AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 1
Join Brooke “No Mercy” Dierdorff-Millbrook in an extraordinary live interview with Jaime Clampitt-Hayes, the resilient female boxing legend. From her illustrious career holding multiple world titles to the sudden halt due to a spinal nerve injury, explore Jaime’s unwavering dedication to boxing. Witness her remarkable comeback in 2021 after years away from the ring, securing wins, and pursuing her passion at 47. Discover the heartfelt story behind her love for the sport, her prestigious induction into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020, and her relentless spirit that defines a true professional boxer. Tune in for insights into her future plans, the challenges ahead, and the inspiring journey of a boxing icon.
Transcribed
Why see them in the shadows? Why see them on my brain? Hey! Hey! What’S going on everybody, I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving um.
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 me no mercy.
Some of you probably already know who I am for those of you that don’t or are new I’m your host Brook milbrook, Formerly Known in the fight game, though, as Brooke no mercy deardorf.
I am a retired professional boxer held the WBC lightweight title until I retired and was inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame 2022.
I’Ve been through some good, some bad and, of course, lots of BS in this sport of women’s boxing.
Welcome to my platform.
This is where we talk to talk and, of course, we walk to walk here.
We bring out the truth in women, women’s boxing.
We talk to pioneers of the sport past boxers current boxers, even future boxers.
We do get down and dirty here, though, and speak the truth of what takes place in women’s boxing.
You don’t want to miss a single episode, so please make sure you like subscribe and you share uh.
Let people know to join us every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.
m.
Eastern Standard time, but I hope everyone had a wonderful, wonderful holiday, um, more holidays to come, but tonight we are sitting down with yet another boxing icon Hall of Famer Jamie, the hurricane clampet Haze.
Jamie began her boxing career at the age of 16 after getting bored with gymnastics after eight years of training, her mom told her to flip through the Yellow Pages in the phone book and pick a sport um.
That’S all for all us old heads know what the phone book is and the Yellow Pages all you new heads, probably don’t even know what we’re talking about, but hey uh, so she she flipped through the book for first sport.
She came to, of course, was boxing.
So that’s what she told her mom.
She wanted to do.
Of course, like so many of us female she wasn’t taken seriously, but her dad did take her to a local boxing gym, not expecting her to last throughout the day.
But boy was he mistaken um.
She fought as an amateur for seven years during which she won numerous local titles and Regional titles.
She was chosen for the Canadian national team and she had a very impressive amateur career with a record of 25-6 before turning pro in 2000.
Jamie went 12-2 before winning her first world title on October 31st 2003.
She stepped in the ring with yet another boxing icon in Hall of Famer Eliza Olsen, who was 61 in one at the time, winning the iwbf super lightweight title just her next fight out on March 274, she won the vacant NAA junor Welterweight Title by TKO skip Ahead if few years 2007, she won a unanimous decision over Mia St John for the iwbf lightweight title June, 20th 2007 won unanimous decision in the rematch with Jane couch for the iwbf junior Welterweight Title.
She has been in the ring like so many of us with the best of the best best names.
You all know them a few, just in name: Olivia, Gula, dominga, Olivia, Holly, Holmes, Jill Emery, Belinda, lar, quente, Jane couch, Mia, St John Melissa, florentini Eliza Olen.
The list goes on and on for all those Pioneers um of those big big names, but after a spinal nerve injury during her fight against Holly Hol in 2010, she had called it quits, or so he thought she had called it quits but, however, returned to the Ring once again, in 2013, in 2020, she was inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame, considering my hall of fame sister um since being inducted, though into the Hall of Fame.
She has begun a remarkable comeback to the sport of women’s boxing, starting in 2021, with uh three wins only one loss and one draw winning her last two fights this year at the age of 47.
Please help me welcome in Jamie the hurricane clampet Haze to the show, what’s up champ.
Thank you so much for joining me.
It’S such a pleasure to have you on um it’s.
I said it’s been probably decades since I seen you last in person, but how have you been uh? I’Ve been great.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for having me yeah it’s it’s an honor to like I said, to sit down and talk to every single one of uh, my fellow Fighters um, and hear their stories um it’s just exciting and to share the stories that people just don’t really Know because there wasn’t much uh Spotlight for us back in the day, especially so it’s nice to be able to sit down and actually tell our stories absolutely um.
So yeah we always kind of start off.
First.
Take us back to the beginning.
Tell us a little bit about your childhood and how you got started with boxing um, so I grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada and you know small town um and, like you said I was gymnastics background um.
When I was 15, I actually you know.
I had an injury in gymnastics and decided just to find something knew, and boxing was the first thing that came up in the phone book um the first time I went to the gym.
I think that was like the first time a woman had actually been inside the gym um, because at that time they would have women wait downstairs um if they were picking up their sons or you know whoever.
So I was the first woman in the gym um.
I was the second female registered in Canada, so you know it was.
It was kind of shocking.
I don’t think I really knew what I was getting into at the time.
I just thought yeah boxing.
This sounds fun um and from day one I was hooked.
So I knew exactly you know.
That was where I was meant to be yeah.
Absolutely what’s up Bonnie Bonnie man is in the house um.
