AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 1
Join us on this episode of No Punches Pulled with No Mercy as host Brooke “No Mercy” Dierdorff-Millbrook sits down with the remarkable Heather ‘The Heat’ Hardy, a single mom who defied all odds to become a boxing sensation. Heather’s incredible story began with kickboxing classes to regain her fitness post-pregnancy, and within weeks, she was taking the fighting world by storm.
From her early victories to capturing multiple titles, including the WBC International Feather and WBO Featherweight world titles, Heather has faced some of the sport’s finest. Now, at the age of 41, the question remains: Is Heather hanging up her gloves, or does she have more to offer?
Don’t miss this electrifying interview as we delve into Heather Hardy’s extraordinary journey in the world of boxing. Subscribe now to No Punches Pulled With No Mercy for exclusive content and interviews on the world of Woman’s Boxing!
Transcribed
[, Music, ] them in the shadows see them on my brain.
What’S up everybody, it’s your girl, no mercy here, I’m not sure what happened there, but we we’re getting started um, it’s Tuesday night.
You already know what time it is time for no punches pulled with no mercy.
Some of you probably already know who I am for those of you that don’t I am your host Brooke milbrook, Formerly Known in the fight business as Brooke no mercy deardorf.
I am a retired professional boxer held the WBC lightweight title until I retired was inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame.
Last year, 2022, I’ve been through some good, some bad and, of course everybody knows a lot of BS in the sport of women’s boxing.
This is my platform where we talk the talk and walk the walk.
We bring out the truth in women’s boxing you hear from from Pioneers past boxers current boxers and, of course, future boxers.
We get down in dirty and speak the truth of what takes place in women’s boxing.
You definitely don’t want to miss a single show here.
So please make sure you like subscribe and you guys are sharing it out and join us every Tuesday night.
Typically y’all already know, usually we start off with my guest in The Green Room uh and bring them out, but somehow we started early today, so y’all already can see.
Who’S here hope everybody’s been well um.
We’Ve got a special guest in the house tonight, Heather the heat Hardy um.
You guys already probably already know all about her, but let me give you a little background.
Um Heather began kickboxing in 2010 when she was going through a rough patch in her life struggling to support her daughter’s sister and nephew finalizing divorce from her husband who wasn’t paying child support.
She began kickboxing to get back in shape after having having her daughter, um, which is kind of how I began boxing um after the military.
I wanted to stay in shape, so I started boxing that’s kind of how it started uh, but her determination, passion soon was noticed by a professional trainer.
Is it Devon or Devon? It doesn’t matter he’s y’all know who it is: Alicia Ashley’s, brother and trainer um.
She began training with him at the notorious Gleason gym, but after only 11 months of training, she captured the 2011 Metro and Regional titles went on to win the USA boxing national title and in 2012 she took the New York City Golden Gloves.
Featherweight title was awarded best female of the tournament, after that you know other choice: what to do but GoPro.
So she began in the ring with some greats in women’s boxing she’s been in there with them all guys: Amanda Serrano, Shelly, Vincent Jessica, Kamar, Naomi bosquez, Crystal Hoy, Jackie trivina trivino.
Don’T let me mess that up? Nidia Feliciano, just a name.
A few held the WBO nabf WBC International featherweight and super banam white title.
I would say, help me welcome Heather to the show, but she’s already in here, how you doing CH doing good thanks for having me.
Yes, thank you yeah, I’m not sure exactly what happened there normally You’ be in the back and i’.
You know i’.
Do that and then come out, but somehow so they even messaged me.
I don’t know how it started, but hey we’re here where this is where we are now.
That’S where we are.
I appreciate you taking the time.
As always, I know you’re busy joining me on the show um.
First, though, we always kind of start back.
Take us back to the very beginning, tell us a little bit about little Heather.
You know you’re growing up, all of that and then like what led you to decide to go into the boxing gym.
Sure I mean I.
I grew up in um work working class neighborhood.
I was one of those kids who went to school with the key on my neck.
You know cuz Mom and Dad both were two jobs, and I took care of my brother and sister so coming up.
We I was real family oriented.
I was like a mom, we talked about it before I moved out of my mom’s house took my sister with me and before we knew it, we were two single moms raising our babies with no help little little tiny apartment.
I was working six jobs and she surprised me one day with a gift card to go uh to a kickboxing class and I was like wow.
You know I’m pretty good at this and within two weeks of just taking the cardio classes, the you know the kickboxing team had a you know, one of their Fighters fell out and they needed to grow my weight and the girl was like hey.
You want to do a fight and I had never even sparred before and I was like all right, you know and uh.
I won my first fight two weeks after putting gloves on and yeah it was the first time I ever felt like.
I was good at something you know: I’d never tried it before I felt like.
I was good at something and the single mom and me the person working six awful jobs with a college degree was like okay.
This is the guy.
That’S gon na help me make money yeah, absolutely yeah.
I mean that’s phenomenal.
I mean my career somewhat similar with the amateurs because it just goes so quick because there wasn’t as many opportunities um for women in the amateurs.
So it was you take what you could get um, but jumping in that right away.
Um very similar to mine.
I think I got out of the military went to the boxing gym just to train and the the Chicago Golden Gloves was coming up like like that.
Following month and the coach was like, oh you got talent like you should compete at the gloves.
