Is that our last one Eric or is there one more? I can’t I’m trying to remember yeah last one.
Thank you, my lovely Eric.
Thank you very amazing photos.
I mean I’m so happy that you have all the way back with the video to the photos.
Like memories, because I know so many fellow Fighters that I’ve spoken to, I made it a point at every single show or fight card that I was on to if I couldn’t set up a camera to make sure that somebody, even if I had didn’t, know anybody There I would ask a random: can here’s my camcorder like? Can you record it for me, like I really didn’t care about photos, because I knew there would be photos out in public right um.
Thank you but video um, and I just as a matter of fact the other day and I was like well girl.
Don’T you have any of your fight footage and she’s like no none, and I said what do you mean you’ve been in like 40 50 fights? How do you not have any tapes of your fights? Well, I always you know the promoters always tell you that they’ll give you a copy which they do.
They always say that somebody’s recording the show will give you a copy when the show like will send you a copy yeah, and I can tell you out of all my fights.
I literally had one.
Oh, send me the fight, so I was like yeah.
You should have learned your lesson after the first five fights that they weren’t gon na, send you the copies like yeah.
So I made sure I always had somebody record my now.
They might not be the best quality, but at least I can go back and kind of have something to look at.
That’S it yeah yeah and a lot of mine, especially from especially from like the amateurs um in my early career.
You know they were on the VHS tape, oh yeah, so I laugh and I my husband, kept asking me like what I wanted for Christmas this year and I’m like which I haven’t done it yet, but I’m like I want to take all my VHS tapes and All my whatever you call these other tapes from back then, and I want them converted either to a a disk drive or a memory or honestly, even a DVD or something so that way I can, you know, watch them all because who owns VCRs anymore and as A matter of fact, I was thinking about that the other day, because I kept one me too, like we just moved like in July, and I’m like my husband was throwing out like all kinds of stuff, because we were moving right and we don’t need this.
We haven’t used it in 10 years, We’re not gon na like we’re getting rid of it.
Yeah um and I forgot to ask him it kind of popped in my brain when I was thinking about the footage of your footage actually – and I was like.
I need to ask him if he kept that VCR tape, because otherwise I can’t watch my fights and I never did ask him so I’m like he better, have kept my VCR because I don’t know if you could buy them anymore.
I think you can still find one.
I got one, that’s the same reason I keep it because of just I have old tapes, just all kinds of different tapes, and so I’m just like I’m gon na hang on to it, but I I think you can buy them.
I don’t know – maybe I mean I’m sure, maybe Amazon, I’m sure I never really looked it up, but yeah um yeah, I mean you can get it somewhere on the internet, yeah, I’m sure yeah yeah.
I really want to convert those old ones over uh, but I was just kind of like girl, like girl.
Shame on you like.
How did you not have someone like? I could have never went a whole career amateurs and pros and everything and not have any footage like no that’s.
I would be so devastated.
If I had nothing to like me too, or to pass on to my kids, you know oh yeah, it’s history like come on now.
All that works yeah.
You got ta have something to remember it by other than just word of mouth, because when we’re gone, they got then what then, what yeah exactly I mean? I guess they can still Google, I mean they can still Google but you’re, not gon na get videos and right stuff like that.
Yeah typically, I guess yeah um.
So I guess my one big question about the whole boxing career thing, for you was yeah, I’m just so curious as to you did something so big, and so epic and iconic for women, like with the lawsuit and then being the first ever to have the sanction Fight why why did you stop boxing there? Why didn’t you continue your career like, I need to know all right.
The world needs to know yeah.
Well, a very small part of the world already knows, but I’m happy to share it with the rest.
It kind of goes back I’ll tie it back into the Paramount story.
I am glad they didn’t make the movie of it, because the timing was all wrong and that’s a story.
I need to tell – and I am in the process of writing that.
But, as I said, I go to extremes and when it’s good, it’s really good and when it’s bad, it’s really bad, and so I was right to go right into addiction and I went right into alcoholism and drug addiction.
I lost the love of my life.