She is one of the best Bonnie.
So are you, though, so, are you um? You did have quite an impressive long career for amateurs.
Back then I mean I only had 13 amateur fights, cuz just weren’t, very many fights um.
So you did have a pretty extensive amateur career.
Can you tell us about some of your favorite fights or memories from your amateur days? Uh yeah, I mean I have to say you know I started boxing.
I think it was 92 um as an amateur, and you know I was really lucky because I you know I did go into that gym where there weren’t any females um.
Some of the people did not accept me and actually quit the gym, and but I had a great coach um from the start, and you know he he got me in the ring right away.
Um, the Canadian Boxing Association had always been a huge supporter of women’s boxing and they really started their program earlier um than a lot of other countries.
So we always had that opportunity to travel so um, you know being on the Canadian team.
We traveled to Sweden and Finland, and you know the United States and we we were really fortunate because they put so much um effort into female boxing yeah um and I feel like I got a lot of experience through that yeah, absolutely um, yeah and, like you Said back back in the day, especially females, and it being so new weren’t always welcome in the gym um.
Is there any particular memories you can? Think of that were just like really bad experiences for you at the gym.
When you first started um, I think, like I remember so my first fight I did fight very soon after I started, which, as a coach now, I would never ever put that you know in anyone in that early male or female, but it was kind of funny Because you know my coach awesome human like he was so good to me, but he didn’t really know what to do with me and there was another female um.
So he’s like you know, you’re a girl and she’s a girl, like you guys, should fight yeah.
I don’t think we had a weight class because she was a lot bigger than me um, and I think you know before that I actually never really got hit.
So I went into my first fight.
You know I’m from Saskatchewan, like farming, Community hockey Community the girl had a mullet.
You know it was like tough, like Canadian Saskatchewan girl, farm girl and she beat the crap out of me because I don’t think I ever learn.
I learned like a left and a right, and that was it so um just you know, that’s familiar yeah.
We they didn’t know what to do with us, so they just kind of threw us in there and um.
After my fight it was um like the the Saskatchewan provincials or something uh.
I remember it was on a Sunday.
I went home.
You know cried my eyes out, because I got beat up in front of a bunch of people and watch Rocky and then um.
I went back to the gym the next day like on a Monday, so you know I was not like the toughest kid you know I would say I was a little bit of a tomboy but um you know like I said I came from gymnastics background, so I think I had a bit of the athleticism, but you know I wasn’t.
I wasn’t the toughest kid um, but I think then like that gave me um.
You know a little credibility in the gym and a lot of people respected me.
You know men because it was only men at that point, um respecting me they’re like oh.
This girl really really wants to do this yeah because you showed back up yeah yeah and it was there the next day so yeah, absolutely you yeah! Absolutely, and it’s funny.
You mention hockey, and I here’s something I learned when I was um reading – um up, obviously a little bit more digging uh for the interview and your dad, if I’m not mistaken, played for the Chicago Blackhawks um, so he played on the farm team.
How do I not know that I’m from sh I I mean I fought out of Chicago – I didn’t live in Chicago the subs, but like I’m a Blackhawks fan, I’m like how did I not know that yeah yep yeah, so my um, my dad uh, you know At a young age, he he was playing hockey and he got the opportunity to play in one of the farb teams in Chicago.
So he left Canada and went um and played with them and then later on, played with a Canadian team um after he left them.
But yeah he loved it and you know I think it’s just some.
You know something that stuck with me is just the work ethic that he taught me um as an athlete yeah, absolutely yeah for sure, and it it definitely runs in the family um.
But you so you did make your pro debut in 2000 um, you went, 12 wins only two losses before winning your very first world title in 2003 against another huge boxing icon, Eliza Olsen inducted in the Hall of Fame.
With me last year, um you won.
The iwbf super lightweight title, tell us a little bit about that first fight with her and what it felt like to win your first title um.
So you know, fighting Eliza was interesting.
Um.
She, oh my gosh.
She is like one of the toughest women out there.
I’M telling you so the first fight it was.
It was kind of a brawl.
I would honestly say, and at the time uh my beloved, like first trainer, that I had in the United States – uh tiny, Richie um was training me and it was.
It was just crazy, like it was such a crazy fight, and you know there was a lot of headbutts and it was.
It was a really nasty fight and then, after we actually kind of had words in the dressing room after um, and you know just just a crazy experience but um.
Obviously I was super, proud and and grateful that I won the fight and um.
She was such a great competitor um.
I actually just saw her a couple of years ago and it was amazing to see her.
We were at both at a tournament but um yeah.
It was a crazy fight.
You know she’s seriously, one of the toughest women.
I think I’ve ever met in the ring she um her style is fierce she’s very for sure.
Um.
Like I said, I hadn’t met her.
I had the pleasure of meeting her at the inductions, obviously last year, because we were inducted the same year but um yeah Phenomenal Woman, Phenomenal Woman um spent some time with her, but um yeah.
She, she was definitely Fierce, definitely fer good evening Bruce.
Thank you and welcome to the show, Jo, if you guys have any questions, feel free to ask.
I will make sure and ask her for you.
