AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 1
Join us on this thrilling episode of No Punches Pulled as Brooke ‘No Mercy’ Dierdorff-Millbrook sits down for a live interview with the phenomenal “Lady of Boxing” Ava Knight! With an outstanding amateur record of 28-4 before going pro in 2007, Ava’s journey has been nothing short of awe-inspiring.
In 2008, Ava claimed the IFBA North American Bantamweight title after a hard-fought eight-round unanimous decision against the previously undefeated Kaliesha West. Witness how she took on her rivals like a true champion and conquered new heights in the world of boxing.
The excitement continued in 2011 when Ava faced West again, resulting in a gripping draw. But that wasn’t the end of her reign! In the same year, she knocked out Arely Mucino, securing the IBF Flyweight title and earning prestigious awards like WBAN’s Fighter of the Month and Hottest Rising Star for November 2011.
As Ava’s journey progressed, so did her victories. In 2012, she defeated Susana “Toluquita” Vazquez to claim the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Flyweight title. The winning streak continued with the WBC Diamond Flyweight title in the same year, after a ten-round unanimous decision against Mariana Juarez.
In 2013, Ava proved her dominance again, claiming the vacant WBC Silver Flyweight title with a commanding ten-round unanimous decision over Susana Vasquez. Not stopping there, she added the WBC International Flyweight title to her list of accolades in 2014 after a ten-round unanimous decision over Guadalupe Martinez.
Join us as we celebrate Ava Knight’s remarkable career, with her professional record standing at 20-2-5. From facing the best of the best, including Kaliesha West, Mariana Juarez, Arely Mucino, Sharon Gaines, Elena Reid, Ana Maria Torres, and Crystal Hoy, Ava has shown true tenacity and skill throughout her journey. Don’t miss this exclusive interview with one of the boxing world’s finest!
Transcribed
[, Music, ], foreign, [, Music, ], hey, hey, y’all! It’S your girl, no mercy, it’s Tuesday night.
So you already know what time it is it’s time for another episode and no punch is pulled with me, no mercy.
Some of you probably already know who I am for those of you.
If you are new here, my name is Brooke.
Millbrook, Formerly Known in the fight game, is Brooke no mercy deardorff.
I am a retired professional boxer held the WBC lightweight title until I retired and I was inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame 2022.
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I’Ve been through some good, some bad and we all know a lot of BS in the sport of women’s boxing.
But welcome to my platform: this is where we talk the talk and we walk the walk.
We bring out the truth in women’s boxing.
You will hear from pioneers of the sport past boxers current boxers, even future boxers we get down and dirty speaking, the truth of what takes place in women’s boxing.
You don’t want to miss a single show, so please make sure you guys subscribe share uh.
So you don’t miss a single episode here, every Tuesday night with me and my special guests, but today today guys I’m sitting down with a phenomenal Phenomenal Woman, the lady of boxing Ava Knight.
She hasn’t.
She had an outstanding amateur record of 28 in four before turning pro in 2008.
Ava’S career has been nothing short of awe-inspiring.
In 2008, she claimed the ifba North American bantamweight title after a very hard fought, eight-round unanimous decision against previously also undefeated Kalisha West, who we had on the show a few weeks ago.
The two did meet again, though, in 2011, resulting in a draw.
In the same year, though, she knocked out arila mussino, securing the ibf flyweight title and earned the prestigious Awards, like wban’s fighter of the month, and the hottest rising star for November 2011.
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As her journey progressed, so did her victories, though in 2012 she claimed the IVF flyweight title: the WBC Diamond flyweight in 2013 she added the WBC silver Flyway title and 2014, another WBC International Flyway title her pro career stands at 20 wins two and five.
She has shared the ring with the best of the best in the business like we talked about Kalisha West Juarez, musino Sharon, Gaines, Elena Reed and Marie Torres Crystal Hoy.
That’S just to name a few, but let’s get her in here.
Help me welcome Ava to the show, what’s up champ, how are you it’s such a pleasure to have you join me on the show? I know you life’s busy, but I appreciate you finding time.
How are you doing yeah, I’m great thanks for having me on.
I’M excited to talk yeah, that’s awesome.