I’M, like I don’t know anything and I’m like okay, cool yeah and but he’s like you don’t want to go novice like you got ta fight, open da d da, and I was like okay.
I had no idea what he was talking.
I mean I didn’t know there was a difference between like novice and open and like all of that, I had no clue.
I’M like whatever you say coach.
It was like a hardcore Mexican gym um like in the pit of the city.
You know it was one of those rugged old gyms and he’s like no, you got ta.
You got ta fight open.
I’M gon na make you a book okay.
So he made me like this fake record, so I fought in the open division.
U similar probably had only been training like three four weeks um.
I took second that first year, but it was so funny because I remember the first girl was like 6’2 and I’m only 5’4.
So I’m like what the hell have you got and she had like.
60, something fights and I’m like what did you get me into like what yeah? I remember my first clothing gloves.
I had only been training about five six months I had a couple: amateur fights, yeah and um yeah, I lost in the garden and I really beat the [ __ ] out of the girl and they robbed me.
You know cuz, like I wasn’t the cops and kids favorite and whatnot like I wasn’t.
Nobody knew I was.
I wasn’t supposed to win, so I didn’t and I be the [ __ ] out of the girl but yeah man.
I look back in my career now like what the hell were.
You doing exactly exactly um, it’s funny, but it’s funny how it goes um and it’s just so quick but yeah, like you, said just three weeks after first kickboxing fight, not long after that, though, you did start training with Alicia Ashley’s brother.
I think you started training with her first didn’t you.
I did train with her first and then I kind of moved over because she was she had girls in the Nationals and girls doing competitions and stuff, so it was just like they were in the same office and yeah y yeah.
So you started training um at the notorious gleon gym um with Devin Cormac.
Everybody knows who it is.
I mean I do because I fought Alicia Ashley in New York um, so I know who they are well um.
What’S up women’s Boxing Channel? Thank you for joining he’s from overseas and he’s almost always here.
He’Ll have lots of questions for, for you, I’m sure, what’s up Michael um, but so tell us a little bit about um that transitioning over to glein.
What was it like going to GLE for the first time and and working out there and and being with a real trainer? Well, I remember I I walked into Bruce and he said how Bruce is the owner of gleon gym who’s? Really like a father to me at this point, you know like after we lost Hector my my coach at the beginning of the year me and Bruce just really like kind of made it like all right.
It’S us now.
You know what I mean so uh from the very first day I walked in the gym.
It was like.
How can I help you like what what do you want? The most out of boxing and I was like – I want to beat everybody up all right.
He walked me into Alicia Ashley’s office and I walked in and she had.
You know the WBC belt on the wall and all her fight, pictures and stuff and she’s.
So, like proper everything you see of her is who she is she’s so proper and calm and quiet and everything and yeah, and I sat down next to her and she said what do you you know? How can I help you? What do you want busing? I said I want to beat up every girl at 125 walking and he said she said no.
You want to box every girl at 125 and I’m gon na teach you how to do that yeah.
So it really was like everybody being.
You know at this age.
In my career at this stage, just being in the gym for as long as I have some people come into the gym and they’re, just brute muscle Fighters.
I don’t care.
If you hit me back and some are real smart.
They don’t want to get hit, but they, like everybody, brings something different to the table so yeah.
This was the Journey of me being you know, you know more like a dancer like her right, yeah, more conscious, not being the Irish girl from Brooklyn of getting hit right, yeah the hardcore brawler like that was me yeah.
That was me all day, um and it’s so funny.
I think I’ve told this story before, but everybody used to always be like you, gota learn defense.
You got ta, learn defense, because my offense was my defense.
That just was my fight style um and I’m like what for like.
My off offense works like.
Why do I need defense? I don’t care if I get hit um, so it was funny, but so they everybody used to rag me about it, like you got ta just so the one fight I trained just defense like we did defense the whole Camp, because my husband, who is my trainer, He fights like Roy Jones, like that’s his style um, and so he he moves a lot and does all the defense.
But I just was the offense that just was me, so he could teach me the defense.
But so if we go to the fight in like the first two rounds, I didn’t get touched, but I wasn’t punching back either because I was so focused on movement that I wasn’t punching.
I was, but I wasn’t getting hit.
So I finally sat down like the third round.
I’M like this [ __ ] is not working like nobody’s gon na win because nobody’s hitting anybody.
So I’m like so I went back to just doing me, but I could do it, but it would.
It would have took a lot of focus to be able to combine the two uh but yeah I mean it works for everybody, but she’s definitely got phenomenal, phenomenal footwork and I think a lot of it has to do with her dance background yeah.
She was an Alvin allei dancer until her knees went out so yeah graceful person – I’m not absolutely I’m not uh, but so after 11 months of training, though we talked about this in the intro Metro, Regional titles went on to win the USA boxing national titles and Of course, the New York City Golden Gloves, um, being awarded best female of the tournament, tell us a little bit about the amateurs like what stuck out to you any like good memories from the amateurs and like how did it feel to win everything so quickly.
Sure I was, I grew up in garon beach in Brooklyn, and there like this little tiny, pushed off little area where all the white trash came off the bll from Ireland like years ago, and we just manifested in this little tiny Community.
You know, and most people don’t get in or out so watching myself go through.