Um, though, back to back to that, though March of 20 2004, you did add the NAB Junior Welterweight Title with a TKO victory over Lana Ellis.
Tell us a little bit about that two fights two titles back toback that had to be awesome yeah.
That was a great experience for me because I believe that was on the VIN pz undercard um at Foxwoods – and you know she was.
She was great um, but you know Vinnie was one of my heroes from um from my amateur days.
I remember reading about him in like a Ring magazine and and then getting the opportunity to meet him and then from there we got to train together um, and that was his retirement fight.
So just being on that card – and you know it was, it was everything – was so hyped and so exciting and um, and then you know winning with the TKO TKO was just unbelievable, so that was like probably one of my favorite memories.
As you know, in my career yeah, that’s awesome, yeah Vinnie, yeah, another phenomenal fighter, and that’s awesome that it was his like farewell fight that you on um and then work with them in the future.
Yeah um.
Definitely one of one of my favorites for sure um from back in the day um they just all have so much talent.
You really just.
I know you got.
You can’t just pick one thing: they’re all amazing, yeah Island yeah with Vinnie.
It was cool because I got to train with him um, and you know that was his last fight and I would say, like that training camp, like you know I was, I was in great shape.
I’Ve always like tried to keep myself in good shape.
I I think he might have been 40 at that time or close to 40 and he outworked everybody in the gym and that’s where I really saw like you know what the next level was like.
I you know it was one fight, one training camp, but I just learned so much um yeah, you know from seeing him train because he was incredible.
Yeah yeah, I mean, if you put in the work you put in the dedication and you get everything you got.
It makes a huge difference for those that just kind of slack off and just do enough.
Yeah makes a big difference for sure um Bruce said, he’s listening from Rhode Island, my homie you’re homie.
Thank you Bruce.
I don’t know if you know Bruce, I don’t know you Bruce, but thank you for joining the show um though June um, another um kind of maybe tough subject for you, but June 12 2004, huge name.
Everybody knows her Jane couch, um yeah, Defending Your two titles.
Um you did dedicate that fight to your trainer, tiny, who had just recently passed away um.
Unfortunately, um had to been extremely tough for you to continue on with a fight.
Under those circumstances, you came up a little bit short on the score score cards, but it was an extremely close fight.
Um, I’m assuming I mean I know, Jane phenomenal, phenomenal fighter great fight between the two of you, but the loss had to probably play a little bit of a big role for the outcome of that fight.
Yeah you know um like Jane coou is one of my all-time female favorite fighters of all like she’s, just she’s.
So amazing – and I can say so many great things about her because you know she’s she’s taught me so much as a as a boxer but um.
You know that was really difficult.
Um.
The day before I went up to foxw for the weighin uh I was with my trainer.
Who was you know he was um.
You know it he.
It was just.
Oh, my God.
It was so so hard to see him there because he was just such a strong, powerful man and he um was a huge presence in my life, and I knew that you know it.
It was going to be soon and um.
He had been in the nursing home like a few weeks before that um, so I went to see him the day before the weighin and he actually passed away, and they didn’t tell me until the weigh in um.
You know so that was that was really hard.
I found out at the way that he passed away and you know he was.
We just had such a special relationship from the start um and it was heartbreaking, but I knew you know I had to fight.
I was there to fight and I was you know.
I was there for a job um, you know, Jane was amazing and, and it was a great fight, I think we won like female fight of the year that year yeah he did um.
I don’t remember like one second of the fight.
You know it was kind of a blur for me um, but it just kind of shows like when you go through it’s it’s amazing to me to see like when people go through traumatic experiences like that they can still carry on.
They find a way – and I think that was the big lesson with that fight like I’d been through something so devastating, and I I still got in there and I did my best and did you know it was heartbreaking but um at the end of the day, You know I was really mourning the loss of my my friend and my trainer and my mentor yeah absolutely um, and he would have wanted you to fight.
You know.
Absolutely y um uh Bruce W says was that for the Tucker pudwell fight, no, no, no uh! The uh yeah that was when Vinnie fought um takar, is when I I fought Ellis yeah.
Okay.
So, yes, it was Bruce yeah but then couch fight.
I’M not.
I can’t even remember who the main event was for that fight.
Yeah rest in peace, tiny, absolutely um, but yes, good memory.
There Bruce, I did not know who he was fighting in that fight um.
So yes, though, um 2004 we’re going to go a little bit ahead, you got a much anticipated rematch with Eliza for the vacant.
Iwbf light Welterweight Title, but this time you guys fought to a 10 round draw.
What do you feel was different in the rematch versus the first fight when you won unanimous um so that fight I broke my hand, I think, at about the second or third round.
Um one thing about ali Eliza, ol olon is she has a very hard head um.
I remember like I remember, hitting with a right hand, and you know my my hand blew up right away and it was.
It was difficult to um.
You know fight her, but she especially that early.
Oh my God, she was just Relentless and you know I I think looking back like with you know, hurting my hand, I had hand surgery after that fight um.
You know I’m lucky, I’m lucky that it.
It could have gone a lot worse.
Um.
I think the draw was fine, you know I’ll, take it but um.
You know because she was such like a TP experienced boxer, and you know I feel fortunate that at that time I think I feel fortunate.