I know it’s always it’s fun for me talking to everybody, because it’s just like I don’t know it’s reminiscing, it’s just such good memories and you don’t talk about it unless people ask and – and that doesn’t happen too often.
So it’s kind of nice just to talk about it and just reminisce about the good old days, yeah right um, but first, why don’t you start from the beginning? Take us back childhood.
What led you to the sport of boxing uh? I came in the boxing.
There was like I’m from a small town Chico in in Northern California, which is a big party party’s Party City, but um there’s a big university, but there was just one small gym: there was an older man, Joe Joe Rodriguez.
He was from the Bronx New York Puerto Rican, man that served in the military over 30 years and he boxed his whole career.
So he opened up a gym and I just happened to walk in that gym and just fell in love with boxing it was.
I wasn’t a bad kid, though I know a lot of people have that story where they’re a bad kid and boxing yeah.
So I don’t have that that pictured perfect.
You know boxing story, but but I could say that boxing just changed my life forever.
I mean I’m still a good kid after that.
I think I was probably better after boxing after starting and it just became something that I had wanted to conquer yeah yeah and you started off quickly with your amateur career, accumulating a record of 28-4 um.
What then, after the amateurs, drove you to make the transition into the pros in 2007.
yeah? Well, you know, 24 doesn’t seem like a lot to me, uh, especially with the wit, the the way that girls have fights now, but I know back now, man that was a lot yeah yeah.
Well, it’s still compared to Southern California.
It wasn’t because I know Kalisha had a lot more than me yeah and I don’t know how, like I had 15 fights.
I think before I turned broke, oh well, and – and I to be completely honest, I’m pretty sure that some of that 24 is walk.
You know walk, walk eyes or whatever you call them.
I forget what you call walkovers yeah yeah, so it’s crazy, yeah Kalisha had a lot of like I don’t know.
I think that well, a lot of that was because her dick or who her dad is, and he could just get fights everywhere.
I just think girls in Southern California always had fights too, because it was a very condensed area with a lot of um Fighters.
Yeah.
Well, that’s cool, I mean I was in Chicago, but and I did really the only time I got fights very rarely on club shows.
Usually it was only like at the gloves or the Nationals.
So then I was finally like.
In the last year I went for the gloves the last year everybody either went up and wait or down in weight when I signed up.
So I didn’t have anybody fight.
So I’m like: okay, oh wow, that’s the point now like we might as well either go forward.
Just forget it, because I’m not getting people don’t want to fight yeah.
That’S that’s how I started it was.
I was just in Northern California, I’m like I’m, not moving! You know and I’m not going anywhere, so I might as well just turn pro there’s.
No, you know the girls in the amateurs they’re, either too big or too small for me to just keep fighting, and then I thought four girls at least three or four times each yeah yeah, so so you’re interested yeah.
I did that too.
That’S so funny.
So funny yeah, most of them people are the same people over and over again, because they’re, the only ones that want to fight well tell us about the experience winning the ifba bantamweight title in 2008 against the girl we were just talking about when I spoke with Her about this too, so phenomenal fight, Kalisha West, your first time, both undefeated tell us about that fight and what it felt like to win that title.
I know when I, when I took that fight or when we got that call for that fight.
My coach is one of those guys that says you find anyone, no matter who they are, how many fights they have.
He always thought I was the best and – and I believed in him I really didn’t, and I did he he was one of the best.
So I guess um getting that call they’re like oh cliche, West and the internet wasn’t as much as it is now.
You can’t go on Instagram and check everyone out or we I think we had uh what was it uh, not Facebook, but oh, we had um Myspace yeah.
You could look on MySpace, but even then like, if you didn’t know the algorithm he didn’t, he didn’t find anything but uh.
I knew that she was really good.
But again my coach was like you, you can do it, you can do it um.
She had a lot more fights than I did and I think she walked in thinking that I was just.
I don’t know what she thought, but I was assuming that she thought I was just some little bomb from Northern California.
You know so it was exciting.
I walked I I was prepared for that fight.
I was prepared for her and I did exactly what I was supposed to do.
I threw her off her game plan.
I just fought her.
I fought her and I brought her to a place where that’s not something that her and her father practice and there was a it was a fight.
It was a real fight, it was good and I was it was great to beat her yeah.