The amateur is doing something I’m so my mother whooped, my ass.
My whole life always told me.
Nobody is going to give you a beaten worth for me.
The thing I brought to the ring is, I wasn’t scared and it was just [ __ ].
I can do all this and all I got to do is get beat up but beat her up a little bit worse.
Yeah, come on so so running through the amateurs being able to travel being in Colorado, i’, never been to the the West Coast.
Before I remember, I went up to the Olympic Training Center and um somewhere in uh New England.
I’D never been up.
There see snow on the mountains and yeah I mean it was like a 28.
I was looking at life for the first time and it’s kind of made me who I am today because I just boxing is like giving you give people boxing right like it.
There is so much inside it for you yeah, absolutely how it felt in the amateurs.
I was just shocked at all the things some little girl from Garson Beach could do.
You know and yeah, like all things you get to see and like the different things that you can do and you’re like like, I never even knew this existed.
Yeah for sure like this is taking me places, um Michael or wants to know.
What do you believe has been the biggest lesson boxing has taught you to date, um this a funny one, because I’m at a crazy part of my career and my day, and I I’d like to say that the biggest lesson I learned was that you really can’t Trust anybody, even people who say, is family and my biggest takeaway.
I don’t know if it was a lesson, but my advice to anyone out there is to learn the business of boxing and know that it’s not a sport.
It’S a business Christy Martin said as soon as one ticket is sold.
It’S a business, it’s an industry and you have to know your place in it and – and I just I just found that going through my career, looking back on people coming up and the way that they go through the system and it’s just like wow yeah, absolutely And that’s very, very true guys very true.
Uh women’s Boxing Channel said: don’t forget heat one one time ubf I I didn’t put that I have that in on my papers, but I guess I didn’t read that in the notes ubf incontinent, he knows his stuff.
He knows he sure does.
I did I won that years ago.
Her Pro title, I’m gon na ask her about that women’s Boxing Channel.
I’M sorry, I didn’t put it in the intro, but I’m gon na ask her about it.
He he he’s on point always it’s a valid question.
I won the W the ubf title and it really just speaks to how intertwined M and Amanda’s careers have been handing on and off and Who on top and who was coming behind.
You know like we were doing this for a while and then now she just sared off, but the ubf was another title.
It was like.
You know: Jordan set that up for me, so yeah yeah, it’s it’s a huge part yeah.
It is um.
So to 2012, though, you did make the decision to turn pro was that just because there was nothing left in the amies for you, your age, or what made you decide? It was time to go pro.
It was both of those things.
There was nothing left in the amies for me and I had beat up everybody who, at the time, had a name yeah and if I didn’t beat them up, I fought them and I knew what they you know.
What I mean like.
I had losses in the amateurs and i’ lought some some girls and who had lost too so so I felt like I was exposed to what was coming into the pros, so I was just ready at 30 years old.
I was ready.
Yeah I mean you got ta you got ta be I mean I started a little bit late too so yeah I mean you just got to take what you can get and move forward, keep going either you’re gon na.
Do it or you’re not at that point.
Um and why not get a little bit of something if you’re gon na be doing it um? Here we go in the seventh, it was your seventh fight.
You defeated Anna Gomez, second round TKO, winning The ubf International Super bantamweight title um.
How did it feel to get your first belt? Ah, it was crazy.
It was a crazy night.
I was close to my home in Brooklyn.
We Were In, Like You Know, Brooklyn down by where I grew up and in my neighborhood and all my people were there, and you know just feeling that first title I’d won it all as an amateur to to kind of feel like all right.
I’M on I’m on the ladder now it was.
I was past all those steps, I’m on the way up: yeah you’re, you’re, just you’re, moving on up to the east side, or maybe the upper side um yeah.
I kind of always wished that I would have been in New York when I was fighting, because there was just so much more opportunities granted I was I was close to the Chicago.
I was in the suburbs um and they had fights in Chicago, but not very many um and the opportunities just weren’t the same so like I.
I think I only fought locally twice in my whole career.
So, although I always traveled um, there was a there was a thing where it was like: oh my God have they so spoiled.
You know, because I got to fight so many of my fights at home, but I was like boxing so big.
There tell I was selling all the tickets they could not.
There was not a chance for someone to tell me I couldn’t fight because of how many tickets I sold yeah yeah, absolutely, and I mean there’s always fights in New York always everywhere.
So why not? I mean I would have fought in Chicago every time if I had the opportunity there, the opportunity um but 2014 you took on a tough opponent in cryst Hoy.
You did win by majority decision to win the WBC International Super bantamweight title tell us a little bit about that fight.
I know it was a very exciting fight, um and what it was like to add the green belt.
To your, I mean I’m sure you can attest to it, that there’s really no feeling like having Jill Diamond hit your belt.
You know what I mean as a female fighter.
I mean the WBC for females was really the one like there’s a whole bunch of organizations, but the WBC was always in one, so to be able to be linked with them to be a representative of the WBC.
It was really huge for me plus.
I did that show on Time Square uh.
My daughter was there I mean it was.
It was a big night for me and I loved the fight.
I mean I really boxed well that night I remember yeah yeah you did um.
It was a very exciting fight.
Um Crystal Hoy is a tough she’s, a tough chick I mean you got ta put got ta, give it to her she’s.