I got the draw yeah um and you’ve broken your hand a few times um.
I don’t.
I can’t remember which other fight, but a seever, two or three times right, yeah yeah, I fought when I fought Missy, I broke my hand.
I’Ve had two hand surgeries, um, and then I just actually broke it um.
I think it was last.
Last year I broke my wrist, so I’ve had you know I’ve.
I’Ve had definitely a lot of hand issues over the years, yeah kind of kind of like Floyd, with all his hand, injuries and mess like what but you’re still doing it, though you’re still doing it, I’m still doing it.
You know, and it’s um you know every every day is especially at almost 48 every day is an experience, so you know yeah absolutely um, though, right back to back after that recovery from the hand, surgery August 2005 once again won the iwbf lightweight title TKO again Over Shelby Walker, how was that fight with Shelby? She was another good fighter yeah.
She was a great fighter and you know um.
That was a fight.
I was really nervous about.
She was um training with living, Livingstone bramau, who was again like I was a fan of.
He was an incredible Fighter um so that that I think she was no wish.
No, that was summer Le on she was training with.
Oh, my God, I can’t remember, but he was an Olympian okay I’ll, have to look that up.
Yeah cuz summer dilon was with living Stone um, but I I know Michael, let me know who her trainer was yeah.
She was, and you know, um like I said, Shelby was very tough at the time she was very well respected and I was I remember, being very nervous for that fight and I I trained so hard for that fight because I was like this is.
This is going to be a really tough fight for me, yeah yeah, but TKO Victory.
You can’t beat that um another title in the works um a common opponent.
We have February 2007.
You won again the iwbf lightweight title defeating Mia St John, via unanimous decision um.
I fought her twice so I know her well um about your fight with Mia um, how? How did that one go out play out for you? If I remember right, your fight was pretty similar to when my f like the same style so with that was.
You know for me, probably one of the biggest fights um I would say besides maybe Jane coach um, when I was when I first turned Pro.
I remember telling my trainer in Canada, I’m gon na fight Mia St John someday and he’s like.
Oh, I don’t know, you know, I don’t know if we can make that fight whatever um, but that was really you know.
I respected Mia like when she started boxing.
You know she was okay, but she worked really hard and became a really talented, skilled boxer and I don’t think um for many years that she got that credit and then she started beating people and people are like.
Oh wow, you know um she’s, not like you know in the beginning, with the Playboy and everything it was, it was kind of a sideshow, but then she started to prove herself because you could see she put the work in yeah um.
You know M, I honestly say, like you know, I I read about her and I think her story is fascinating.
She been through a lot in her life, but um at that time she was tough to deal with um.
You know we had an issue with the gloves um, so in California, for a title fight they had to wear 10 o gloves and in Rhode Island.
We wore 8 O gloves.
So she at the fight like minutes before the fight she’s, like I’m, not fighting, um yeah.
I don’t know if I should be telling the story.
No, we we tell it all here but um.
You know it happened many years ago, but yeah.
So she she.
I don’t know if there was an issue with the contract or, if she just didn’t, know um, but in Rhode Island for title.
It’S 8 O gloves.
California is 10, so she you know, like I said, we’re.
I’M gloved up, I’m ready to go she’s like I’m.
Not fighting so I think she got a little bit of extra money um, you know to come out because we had.
We were the main event, which was great as a female.
At that time there weren’t a female.
You know, I have to say, like my promoter, Jimmy Birchfield, who still promotes me after, like I think I’m his longest Fighter for 20 years um.
You know at that time.
He believed in female boxing and you know the place was sold out and we you know we put on a great show but yeah she wasn’t coming out and she got few extra bucks and went out there and um.
You know it was a great fight.
I think I won every round a 10 round, but um you know Mia.
I give her so much respect and she’s somebody who really worked from the bottom and worked her way up and she did um yeah.
It wasn’t.
I I don’t know if it was her plan to go that far with boxing, but you know she she put the working and she beat a lot of great Fighters.
She absolutely did yeah.
She did.
I mean, like you said, the beginning – was a little bit sketchy with the Playboy.
It kind of came out like a like a circus, and here we go like this is what every this is, why everybody thinks that we’re not Fighters, and we can’t do this and that and but she did put in the work and she definitely earned um.
You know her nickname and she earned the respect of people that she actually really was a very um smooth, talented um fighter.
She had really really good defense, really good footwork um.
She she did um.
She did earn that um.
Like I said, I mean I fought her two two different times um and I got two different versions of her, so I mean it was kind of nice because the second fight she fought totally different than she fought the first fight um but yeah.
She definitely had definitely proved herself in the sport for sure yeah and her whole story definitely is very inspiring with everything she’s been through.
I still follow her all the time and all her stuff that she’s doing so um wish her nothing but the best of course um.
You did in 2007, exciting rematch.
You got with Jane couch, winning unanimous, though this time for the I WF Junior Welterweight Title.
How satisfying was that win for you and how different do you feel you performed than the first fight, um, obviously very satisfying and and for many reasons I think, first of all, just to um.
You know with the first fight going through everything I went through.
I felt like I, I wasn’t 100 %, you know and I never it was always like you know.