I think she gave me the biggest lump on my forehead I’ve ever had from my head, but but uh yeah.
It was.
That was the first start that I really thought that I was.
I was kind of good yeah.
Then you’re, like you, know what maybe he’s right, because I just because she’s phenomenal and I just beat her mm-hmm yeah exactly yeah well and then not long after that 2011.
You guys did get the rematch.
I’M assuming you know.
Everybody wanted the rematch um, but that one did go to a draw.
What was the difference between the first fight and the second fight? Do you think that it was ruled a drop uh? I think she, it was a HomeTown decision.
That’S what I really think.
Okay, I could say that, because we were in her backyard, even though she says it’s not her hometown, it’s her backyard um but uh.
I feel real real bad about that fight.
I know we took that fight against her, but we wanted more money and even more money is like seven thousand dollars.
You know what I mean: it’s not what it is now for them right, even for the men.
It wasn’t the same and I know she fought me for free, but I remember we weighed in.
We had already become friends at that point and uh I didn’t have to cut weight, but I even went with her and cut weight with her uh.
We had a good time, I mean the fight.
The fight was different for sure she stuck to her game plan and I think I got hit more than I should have, but neither one of us got beat up you know, so I think, if anything yeah, but for me to think that if we’re in her Backyard – and we got a draw – I think I I mean I thought I won so yeah – well [ __ ].
That happens every day, but it wouldn’t surprise me.
I have not seen your second fight with her, so I knew is that is it on the? Is it on YouTube? No, I don’t think there’s any uh, any video of it that I can.
I don’t think I’ve ever.
I don’t.
I just haven’t seen that second fight, so I can’t even tell you my opinion, because I haven’t seen it yeah and I believe we fought at like 12 midnight like it was so late, that’s crazy, it was it was insane and and the fact that we were In a bull uh, a bull ring yeah.
Well, I mean it stunk, it’s 12 at night, we’re just down get out of there.
That’S crazy! That’S crazy! Well, is what it is too bad.
We get the trilogy, though yeah.
I know she got into that real bad car accident.
I think we could make it happen and I think it would be a great fight.
I think it would be.
It would be just as good as any of these girls fighting now.
Oh, my God, I I don’t.
I don’t know if she’s gon na come back, but if she does, she knows I’m ready yeah.
We talked about that.
I don’t, I don’t think so, but you never know yeah um, but after that 2000 same year, 2011.
Second round knockout in the reading moment.
Also um, can you take us through that fight with her and how it felt to secure another title uh? I know I think I had already thought Ana Maria Torres, which I think at that moment was like pound for pound.
One of the best girls best in Mexico for sure and uh, probably in the world, top ten for sure she.
She had held the WBC for so long and won the ball, but I know that they called me thinking again.
I would just at that point in my career.
I just kept getting calls to be an opponent, you know, and I for years later I still did, but they called me and they couldn’t believe that I walked out there and I knocked her out so quickly.
They couldn’t believe it.
Well, that’s what it is.
I mean it happens, it happens and anybody can be knocked out.
It doesn’t matter who it is.
Anybody can be stopped and it only takes one point for that matter, but um, that’s the funny thing.
I think about a lot of these people who hold titles for so long.
They just think that they’re, almost invisible and as long as they can go, the distance they’ll retain the title.
So they just, I think they Overlook Fighters, is about the problem.
They don’t yeah and then they’re not properly prepared and when you got someone who’s coming in that’s prepared and hungry, then, if you’re not ready, a punch is going to knock you down so yeah, and I know that I just I don’t say I wasn’t bigger than Her but I I do think I for 112, I was a big puncher at that time.
I know when I changed uh trainers.
I think everything changed when I was boxing more than I was fighting but uh.
I still don’t think that changed.
I still think I have one of the biggest conscious punches that once in a while yeah, I would agree because I would agree with that.
100, and I I say that because looking back when because we fought at the same time um.
But I always pictured you as a heavier fighter than 112.
like when I would look at you, I’m like she’s like a featherweight like I would have pictured you like at 126 or if, but you were so much lighter, but you didn’t look that size no, and I didn’t even walk around it.
I always walked around 120 or less.