Definitely a tough chick.
We all are yeah.
Well, they all are yeah.
I guess I should say she is we’re all tough chicks, um women’s Boxing Channel.
It doesn’t State the title fought on box wck, which is a remiss of them, but I read the available reports yeah.
I knew she won the title um and I don’t know if it says it on box rec or not.
I didn’t look.
I just know she won it um being a female fighter.
I guess I just know a little bit more than a lot of people.
I don’t know everything I know a lot about a lot of people.
Um tell us a little bit about, though your two fights with Naomi Basquez.
I had her on the show um another great fighter.
You fought twice um split decision, then a unanimous decision um.
I thought that was a very exciting matchup between you.
Two tell us a little bit about those fights.
It was exciting at the time because we both had a nice little following women’s boxing was just starting to make a little waves.
It was right after the girls had boxed in the Olympics for the first time, and you know people were kind of talking about it and a little bit more interested in it than previously.
So it was at the bar Clay Center.
I mean it was at the time it was one of the biggest women’s Pro bouts by two females who were really well known.
I mean you, can’t you can’t front on that, so the first fight was close um.
The first F, I think I I got.
I got my period the morning of the weigh-in and I put on that.
Was it and I put on like three or four pounds that I couldn’t get off and, like I F it in the sauna and They Carried me and I basically told the girl, like.
I fought for no money because she took my whole purse to fight.
She was like you want to be two pound, so she took all my money and I beat her, but I beat her for free right right.
They put like you know.
You have to weigh in this amount the next day and blah blah blah like making weight was like this yeah, especially when it’s the day before yeah and then the second time I fought her.
I made the weight.
We F that a lighter weight.
I made the weight um and I boxed the balls off her and I was so mad about it like I was so mad at her the whole time like [ __ ], you took food off my daughter’s plate.
You don’t forget that when you’re a sing like just scraping for money, you know yeah absolutely especially back.
Then you were Mak, then I was mad.
I got over it, it’s what it is the girl, but at the time I was like this [ __ ] yeah.
At the time, especially considering, then we didn’t really make [ __ ].
We didn’t make any money as it was.
So every little Penny counted um, but I had sold so many tickets.
I had invested in so much.
Everyone was ready.
I had.
I think I woke up three pounds over, I might have weighed in at like 1.
7 or whatever it was like that was liter like I was you.
You know the look like like that carried into on the scale.
You know yeah you’re, just like [ __ ].
Okay, can’t do it and I couldn’t do it and that was it yeah.
I feel you totally uh women’s boxing.
I wants to know Heather what was your Irish surname when your family on the Irish side immigrated to the USA? Do you know it’s Reed re e? I d there you go women’s Boxing Channel good question, though good question history, history, lesson at its best for sure um this, the the big one for me like that is always stuck out was both fights were phenomenal, but 2016.
You took on another huge name in women’s boxing another star.
At the time both of you were undefeated at 18 and0.
The first time you met in the ring 10 round majority decision to retain your WBC international title.
It was a barn burner y’all.
I don’t know if uh, oh, we lost her hold on, we got ta, wait, she’ll be back, she might have got a phone call hold on guys we’re gon na there.
She is that’s okay, I think I lost.
Oh there charging my phone and I dropped it.
Okay, okay, I thought maybe your phone rang too um, so 18 and0, though first time you guys met, you won a 10 round majority decision to retain the WBC Title.
It was a barn burner, though, tell us about your first fight with Shelly Vincent H.
It was really exciting.
I mean it was on NBC, which is like huge at the time for women’s boxing.
It was the same night.
Clarissa Shields won her second gold medal in the Olympics and there was huge pressure.
Obviously, because you know the girl was talking so much trash about me for so long and yeah.
You know I was just like God.
I’M gon na beat the [ __ ] out of her and um.
I did twice you did but we’re good friends.
Now we really are good friends now, yes, I you guys talk all the time.
I see stuff on social media pictures all that good stuff, but yeah I mean the first.
The first fight had so much anticipation because of all it seemed like bad blood.
At the time um but yeah, then the rematch must anticipated 2018.
You added the WBO featherweight title to your Arsenal.
Tell us the rematch.
Was it any D I mean.
Obviously, you won more significantly the second time than the first time did you feel like it was a lot easier.
You just you know what no, but I think it comes down to the Mind State you know like like she walked away from the first fight saying I won, I won, I won, you lost, I won and I walked away from the first fight going.
Actually, I have the belt, but also what can I do to put you away right and like so I went into the camp, not thinking I’m gon na.
Do everything harder and stronger like like? No that thing didn’t work for you.
Last time I changed my game plan.
It was like I box the [ __ ] out of every the last fight.
I didn’t try to stand and and and and fight with her so yeah yeah yeah.
That’S why that’s why? It was easier, you know right, um, just different game plan um to make it um more significant of a victory.
Are you able to mount your phone again or are you just? Is it because you’re charging it? You have to hold it hold on? Okay, I’m on six %.
I can do it now.
I mean if, if you have to keep it charged, that’s fine.
He just asked okay, I’m on seven we’re good for like at least a half hour, all right, sorry that was really awward needed it.
I get it, I get it um.
One word for my description of Heather says guts.
Definitely she definitely has got the guts for sure uh, but not long after that.