I lost my parents split up and I’m not saying that’s because of my using it all kind of happened within a year.
I would say like right after the boxing part of yeah, okay, yeah and because I’d already, you know, people who understand alcoholism and it’s like it.
It was triggered before and because of my my focus with the fight and these and and the music.
These things kept.
It at Bay, but there was like a timer and it was gon na go off and it went off and so then, when the right set of circumstances played out, I just went all in and I it.
I think it’s one of those things that it’s devastating.
It’S total devastation and it rips your life apart and and at the time it seems like.
Oh, it’s fine and you know I’m glad I did what I did, but but you don’t realize that everything is being taken away from you right.
You kind of rationalize it and there’s some denial about it.
It’S like it’s.
Okay, you know I I’m gon na do other things.
You know all these.
I was already battling in her inner demons.
I mean even when I look at those pictures like there’s, there’s a duality going on and I think that’s part of the human experience, but I think for some people like me – and you probably relate to this because most athletes are not.
You know we’re outliers, we’re not right middle of the road really on anything right, um at the one.
On the one side, I’m doing this thing.
That’S gon na help, women I’m doing it from my own purposes, but I’m grateful to be the one.
You know it’s.
It’S all in the right perspective.
You know I’m not doing for publicity, I’m not doing for all this stuff, that’s just part of it and I’m like okay, fine whatever, but I got my eye on the prize and all of this Focus went on to that prize and then that goal and then I think when that happened, everything that I’d been kind of managing start.
Just devoured me yeah and I I was in a really toxic relationship that was chipping away at my soul, yeah and I think the combination of that and the alcohol that just went from like zero to a hundred overnight.
Okay, it just took it all.
It just took a smooth away and of course it went bad to worse until I got sober thank God.
Yes years later yeah I mean I was going to mention that later on, but um I wanted to definitely congratulate you.
I think it was um.
You’Ve been sober since um 1997 right, that’s right, yeah yeah! So it obviously it must have been a short um time frame and you’ve got your head back on straight and got things back on the right track because the fight was in 93.
So right here, a few years all there before you kind of started, getting your best self back together, that’s right and – and you know – and I had before you know – dabbled a bit in some drugs and alcohol, but it was the sports and that music.
That kind of was like keeping it at Bay, so it was, it was on a tight leash and I stayed off of it and then it was just like after the fight and those certain set of circumstances, just kind of all came crashing down that it took Off and – and I think that’s the thing too and – and it only take – it only has to take especially with other drugs too, It sped up the process and that’s actually really typical, especially with females.
They tend to progress quickly.
It only takes you can be.
I mean I was a blackout Drinker from the start and some people drank for 20 years until that happens usually, but women are just the way they metabolize.
Alcohol is actually faster, and that was just the way it was for me.
You know yeah yeah.
Well, I mean, I definitely congratulate you.
I know that’s a tough road um yeah for anybody to go through um, but you overcame it once again.
Yeah and you came out on top and you’ve you’ve done phenomenal since then um and kept things going.
So you know.
Congratulations on your sobriety.
That’S amazing um um.
So I guess, let’s see um okay guys, so she also everybody knows.
We just had the one fight.
You know we went into a little wall and then we came back out on the other side of the rainbow there.
Um analogy we’ll just throw that in there I don’t know, but for everybody out there watching and she Dallas has so many other talents aside from boxing um.
I don’t know if anybody are you familiar with it um, but after boxing and after all of this well, I think it was probably right.
After boxing you got into acting, you were in Jerry Maguire, right um.
That was right after the fight, though right, because it was with the fight scene or not too long after it was yes, it was well hold on.
It was a little after that, because I yeah it was it wasn’t right after when did they shoot that? Maybe it might have been a year and a half after something like that: okay, okay, yeah um.
So how was how was it working with Tom Cruise I mean.
I know everybody wants to know that he was the best he was so down to earth as soon as I got on set Cameron Crow, too Cameron.
As soon as I got on, set camera came up to me and he he and he didn’t have to do this.
This is so nice.
You guys.
This is not typical, I would say of every director.
Okay, he came up and he was like.
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