I was never big either yeah, because when I fought it when I walked around at where I went up because I didn’t, I didn’t really have much to lose at the time, and I didn’t.
I didn’t want to drain myself, but yeah.
I don’t know I just always just pictured you as bigger for some reason um, but after that um you were named W band fighter of the month hottest Rising Star 2011.
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I think that to me I consider that a remarkable achievement – anything I’ve always felt any note of like notoriety from the W band, was huge back then, because that was literally the only platform that supported women through foxes um, so for to get those accolades on your Record, I thought was huge at the time.
Um did that impact your confidence or motivation in the ring at all.
I I yeah, I think, because I you know Sue was really like.
You said one of the only women out there pioneering for for female boxing um yeah.
I I think we can’t you know you, and I were both at this time and and the history of female boxing, where we had just hit the falling out period.
You know when Laila Ali left, nobody cared anymore right, so there it was big before us and now it’s getting bigger aft, I wouldn’t say after us, but at this time right now, yeah, I’m not done yet but uh yeah.
So it’s just to have WBA wban support me and always put me out there, like that.
I thought that was great.
You know, there’s there’s just some kind of feeling of just having some notoriety of of people just noticing what you’re doing yeah yeah, just giving you props.
That you deserve really is all oh out of all the fights this month.
Like that’s awesome because I mean there was always good fights back, then there was always good points.
Yeah yeah, just like an extra icing on the cake.
That’S all uh! Shortly after that, though 2012 you captured multiple titles.
I uh the IVF why weight WBC Diamond flyweight um two belts in one year: that’s a big accomplishment, especially for women.
We didn’t always get the opportunities for fight for titles back then or multiple titles um tell us about those fights.
What that? What that? What does it mean to you to hold all the titles? Does that like mean? Is it anything special or is it just built for you yeah? Well, I I will just to mention it because I’m a little bitter about it.
I guess the IVF um between that.
I wasn’t winning the IBM.
I was constantly defending my belt.
I actually got more defenses than any other fighter in one year, which was 2012.
yeah and more than any man as well, and they sent me this plaque – that’s so shitty and they sent it to me.
Five years later, I never got an invite to the actual convention, like I feel real shitty about the way the ibf treated me and when I thought Mariana for what the the fight you’re talking about, they wouldn’t let me unify the ibf from the WBC at that Time they would not like the wcbc diamond was the only thing, because it’s not a title that can be defended.
You know right.
I won that, but I was really uh upset that I couldn’t have both belts like now.
Women are getting unified, they’re getting off, and we talk about that like all the time, because it’s frustrating for me because we did there wasn’t even such a thing as unifications then like it was impossible.
It was unheard of nobody.
Did it um even before us, nobody unified all the belts? Now it’s like everybody is, is Unified and I’m, like God, damn like.
Why couldn’t this have been like even five years ago? Yeah yeah, but it yeah.
It’S I mean I’m happy for them.
Don’T get me wrong, but it’s frustrating because it’s like man, we, but I like just missed, like the peak of women’s boxing, where they’re getting money and they’re getting notifications and they’re getting the recognition that we didn’t get and it’s uh you just like a hair away From being there in there yeah but yeah, but that sucks um that they did that um, that’s just it’s a shame.
I can’t what is the plaque? What was the plaque for? I I almost want to grab it and give it to you was for having the most um the most title, defense.
Just let me just grab it because it’s right on my wall, so this is the plaque they got me now.
It doesn’t even say ibf.
No, it doesn’t at all which upset me.
I I think at the time you got this on on um the internet for, like maybe 40 bucks.
I don’t know how much she gets plaque for, but I hear everyone else got Rings yeah.
I absolutely nothing and I’m really upset about that, like I’m so bitter.
I’M sorry! If you’re watching this freaking interview, you better get your [ __ ] together yeah.
I hope so I mean it’s not even that! Oh I want a ring or anything but it just.
I just felt like uh like, if you do it for everybody else, then why would you not do it for me yeah, that’s really what it boils down to if if all the male Fighters or other Fighters are getting that and then you don’t and then you Broke a record on top of that.
I just want to be treated Fair.
That’S it! You know it equality across the board.
So yeah that’s shitty! Well, I wouldn’t want to fight for them.
So I’m glad I never fought for them yeah and then, when we came for the I was like can’t we unify it and they said no.