The first time you guys met in the center of the Ring 2019.
The first fight with Amanda Serrano was super super exciting for me to watch.
I was super excited for you, um and her to fight.
I thought it was.
It was a phenomenal matchup between the two of you um.
I thought it was super close um, even though you lost a unanimous decision, you two fought toe to- toe and it was back and forth back and forth the entire time.
The first fight um tell us a little bit about that fight.
Um, do you feel like it? The decision was fair or how do you feel the fight went the first time.
I just remember it just being super super exciting, every single round yeah.
I thought it was super fair.
I didn’t.
I didn’t watch the fight again until I was training for her for the second fight at all 2019.
I never watched the fight actually, my boyfriend now kind of like put it on like watch it.
You know yeah and if I had to look and say anything it would just be.
She had much better punching technique than me.
You know, like I’m an aggressive fighter and you know but Amanda’s cleaner and she scored the more effective, stronger, punches she’s the hardest puncher.
I ever fought so yeah, of course, the first uh fight she won and a lot of people didn’t think I deserve the rematch like.
Oh, it wasn’t even a close fight or this or that, and I thought it was an exciting fight, um and here’s the thing with with it.
I mean you have to look at Fighters.
That’S is what I always tell people, because they always ask me stuff like this, and I’m like there is only so much great opposition for Fighters, there’s more now than there was like back in my time, but the best fought the best, and there was only so Many best ones to fight so Amanda.
At this point in her career I mean she’s literally fought everybody that there is that’s.
I mean she’s, been in all different weight classes and she’s fought all of the best fighters in all of the different weight classes.
So you have to really look back and see at that point.
Who would be the best person to have give another opportunity to because there really isn’t anybody new? Who else I mean? Who else knew? Is there really to give an opportunity too? There really isn’t anybody.
So you have to go back and look at well, who might have a chance, or is at least going to give a really really good, exciting fight.
That’S what I always hope you there! It’S not an endless list like Amanda’s, been in the game, since I was in the game like that, since I started boxing and she’s fought everybody, so you really got to just look at who the fight with Katie Taylor.
You know I expected that to be the next fight, but when that kind of didn’t happen and they went to something else, you got to pick the next best opponent which at at this particular time was you, I think who I don’t know much about the girl.
She’S fighting next, I don’t know her very well.
Do you know much, I’m sure, she’s a champion.
She always fights Champions, I’m sure she’s a champion.
Yes, I’m sure she is, but I just hadn’t heard her name before I’m sure she is – and maybe it’s just because um she’s not from here.
So I really don’t know much about her and sometimes those are the ones that surprise you sure for sure for sure.
But yeah we’ll see what happens, but I was happy that you two were fighting again.
I thought you deserved the rematch.
I thought it was going to be.
It was definitely an exciting fight.
Um regardless and I like the second fight.
What did you go into? The second fight different than the first fight to try to secure the victory uh.
I had a much more solid team around me.
People who were encouraging and um the game plan in the first fight was to box us stay away.
From her power hand try to move, and I watched the fight it looked like.
I was Running Scared and I realized that’s not how I fight like I can’t even I couldn’t even believe that was me doing that, like yeah, I know how to box, but there was no confidence.
There was no strength.
There was no.
There was a big piece of me missing that I was able to regain in this last fight camp with my new team and I had um the the plan was to fight her to stand and fight her, because you know you run away.
It’S going to look like you’re running away, get tough get in the Box, stand and fight our so so I was sparring with the men in my my camp for the whole, you know 8 to 12 weeks getting ready getting beat up being able to stand there.
Yeah, it showed yeah um speaking of the the new camp for this last fight.
You and I don’t know exactly obviously it’s I don’t think I’ve ever even seen it on the internet, but you and Devin split ways: um, both personally and business wise um.
Do you feel like leaving that chapter of your life going into the new fight, made a significant difference in your career and your life? I mean you seem much happier on social media.
To me I mean I see your post, but you seem much happier now and more like at peace.
Is that true, or I am happier and while I’m not really one to converse about you, know relationships, because whether it’s as a personal relationship or a business relationship I mean the bottom line, is that we didn’t work yeah and I’m not really here to bad mouth.
Anyone or even to give anyone the press on it to be honest, like I don’t want to give them good, press or bad press just say it didn’t work out, yeah, whatever it’s doing it’s doing, but my life has improved tremendously in all aspects since then, like I I went into the last fight almost like I was carrying like this heavy backpack of rock yeah.
When I look at myself and I might cry when I look at myself in the corner of that fight – and I see my facial expressions like in the locker room, I’m so sad for me, like I’m so sad, because I know that girl like I want to Shake her, this is your opportunity.
What are you doing? Why is this happening to you know it? It breaks my heart so so I really walked into this fight with so much love in my heart for the people who were there for me, you know yeah and – and I I fought as best as I could – and you know this last one this summer.
Everything was going on right for me.
I just didn’t wi iten yeah and, like I said it, it definitely shows I mean all around.
I mean those everybody on the show.
I’M sure follows you on social media as well um, but your whole Persona, like almost like they always say you get the glow like, but your whole Persona and your Vibe and attitude like everything changed, probably within the last year or so um.