Did she really beat me? Did she beat the best version of me? I don’t know um.
I did switch trainers at that point.
So you know that was um.
My second, my first fight was with M with my new trainer, and my second fight was with Jane.
So I felt like you know, I was learning a lot of new stuff and, and I changed up my style a little bit um and then I would say the third reason it was so satisfying satisfying was because Mia came up to me after the fight um Or sorry, Jane and um said to me, you have improved so much and I’m so proud of you and, like I just like I was such a fan of Jane coach, that for her to say that to me was just um.
You know that was like just so amazing, because I really admired her and I just you know she was one of the best at that time, and I I for her to say that was just that was so funny that I love that you said that, because I don’t know why, but me and chel are very close um ever since we met at a fight show in California um, but I was so nervous because she was like one of my Idols like I always looked up to her, and so when we first met.
I laughed because I am by no means shy and I’m pretty forward um, but I was pretty speechless the first time I met her because I was so freaking nervous, like I didn’t even know what to say, and it was it’s funny because now we’re extremely like.
I consider her like family um, but told me for the first time when I interviewed her on the show not too long ago, and we were talking about at that fight where I met her.
She was like, oh, like you want to go.
Spar like we were out there early, you know we still could work out or whatever and she’s like you want to go, get some rounds in and I was like yeah sure.
So we go Spar whatever and I mean she’s so slick I mean you know her style.
So it’s not very easy to hit her, especially with my style and her style um.
But I landed some shots on her and she she told me she’s, like you, know, you’re actually, probably one of the hardest hitters I ever sparred or worked with outside of men, and I said what and I’ve known you how long and you’re just now telling me This, but it just meant a lot I mean granted.
It was how many years later that she told me that, but like it made me, feel good inside coming from someone so talented as her so yeah that it just makes you light up inside you’re, just like wow, like I impress them.
That makes me feel almost better than anything else: yeah yeah so and it’s crazy too, just like because you’re in the ring with these people and you’re, you know you’re you’re, trying to win or if you’re sparring, you’re trying to get the better of them.
And you know they just show you so much love and respect, and that’s absolutely you know, that’s really what the sport is about, yeah, absolutely especially back, then I think more.
So then, then, I think as today I don’t think the fighters are quite the same today as they used to be, but we out for each other granted if we were fighting in the ring in’s business.
But outside of that, we were all happy to help one another right cheer for one another, have their backs work with them, teach them some things um.
It was never like.
There’S only one fighter that I EV that ever had issues with that it just there was no way we could be friends back then that I fought but other than that everybody it was like after the fight was over.
It was like hey, you want to go, get something to eat y.
I mean that’s just how everybody was.
It was yeah.
It was awesome, yeah we’re going to fast forward a few years to your injuries.
You did suffer a spinal nerve injury when you fought Holly Holmes in 2010 during the first round.
Tell us a little bit about what actually happened, how the injury occurred, and I know you had some serious side effects afterwards, which, after that, you know, obviously put your career on home for a while yeah, definitely um so yeah that fight.
You know I was excited to take the fight.
I had a great training camp um.
I felt you know I felt so amazing I think um.
My daughter was, you know around like 11 or 12 months.
At that point, so um you know I I always wonder.
Like maybe did I come back too soon after having my daughter, I don’t know um, but you know going into the fight.
I was confident um I was ready.
You know.
The the weight I have to say was a little suspect uh when we weighed in you know, I weighed in pretty light and we actually never got to see the scale when she weighed in um, so that yeah.
So it’s kind of interesting um.
We had some issue with the hand wraps warming up um, you know, but for me, like none of that stuff ever bothered me, I was just you know, bothered my team more than it bothered me um, but getting into the ring.
I remember you know feeling confident.
Like you know, even if I can’t beat Holly, I know I’m gon na give her a good fight.
You know – and you know that wasn’t interesting time in my life, because I I did just have a baby and you know I think, like I said I think my daughter might have been like a year old at that time.
Um.
So you know anybody who has had kids and went back.
It knows like the transition.
You are a little bit different um, but you know first round getting in there.
You know I I remember getting hit with a hook and being like.
Oh she.
She doesn’t hit that hard um.
You know I’ve always had a pretty good chin.
I can take a punch and then slipped in because she was a lefty for a body shot and she kind of fell on me yeah and I just kind of went numb.
Like my my the side of my face my neck, my arm completely went um, you know numb I I went down.
I thought I dislocated my shoulder in the beginning, beginning of it, because I have um dislocated my shoulder before when I was playing rugby and you know I I it was just like what the hell is going on.
I didn’t really understand um.
You know we went to the emergency room I actually had, which is it’s like a football injury.
It’S a stinger um and I was I had um.
I was paralyzed for like two weeks on my right side and then I I think I was in physical therapy for like up to six months after that, so it was devastating at the time um you know it.
It took me.
I couldn’t hold my daughter for a long time, and that was, I think, the hardest part um, but you know it’s looking back.
I’M like I wish I would have come back sooner um, but you know I didn’t know, and you know I was.
I was a young mother and and being a mother is the most important thing, absolutely yeah.
It is and safety and you gota your kids.