You have to pick one and I said well, I want I would have rather have the WBC, but I said you know what, since I’ve been defending this IVF title, I’m gon na just keep it yeah and then that’s what I got.
That’S what I got well, but you still added you added multiple WBC titles.
After that, though, you see silver, flyweight, WBC, International flyweight um, so I mean we kind of just dumped them off and then started going WBC at that point yeah.
I think um uh the promoter at the time that was bringing me out to Mexico decided to just just toss it.
Let’S, just let’s just go for the WBC, I don’t even think it was that it was that I think it was um just the opportunity that I had.
I think I was fighting for something else.
Yeah well, and I mean everybody knows.
The WBC is the most uh notable belt.
Everybody wants the Greenville yeah, I mean it doesn’t hurt to add three or four of them.
Of course, yeah yeah I mean you got to have more than one you could have just stuck with the IVF forever.
You had to expand, no for sure, sorry about them.
Yeah and I would have wanted more, but I think at that time the opportunities weren’t there you know yeah.
It was hard to get opportunities.
That would be like that.
We just there wasn’t many opportunities to fight for the boat, so when you got them, you didn’t want to turn it down.
Yeah um, but we talked about this kind of, or at least I did an introductory.
You shared the ring with so many amazing great Fighters.
Definitely top 10 top five Fighters.
Um, who would you consider, was your toughest opponent and why uh, I I think Kalisha was even even though I beat her and we got the draw.
I I I know for sure that she’s the hardest puncher I’ve been in the ring with um.
I think I had to out think her uh with strategy with just even the way I fought more than anyone else right, yeah, even the fight that I lost.
I remember when I had lost Anna Maria Torres uh.
I had hurt myself before the fight, not that that’s an excuse because I walked out of the fight knowing I lost um uh, but I just wasn’t.
I wasn’t my best, that’s all you know and she beat me and then uh.
I lost again at a lower weight class and I remember dying to make.
I wasn’t dying to make the way, but I I do more because I used to never cut weight.
Man.
Wait to me it was just such a big deal.
Just to not, you know, eat differently for a whole month, but um after that loss.
I just knew I wasn’t myself either.
So I guess you know saying that I didn’t even think I lost at that time.
If I look back now, I probably can see yeah.
I could see how I lost.
I thought that the score car is horrible.
They had me, I think one judge had me winning not one around which didn’t make sense yeah, not at that time, with all the people that I had beaten before that that I would just go to the ring and not went around it.
It was just too suspicious to me right, um, but yeah, but for Kalisha she was just the biggest the strongest and her boxing’s just really good.
Her boxing was tight.
You know, but this didn’t have that grit to fight you know.
Yeah.
I got you that makes sense and I would agree with that and I met Anne-Marie Torres when I fought me a St John in Mexico, but yeah I mean, did you fight her in Mexico yeah? I fought her in, I think Mexicali.
I thought in Mexico yeah and she is very nice.
I I talked to her after that.
I even wanted a rematch but yeah by the time it all came around.
She had her children and I think she was done yeah so yeah.
If that happens.
But after I had my it happens, um, but you are definitely an inspiration to so many in the sport.
Like I said, I mean having people reach out and message me and I don’t know why they don’t ask me to ask you questions um, but I thought that was good, but definitely an inspiration to many um.
Who would you who were Your Role Models or mentors that influenced your journey in the ring uh? To be super honest, I was never a big boxing fan.
I had never even watched the boxing match when I started, and I wasn’t the kid that said that boxing, if I’m gon na be a world champion as a kid um, I think when I started boxing, I just knew that I was getting really really good at This and I I could I could do it – I could conquer this and it just became something that I um was really.
I guess stuck on, like stuck I’ve quit school for it.
I went to school for a little bit.
Uh left school, but I know my dad, I think my dad.
If I really because I like I said I didn’t watch Boxing, I I tried to for a few years and it’s just not my biggest.
Unless it’s live, it’s not my biggest thing um to watch, but my dad had just pushed me so hard.
He was a amateur as a kid and he never got to turn pro because uh his health conditions and his asthma, which I have a little bit of but uh.
He taught me so much and I could just see how much he was living through me, and I think that I couldn’t let him down like.