So you can just tell something: was different um, so I’m I’m extremely happy for you and I’m glad that you found that happiness in your career and in your personal life because everybody deserves it um.
So I I was super happy for you that you made the changes thank yeah yeah like truly I was like.
Oh, she seems so happy now, um but yeah.
I was really truly happy for you that you moved on and things were going great for you.
Thank you for sure.
Um Michael wants to know.
If you can describe your time with Bellator and the biggest difference difference for you between the fight preparations.
That’S a really good question.
So um Bellator is so professional and boxing is like a frat party.
That’S a good way to put it yeah boxing is like you’re looking around for the pizza Bo.
You don’t have no clue.
What no, like you just you know, there’s a lot of stuff going on in boxing, but you got to figure way from point A to point B and that’s really what it comes down to Bellator they sent me rides for press events.
They would they would schedule the Press events.
I didn’t have to do it myself.
They would have all these interviews and just call me: okay, we’re gon na pick like it was so professional and so business and, like you, get a phone call from like a promoter or a manager, who’s like.
Why are you making me so upset yeah, right yeah? So it really was like TR like in Bellator.
I felt like an athlete in boxing.
I feel like just like a chess piece.
That’S moving on the board.
You know yes, it’s so unor unorganized and unorthodox, and you just never know what to expect, especially as a freaking female um.
We talk about that all the time, but yeah I’ve heard that a lot from a lot of people that have done the Crossovers between MMA um and boxing is just the total difference of schedules.
Everything is on time.
Everything is um, accurate, like you know what to expect um the pay.
Obviously everybody knows the pay is better over there um, but everything is just more professional everybody you work with is professional, um and, and so that’s the biggest difference.
I I regret not doing it.
I actually started training, MMA, um trainer came to me and at the time he came to me was the only person that was big in MMA was Gina corano.
It was that’s when they asked me to do yeah, and I said oh yeah.
I can beat her ass yeah I’ll.
Do it uh, because I knew the money was better over there, so I started training it for like a couple of months, but I could not get into the grappling like I hated it.
I hated the training like I hated going to the gym.
I hated people holding me.
I just wanted to hit people and they would always hold me so I was like I can’t do this [ __ ], like I just want to use my hands um.
So I stopped doing the training, but I regret it now because I don’t know I would have loved it would have been nice to do both yeah, because back then I mean it was so that was like when women was blowing up in MMA um, and I Was like I could whoop her ass, easy yeah, but uh yeah, I didn’t do it, but it would have been nice.
I should have should have slapped myself for that one um, but the big question that I’m sure everybody wants to know.
Um now you are 41 you’re only a year younger than me.
I don’t know if you knew that, but okay, I’m 4, I’m 42 um.
So yeah people always ask that but yeah big question.
Everyone wants to know.
Are you hanging up the gloves or you still have more left in the tank? I got a fight announcement coming soon, all right.
So if you heard it here um, but it’s okay.
So since we’re still fighting who we calling out, who who do we? I don’t.
I don’t do that stuff and you’re you’re a professional fighter, and you know what it is like it’s hard enough: yeah and there’s something so degrading even to myself to call out another fighter, because it almost translates to.
Please help me get some money and that just sounds you know, like I’m ranked number one as a featherweight yeah in the country in the I, I have to charge again babe I’m on one %, yes plug it in you got it so sorry, um is there Any wish fights that you would like to fight before you retire.
I don’t have any people I’d like to fight because, like I don’t, I don’t look at boxing like that, like I’m not out here trying to beat girls up, I just want to make some money and do what I love doing so.
I had said this last year at this time: I’ll take anybody.
126.
130.
135.
If they’ll give me a shot as an opponent, I got it and after I tweeted that article with um with ring mag Amanda texted me hit me up called me like: let’s get it going and we had the fight made within a couple weeks, so yeah that Was a quick turnaround, quick turn where I am right now, like I proved in my last fight, I can still hang in there.
I’M still a do and yeah I’m going to stay busy until something pops up.
Yeah uh women’s Boxing Channel says he would love to see a fight between you and Tiara.
There’S got to be money, don’t make do don’t make sense, don’t make dollars, don’t make sense and the truth is, is she doesn’t have a promoter? So you know what I’m saying like where’s the money going to come from right, so I’m not into doing fights anymore with it.
It’S not relevant.
You know what I mean like that exactly at this point.
It’S it’s all about the Right Moves at the right time, and is it worth it and and is it worth the risk, that’s what where I am at 41 years old.
You know what it is like: I’m not going on a diet if there’s not money involved.
So exactly it’s a lot of work guys once you get over 40, let me tell you to lose some pounds um and you got you got things other things to think about at this stage in your career other than yeah.
I want to fight.
I would love to fight tomorrow, and people always ask me: would you come out of a Time re if they called me and offered me a Million Dollar Payday? I would be lost weight in 20 days for sure, okay, but it’s and and that’s why, when I I tell people why I after I had my second daughter, I retired, because I had won the WBC Title in Mexico.
I made $ 4,000 against M and St John in the rematch.
I basically paid my way there by the time you take I had you know you had to be there two three weeks early for all the press for that big of a fight um I and taking off work.
You know because I had work full-time um, so after I got pregnant with her, I was just like you know what I got it.
I got the title.
I got the WBC Title.
I’Ve fought pretty much everybody at this point in time.