Now you got kids, you got to think about absolutely, which was why I retired after my second one, because I’m like now, I have two – and maybe I better just start, focusing on being a mom yeah, which was what made me decide to retire when I did Um but yes, um and you just don’t know I mean if I mean it’s almost like when I tore my ACL um, I was done boxing, but when I tore my ACL playing softball and I’m like after that – and I still have never competed in it again.
Just because I’m so nervous like I don’t want, I’m like what, if it happens again, yeah like it’s always in the back of your mind.
Absolutely so, and that’s probably part of – and you just didn’t know, I mean that could be a very serious injury, especially feeling paralysis for a couple weeks.
And what if it had you know, I mean there’s always a what if it happens and it’s permanent like it’s AIS that you don’t know if you’re ready to take right.
I personally had thought you retired after that um I’m sure with a lot of other people, but you did make one fight come back in 2013 um.
You did win that fight um.
I think it was Domingo, Olivia, Domingo y y um um.
So was that just like a fluke, you just took the fight out of the blue or were you starting to come back and then you just decided, maybe we’ll take a little more time off or what happened there with the Break um.
So you know, I didn’t really think I was gon na come back.
I mean you, you know just as well as anybody is always in you and you can’t walk away um.
So I had my son and i’ had been training before that I was.
I was doing like a fitness, video and stuff um, and you know my coach and I were like.
Oh you know, let’s see how this goes whatever, so we were training uh and then he was like.
You know what you should.
You should take another fight, I’m like oh absolutely, like I.
I think I’m ready after the Holly fight.
It had been a few years and then, of course I found out.
I was pregnant um.
So that’s not happening so you know uh.
I think it was like.
Eight months after my son was born, I decided to I’m like, let’s just let’s try one more time um.
So I fought dinga and um.
You know was a great fight and I felt really good about it, but it was kind of you know with having babies.
I had like a toddler and a eight-month-old.
It’S like come on like this is just you know, it’s a lot.
It’S a lot.
It is it’s a lot.
You know I love I.
I love my kids to death and they’re always come first, but you know when you’re training, it’s it’s uh.
You know you have to be dedicated and so um.
So I did it and you know kind of put it out of my head um and then oh want to think of the time.
I I was sparring with Shelly Vincent a lot.
We I just opened uh my gym with my three other partners and we were sparring L about yeah like five six years ago, five years ago, um and I was sparring – and I was just feeling good and you know I looked good and I had my coach.
Come and meet me.
I was like yeah just come, you know, work my corner, we’re just doing it for fun, um and that’s kind of when I got the bug again.
You know kind of helping her and getting her ready for fights and you know she’s a very close friend of mine.
I think she’s incredible Fighter um and you know she always oh jam.
You should just you should you should get back in there and I always kind of thought I was too old, but I’m like I don’t feel old like right.
You know as long as I don’t feel old, why? Why would I stop so right that kind of got me the bug again after uh coming out of retirement for what, like the fourth time, third time, whatever Mur one time yeah I mean if I could, if I could, and I’ve talked to Miche Michael about this – A million times and everybody if I could come back and get a big payday, I would 100 % do it, but it would take too long right, like I, you had to build yourself back up in the ranks you had have have like.
Probably four or five fights before you can talk about the big money fight and I’m just like that’s like a couple years in right, yeah, that’s kind of where I’m at now I mean now you’re getting there now, but I’m just like oh dude.
I really I mean I’m 40.
How old am I 42? I had to think about it for a second um, so it’s possible I’ve thought about it many times, but right Never Say Never that’s what I’ve got three kids, one of them and with two I just I mean I just had one a couple years ago, he’s Only two but yeah yeah, I don’t know I think about it all the time.
It’S especially doing this more like talking to everybody like yeah.
It really well, I think now too um you know, women are boxing.
Later I mean met like I look at Bernard Hopkins.
He was like incredible into his 50s, you know and just kept himself so healthy, and I think it’s definitely a possibility.
Um.
You know I get a lot of Medicals.
I have CAT scans, I have EKGs, I have stress tests, you name it they.
I have to say, Rhode, Island uh.
Boxing commission is great because they do um.
You know they.
They cover everything with me um because of my age and and you know, if there was ever anything that came up that was abnormal.
Of course, I would quit.
You know my life is, and my health is the first and most important thing.
So absolutely absolutely um.
My daughter just walked in here.
What reest you know, I’m doing my show right M.
So what is it? That’S so important that you need right now.
She wants me to approve something for her on her hi Hi.
How are you good good Amy, my? I can’t do it right now.
I don’t even have it.
You have to send it to me again: okay, okay, love! You bye! Um 2020, though you received a special call: um, I’m assuming you got the phone call, I guess not.
Everybody got a phone call.
I found that out um talking to some people, but I got a phone call um Su Fox, letting you know you’re being inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame class of 2020.
I know my my phone call was one for my record books.
Uh it’ll be one I remember till the day I die but tell us about the phone call for you and and how important and what that means to you to have made the hall of fame um.
So I did not get a phone call like did you get an email? Did you get a text so one of my um, my Fighters, that I trained forever still training her um.