I had to just keep doing it and he would just keep showing up, and I don’t like putting my family on blast, but he had a problem and just knowing that he was going to the gym and being there for me.
I was taking him away from that and it just was making life for all of us just better yeah, yeah well and um.
I always say too same thing: when people always talk about it or whatever I say, even if you don’t want to compete, um as kids, just having the parents put them in the boxing gym, just to give them some extracurricular activity, if they’re not really into like Sports at school, or whatever, just to keep them off the streets and out of trouble yeah, just keeping them busy and occupied.
I agree so yeah, that’s awesome and that’s a great thing for him to be able to share that with you.
Um people always ask me um about like emotions and things going into the ring.
How would you describe the emotions you experienced before stepping into the ring for a significant fight and how do you channel the emotions to perform at your best? I I don’t have anxiety yet I didn’t grow up with all these little issues they have now, but I guess I was just scared like every time I walked in the ring.
I was scared because you don’t know what could happen yeah you just like.
I wasn’t nervous, I knew what I was doing.
I knew what was gon na happen, but it’s just even sometimes when I Spar, depending on who it is like you just get that feeling in your in your heart and your gut you’re like oh okay.
Hopefully I like I can I can pull this off.
I can do it yeah.
I don’t know everyone says like you’re supposed to be positive and you’re supposed to know that you want, but there’s a lot of there.
There was a time that I knew that I was gon na win and I didn’t you know so um or even with sparring.
You know you’re gon na beat someone, but you don’t so, I think mentally, just being prepared for everything always have a plan B, Because if you always think you’re gon na win you’re not going to have that plan B but yeah.
I think speed’s scared and just knowing that, once that bell wrong, it would just go away.
I couldn’t say how this it’s, so that’s exactly it too.
I mean that’s like to a t, because I used to my husband and I used to laugh so hard because, like I’d, be fine during training like pumped up for the fight like super excited.
Fine all the way up to the day of like we’re in the dressing room with her like the weight to go out, and I would always like, like you said you just get super scared and like in your mind, you’re like what the [ __ ] ing.
Like what am I doing like I’m literally voluntarily gon na go out here, and I even if I win, I’m gon na get hit like it’s gon na happen, um so yeah.
I would get that’s the feelings that I would get with that like scared, nervous feeling and then I would always be like.
Okay, like I’m ready to go home now.
Can we go home now and he would always laugh, but I mean that’s just how like scared or nervous like you would get before, and people always say.
Oh, I don’t ever get nervous like I’d ever [ __ ].
If you don’t, then there’s something wrong with you.
That’S what I always say.
If you don’t get scared, you’re crazy, like yeah wrong with you um and people always like Well why’d, you do it.
I don’t know, because once you did the ring walk it was.
You had that same gut feeling the whole time but, like you said the minute, the Bell Rings you meet in the middle first punch is thrown, it all goes away, yeah and it’s fine.
It’S just.
I don’t know to me.
It was the anticipation of the weight in the waiting room to be called out.
That was the toughest for me um and then I don’t know and then there was like.
Well, I keep going back and doing it.
I don’t know because I love it that little bit of time right there, where it’s like what am I doing uh but other than that, it’s fine, it’s just you got ta get past that that hour or however long it is that you’re waiting yeah.
That’S why? I always love being first, I didn’t care what card I was on.
I mean, obviously it determines how much you’re getting paid, but I didn’t care about being.
First yeah, just like yeah, I didn’t care.
The worst was when you were the.
I would think only a couple times I was the main event or the co-main event, but oh my God, you’re in there for hours, you’re like Jesus Christ like can we just go walk around outside or something like.
I don’t wan na it’s nerve-wracking um.
I think one I the Mexico fight, I like laid down and took a nap because I was like this sucks.
Oh wow um.
I don’t know I actually fell asleep, but I just had to lay there with my headphones on, like just to try to be distracted but yeah it sucks.
That’S the only part that sucks um – I don’t know it is what it is, but everybody always tells me other Fighters when I asked about it or whatever that was like.
I don’t get nervous and I’m just like.