It’S just not worth the risk.
I had two kids now to think about and it just wasn’t worth the risk so, but I would do it for the right money, but it ain’t gon na come because at this point I’d have to work.
My freaking way back up the ranks just to get.
You have to do a couple fights and I’m like.
I don’t got time for that.
[ __ ], I’m too old.
For that now to fight two three four fights I I need I no! No, but yeah.
I got I got a little one in college, so so yeah you got, I still got fight in me.
I’M still around the corner with it, I’m still in the gym every day, teaching, clients and boxing is – I forgot more about boxing than most people know or can never read in a book about, and that goes beyond the my skill, because clearly I’m not the most Skillful, but as far as the business goes, you ain’t getting one by me.
You know what I mean so like that’s where I am.
I want to do a you got ta set yourself for the future at this point and like retirement and what’s the right move at the right time.
That’S all there is to it.
Hopefully everyone will still hear my name for for sure for sure um.
But we’ve talked about some of the incredible Fighters that you have faced, which ones do you feel were the hardest, um fights or that challenged you the most and why? Okay, I’m gon na switch you back, because I got a couple more for all right.
I think we could do it for a little bit so my hardest, bights, obviously Amanda is going to be the hardest puncher I’ve ever um, I’ve ever been in there with I mean she punches harder than anyone.
I spared Chantel Cameron once and I pretty much was ready to call the police at how hard that girl hits um.
She was like whoa [, __ ] killed me um, but, like I, I’ve had the pleasure of being in the ring with so many people like um yeah, know Christina Williams, the girl who broke my nose the way her legs moved at me, I was, I was Ready to stab her on the way out of the cage, I mean I’ve had some some Wars – yeah.
Yes, you have yeah.
Speaking of I was gon na.
Ask you about it later, but Michael already asked about the MMA, but you’ve had some bloody, some bloody bloody messes over there as well, but that picture is Gon na Last Forever, like decades and decades and decades that fixture is gon na come up yeah the bloody It’Ll be there for bloody nose, the Epic bloody nose.
Yes man once it starts man, it’s everywhere.
Let me tell you for sure.
I’M Irish, I mean it’s gon na leak.
Yes, yes, I’ve got that big old bridge and I swear.
I think I’ve had my nose broke more than I can count.
I don’t even remember how many times, because as soon as it’s hit it’s broke, if it’s hit solid, it’s done it’s over um, but so another big thing we always talk about and we kind of briefly spoke on it.
Boxing is everybody knows a male dominating sport.
It’S definitely getting better um and I’m super happy for the growth, but all of us, females have been through a lot of BS in the sport of boxing dealt with things.
We shouldn’t have to deal with um.
I’Ve talked about a lot of the things that I’ve went through or did that shouldn’t had to do? Can you tell us a few things that you had to go through um in the sport that you just really shouldn’t have had to deal with um? There was more of it early on now.
It’S definitely been more stream with the way social media is and the way women Fighters have such a big following and such a grasp on the audience where 10 years ago, when you and I were fighting, it really didn’t exist, so you wound up with um.
You know, managers who were trying to date, everybody you wound up with Distributors who say: oh well, we’ll let you be the first female I sponsor.
If I can meet you in your hotel room, you know, and I mean we all went through it, because we were all so hungry being so desperate, so it was like it really.
For me I mean it was just a matter of cutting off okay, we’re not going to use those gloves.
Okay, we’re not gon na use a manager.
I’M gon na manage myself right that out, but but you know just like yourself, you sit back and you watch people be taking advantage of and you’re yes yeah CH since early, which is yeah exactly why I didn’t have a promoter or manager.
None of that was just me and my husband and period, and that’s probably why I didn’t make a lot of money or any money, but well there wasn’t much money, then anyways, but yeah.
I wasn’t had adding all that extra stuff in then it wasn’t.
It wasn’t safe, really it wasn’t.
I I hear you and but I again I was an adult at the time I wasn’t some little 21y old, uneducated, like I was out in the world with my sister, with both of our kids, I was taking care of our family.
I was a college graduate.
I was in my 30s, like like bro you’re, not getting over on me and that’s how I maintained my career.
I managed myself and I cut that middleman out and all of the things that I might have fallen for at 17.
18.
19.
20 at 31.
Right, no putting kids through School nah exactly, but so it is a lot diff.
It is better now for sure for sure.
Okay, well, that’s good to know, because for all the future girls they’ll have to deal with all all of the dirty mess because it got pretty messy um back a decade ago, or so it was pretty nasty um.
What advice would you give to all the young aspiring females that want to make their Mark in the sport? I would tell them um to learn the business of the sport, that being good at boxing isn’t enough to be a great boxer.
You have to know the business of the sport, you have to know your audience like everyone has an audience, no matter who you are or what you think everyone has an audience.
You just have to find it.
Whether it’s your background where you came from the neighborhood you live in the music, you listen to the way that you dress the way that you do your makeup right, like everyone has an audience.
It could be your Park.
Friends, it could be your mom.
Everyone has an audience.
You have to find that audience and use it to promote yourself, so there’s so much education and smarts in the it’s not enough to just be good.
No, no.
You got to learn the whole aspect of it.
The whole thing um Beyond titles and victories, though what is it that you hope to be remembered for most um? My realness, you know like, like I always been real.