She texted me and said: why would why, wouldn’t you tell me that you got inducted in the women’s Boxing Hall of Fame? I’M like what are you talking about um and then I saw it um.
You know uh on the women’s boxing uh website, um yeah.
I didn’t know and then from there you know we started connecting um about the the Hall of Fame but um yeah.
It was kind of a surprise to me um.
You know one of the biggest honors.
I was so grateful um.
It was a covid year.
So we actually got pushed to 2021.
We did not have our induction ceremony because we couldn’t but um.
It was just incredible and you know with all the incredible women – and you know just everybody there to support women’s boxing yeah.
You know one of the great and I actually had just come out of retirement.
So um, you know was kind of you fought the next year yeah.
So I fought Olivia um, maybe a few months before we went to because she was actually at the ceremony yeah and uh yeah.
It was a few months but yeah.
It was kind yeah, because we we fought in June and the ceremony was in August yeah yeah.
How was your fight with Olivia? Were you guys like because you’re both from Canada was? I fought Olivia in Canada? Yeah, I don’t think was quite the fair, fair uh outcome, but you know how we all feel about those um travel fights yeah, but um tell us a little bit about your fight with Olivia.
That’S our our two common opponents right yeah.
So my fight with Olivia was my first fight in eight years.
Um, probably not the best fight to take is coming out of retirement, but you know I was like hey whatever you know, I I think coming out of retirement.
I I just wanted to see.
So I was like I put anybody in front of me.
You know, I think I was like 44 at the time and I just wanted to see um uh, you know, like I said I hadn’t been in the ring in like over eight years.
So when she had been active um the day of the fight, it was so hot and humid, it was an outdoor show.
Her shoe actually melted as we were fighting and had they had to stop and tape her shoe because it m it was melting on the canvas.
It was like ridiculous.
It was like the craziest thing and then um we were in before we went into the flight.
We, the dressing rooms, were outside.
We were outside for hours like completely dehydrated like it was just.
You know, nobody predicted, because it was like mid June or something that that would be the weather on Rhode Island, because it’s very uncommon I had um after the fight.
I I couldn’t take my shoes off and I had the biggest like heat blister on the bottom of my feet like I couldn’t walk after the fight, because there were so many like my blisters.
It was just crazy.
We we fought to a draw.
You know, I think um it was a tough fight.
I don’t again, I think I was fighting the elements more than I was fighting, although I think she’s she’s, an incredible fighter and she’s fought everybody and been around, but you know it was more about the heat.
Like it was just ridiculous and it was like a freak thing and I’m like oh this is so you know at that time I was like what am I doing.
Is this what I should be doing um? But you know I just wanted to get right back in there.
I I felt good and you know, coming out of retirement, and you know starting a second boxing career at 44 is a very different experience compared to starting a career in your early 20s yeah um.
You know you’re you’re there for different reasons.
Um you you learn different lessons and um yeah was just is a different experience and for me it was just the fact that you know I could do it and I was doing it yeah [, Music, ] and yeah.
Like I like a hair in my mouth, I um – I don’t know I you know, I think back to like my younger years when I would lose a fight like I would stay in bed for a week.
I would be devastated.
You know I looked at things.
So differently, and now it’s just um the fact that I’m doing it, I feel blessed the fact I can still move my body at 47 years old, like right.
You know the way that I am um.
You know and i’ I’ve had some really good fights since it come out, but um you know, Olivia was another another Boxer I respected and just being in the ring with her, and she was wonderful before the fight, and you know it’s nice chatting with her and Being with another fellow Canadian, so that was that was a really cool experience, absolutely uh, Michael or shelito way.
Yes, we know yes, yes, um yeah.
I talk to her from time to time.
Um, hopefully get her on the show.
I can’t remember when I think I got her scheduled later on um now, though, at the age of 47 kind of we said close to 48, you have won, though your two fights this year y um.
What’S like, what’s next for you, who do you want to fight before you officially hang up the glob and what’s what’s your goals or like who, who is it that you want to fight before you do decide to call quits um? You know for me, there’s so many that I would love to fight um, and you know I I feel most comfortable at 130 pounds right now.
Um.
I think I could go down.
If I had to you know, I I mostly fought my career at 135 um, but I do.
I do feel comfortable at um 130 and you know anybody in the top 10.
I would be willing to fight at at 26, 35, um or 30.
You know I’m just really looking at anybody.
I think you know, like you said, like I I came out of here because out of retirement, because women’s boxing really changed from you know when you and I were there and for us we didn’t make a lot of money.
You know I’ve never really made a lot of money at the sport um I’ve dedicated my whole life.
I own a gym uh.
I train Fighters.
I train, you know I train a lot of people at my gym and um.
This has been my life since I was 15 and I think I deserve a big payday and you know I I put the time and the work in and you know I’m I’m willing to get in there with anyone um.
I don’t think anyone should underestimate me because you know I do have experience and I don’t think that my age um is an issue.
I think it’s a you know.
I think it benefits me because I have the experience and the mat and the knowledge that I have so um.
You know I’m I don’t know about you, I’m pretty sure that all of us old heads we fight a lot different than the new ones we.
It was a different time.
I don’t think people understand that you know no, they don’t um, but if enough of us come out of retirement they will yeah yeah, because I don’t know my husband and I we talk about this often um, because he was my.
You know he was my trainer after um, I left Sam Colona, then my husband, just because he took over um training and it just worked out better that way wave but um.
We talk about this so often about all of the old school Fighters.
Just being so gritty, I guess is the word um we fought.
We all all wanted to.
99.
9 % of us wanted to fight only the best yeah and every single fight was like a dog fight yeah.
They were Wars like they were straight up like you were on the edge of your seat, watching all the fights back, then that you could see um and not that the fights today aren’t interesting um and some of them are good.
Matchups.
Don’T get me wrong.
I still like I still support WIS boxing.
I still watch all the fights um, but it’s just not the same as the we used to see yeah, I think for us too.
It’S because we had to fight so many things we weren’t just fighting in the ring.
We are fighting to get on cards.
We are fighting to get into gyms.
We were fighting to get trainers, um get attention to sell tickets.
You know women’s boxing, I think, is great.
Now, like I, I love all the upand comers.
You know.
Katie.
Taylor is absolutely incredible and has done women’s boxing, but we about that because everybody counted her out.
I didn’t.
I knew for 100 % fact she was gon na yep.
I told everybody the first fight.
There was something wrong with her.
She that her face did not even from the moment she walked out of the back.
I knew there was something wrong.
She wasn’t the same like peppy, she was sick or something was bothering her or she might have had an injury.
I don’t know what it was.
Yeah, but even throughout the fight she was not herself.
She didn’t throw the combination, she didn’t have the hand speed.
She was freaking off and everybody’s, like oh she’s, just passed her prime, like it’s time for her to retire like she’s done, but not to mention the fact that she went up in weight.
But I said no that wasn’t her and I’m telling you this fight.
She’S gon na beat the out of her yeah and everybody said: no, no, no, no, no camera’s too big camera’s too strong, okay and I it’s ex went exactly how I thought it was going to go and just like you said, um, don’t don’t ever count me Out like no, you don’t know me very well, it’s the same thing um.
We talk about this all the time, but you just really got to no boxing in order, but even the fighters were saying that I was like what reading the people and I’m like what? What are you talking about right like? How do you know boxy so? Well, how do you know she wasn’t off right, yeah, you could see it in her face the first fight and the second fight going into the ring.
She just had a different demeanor and a different sense about her, but the thing with Katie is um.
You know I’ve actually had the I’ve been able to spar with her and she’s just an incredible.
You know, human being and she’s so humble, but um.
She again like Works harder than everybody and – and I think honestly like watching her, lose that fight and then come back and win in Ireland was you know it was like that Cinderella story like it was just amazing and it was better than anybody thought it was Going to be – and I’m just so proud and um, you know grateful for her and for what she’s done for female boxing and continues to do.
But you know going back to our generation, it’s like we never ever would get that opportunity and it was hard enough for us to get onto shows, and you know I was consider myself grateful because um you know I had a great promoter, Jimmy worfield, who believed In female boxing, but he was you know one in few, not many promoters would put us on fights and it was really really tough and you know I think you know.
I think I fought in like a world title fight in like my fifth fight or something like that’s what we did you know that’s we did because otherwise we would never get the opportunity yeah.
I mean my third Pro fight was me and St John yeah.
He was like 465 and I don’t even know what her record was, but she had like 50 something fights and I had 13 Amur fights and was my third Pro fight yep um.
So I mean you just you just there was no oh we’re going to remain.
Undefeated and do all this and like build ourselves up, there wasn’t an opportunity for that and then, especially after, like when I fought Mia, they wouldn’t approve they.
Wouldn’T they wouldn’t approve me to fight anybody like I could only fight top 10 or top five Fighters y after that, because they’re like well, you you beat me as St John right so like you’re on a whole.
Another level now like I’m, still only got four fights yeah and my next fight after that, I think, was a title fight.
I mean they.
It was just like it was crazy yeah.
But like yes, the thing you were talking about the the money that that there is out there now there never was such a thing as Undisputed.
Back then, like I, you couldn’t, there was barely even opportunities to fight for titles, let alone multiple titles right and then the paydays I mean I know you’re still fighting, but I’ve said it a million times, because I really don’t care anymore, but $ 4,000 was the Most money I ever made – and that was my rematch in Mexico against Mia um, and I know she made way more than that uh.
But I was the opponent coming in or whatever she wanted to fight in her in in Mexico.
But there just wasn’t anything.
We did it because we loved it yeah, it wasn’t about money or anything else.
It was about fighting the best, leaving a mark in the sport being remembered and just being great, and if you got a title along the way that was like a bonus right, yeah again, you didn’t you didn’t get money with the title, necessarily either so um.
You know point it.
It still is like that.
A lot of the times like I I would say, there’s you know uh.
You know a handful of women that are making a lot of money um.
You know, since I come out of retirement, like you know, do I make a lot of money? No, I don’t I, but again I’m trying to prove something and I think for me it is age.
I don’t want people to write me out.
You know just because I’m 47 doesn’t mean, I can’t you know, hang in there with with some of the best, and you know I hope I do want to have one or two more fights very soon before I turn 48 and I think um I hope I
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