I’Ve been real about how shitty women got paid, and even though I was getting an opportunity that I knew that my opportunity was only as good as I provided for it.
I could be replaced with the next person at any time, because I came from a time where you could only be a woman.
One woman at a time could win.
Yeah was one Ronda Rousey right like there was one Gina corano there.
One woman at a time can win, and if you beat that woman, then that woman was never good because the new one is better yeah right.
It was not a wide and and we’re seeing now like so many champions.
So many women yeah, you know different personalities.
The way that they look, the way that they talk like countries that we’re from like all over the world like women, are just good at fighting, so we’ve certainly come just like um Ronda Rousey when she lost to Holly Holmes.
I mean that was pretty much.
Everybody kind of wrote her off sure yeah and it’s sad and that’s in boxing too it’s in all sports.
I feel bad.
It’S in all aspects in life yeah, it is um.
People always ask me and it’s kind of hard to describe.
But what can you describe to people the emotions you go through like moments before leading up to your fights sure like those moments in the locker room? It’S like you look around at your team right, your coach, your your husband or your boyfriend or your partner, and you think, like I have put this whole room through chaos.
Hell turmoil, Paran.
You know what I mean like forget about the fact that I’m just like an annoying woman to begin with, but to be training for a fight to be cutting weight to be trying to make money.
You know what I mean like.
I have been impossible to this room.
How could I not win for them right, and that is the energy that have inside me like? I am a mother.
I owe it to these people who’ve, given me so much, and you just feel like you’re carrying the whole team on you when you go out there, yeah absolutely for sure, um and yeah, and it that’s why it’s always nice to have like that.
Real close knit group of people, that’s with you um and not like a huge Entourage like it’s just yeah.
I always want to have just a few people in the locker room, like the main people um to just stay focused and yeah, just be ready.
Um women’s Boxing Channel says so: here’s a 64k question.
Would you or have you thought about Crossing to Misfits for fights? I say that as there’s a ton of money to make and a fighter like you, who’s a face with a big rep would be a major attraction.
I don’t even know what that is.
I don’t either women’s Boxing Channel.
What is that Misfits for fight? I mean I know about bare knuckle fighting and I know about the MMA and I know about like different fight leagues, but I don’t know what that one is you’re gon na have to explain, say knuckle.
I had conversations with them, but I wanted a lot more money than they wanted to give me because you’ve seen the way some of these girls look coming out of these fights yeah the way I will get into a dog fight.
It got to be for money.
You know I could I could ruin these bad boys and then it takes me out of both sports right and boxing.
So I was never able to bang that contract out, but I would done it yeah absolutely and that’s a very good point, because one you can mess up your hands two.
You only got to take a couple hits and your face could be like you gon na.
Take you’re gon na get cut you’re gon na get bruised you’re gon na get something broken regardless.
It’S a street fight for sure.
I’Ve had 61 stitches in my face.
Something will open up.
It is like it’s going to open yeah I mean I’ve got Cuts.
I mean it’s gon na open and it’s gon na be worse, so yeah to go over there.
It would have to be a huge payday yeah and it never was some girls aren’t making enough money for me.
So yeah – and I don’t know – I don’t know what I mean they should just come over here and use the gloves.
If you ask me or even do MMA with the 4 oz gloves, I mean something’s better than nothing for sure um.
What message would you like to give to your fans and supporters who’ve been there throughout your remarkable boxing? I just want to say thank you.
Sometimes you guys really um.
You know say the kind of things that bring tears to my eyes because you know you’re a female fighter.
You know.
Sometimes you tell people you’re like.
Oh.
What do you do for a living? Oh I’m, professional boxer.
Oh I’m an athlete.
It sometimes takes my breath away at how remarkable it sounds right so to just have people really recognizing that I’ve been doing this for so long, I’m one of the OG’s.
You know, like people really shout me out, and it makes my day yeah absolutely and it’s funny, because my husband and I now we own it’s um, it’s like a food truck only we won’t have a truck.
So we set up tents and he makes like this big kitchen with all these smokers and it’s like basically like a carnival style setup of barbecue.
It’S called Champs smoking, barbecue and every time we go out because Champs because I was you know, I’m the champ.
He was my coach and so like we get all these shirts and stuff, but, like our logo has like the old school Rocky, where you know you got the slab hanging and like me, hitting it like with the belt and then like he’s in the background like By the smoker, but like with gloves on too, because you know he was the coach and he fought also, but and then it says like on our one sign because we’re both veterans.
So it says you know veteran own and operate.
It says International women’s Boxing Hall of Fame and people, it’s funny how they don’t get it at first like they look at it and they think it’s just like a picture, but then then they read it and they’re like well.
Really like.
Is that really, like you yeah yeah? So that’s a true story.
Yeah I’m like go read like the whole story because, like we made it a whole thing like there’s a lot involved in our photo like our photos and our shirts and stuff, we put a lot into it, but yeah it’s it’s nice.
When people actually recognize it, it was funny because one guy, the other day was like we were doing an event for this guy and he’s like he wanted to pay for his sandwich.
But we were out there for his event.
I’M like no, like you, could just have your sandwich like you’re, I’m not taking your money and he’s like.
I got something in my pocket and I said yeah well, my hands are registered.
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