Why are you frowning, like I know from like Sarah? I don’t know why? Who you’re trying to kid um? It is uh, so we talked about a lot of your accomplishments, a lot of the belts and all that with such an impressive list of accomplishments, so which one do you consider to be the best one for you and why? Oh, I think, feeding Mariana and even though I didn’t get to unify.
I think I think that ibf from WBC at the same time was great and I beat her in her hometown uh, which you know doesn’t happen that often I had a fair decision.
I knew I won, everybody knew I won the crowd cheered and it was just that moment.
I’Ve never had that feeling where everybody’s, where people start crying after I don’t know if you’ve done it, but I’ve never cried after winning a championship, and I’m trying to think I don’t I don’t even cry.
I don’t think I cried at all, even the one in Mexico when I beat Mia St John for the belt.
I don’t think I cried afterward.
I think I mean I was super excited because it was in Mexico and she wanted to rematch in Mexico, and I knew she had a great relationship with the WBC yeah.
So I was super nervous about them, giving her the fight, even though I knew that I was going to win the fight like you said um, but I want a unanimous decision over there, which was phenomenal to do in Mexico and, like Mauricio, Suleiman was sitting Rings.
Like they were all ringside like Don King, whatever he was there, it was like that’s my father.
Was there right, yeah um, but it was awesome but yeah that was just like, but I don’t think I cried.
I don’t think I cried after I might have.
Maybe in the locker room, when I called home baby, I don’t know yeah, I don’t think I did.
I was just super excited yeah.
I don’t know that feeling I I I remember being afterwards and just being like.
First off you just want to go home.
Like you said, like you’re, just tired yeah, I don’t know how people go out and party after they fight.
I really don’t.
I don’t even have it in me, but um yeah.
That was just the best.
The best accomplishment I can’t say it was a tough fight.
Also, I think it was just tough because I felt like I was fighting the fans too.
You know but yeah well and then to have that was that in her hometown too yeah she’s from Mexico City and then on top of that, I’m fighting in the altitude.
I’M fighting, you know, I’m fighting the pollution yeah, it’s different everything over there is.
I mean it’s like life.
That’S why it’s related to people um.
It was the best experience I ever had.
I had to feel it for YouTube.
We had to be there for like a whole week, but because of all the public workouts and the public weigh-ins and like all this crap we had to do but um.
You couldn’t go anywhere without being attacked by fans, and I mean we were like you and I and we were the opponents coming in, so you wouldn’t have expected people to want your autograph or your picture well, but they did, but they did.
I mean like a superstar over there and everybody knew who you were like everybody.
You couldn’t go anywhere without you um, which was like.
I know what it feels like to be a superstar, because you don’t get that here like that.
Didn’T that doesn’t happen very.
It didn’t happen to me very often in the States, but over there it was freaking crazy yeah it was, it was crazy, but to go in the underdog or the opponent will say it’s not Underdog necessarily, but another thing that was so exciting for me was: it Was in a huge, huge Auditorium – and I just have a picture where I went all the way to top and took a photo like down to the ring just because it was like so awesome, yeah right in there um.
But I remember like first walking out and like getting food and because everybody obviously was cheering for her and then like halfway like the half, the fight like getting booed or whatever, but by the end, like being cheered like with them chanting.
My name at the end, and then you know that’s when you know you won over the crowd, yeah that I think it was what made it so much more.
I guess special, it’s probably why that fight meant a lot to you too, was to turn the fans to your favorite is a huge accomplishment because that’s hard to do yeah so yeah, but that’s awesome, yeah.
I always tell everybody that was my favorite place ever that I ever fought was over there.
I almost moved there until I met until I met my boyfriend yeah.
I almost moved there yeah it it.
It’S like even almost like boxing overseas, is so much bigger, um everywhere, really but yeah Mexico I mean it was.
It was crazy, like if I yeah I would like to have a fight career in Mexico.
Yeah.
It’S awesome over there yeah.
They treat you like royalty over there when you’re here, I agree um, but we talked about different Fighters: younger fighters um such a successful female boxers yourself.
What message would you give to aspiring young girls who dream of pursuing a career in this uh? I would tell them don’t give up and it’s hard like it’s.
It’S not easy.
I think um yeah boxing is one of those things that you just have to really really want it, and even then you’re still gon na have setbacks and you’re still gon na have to want more than anything else in the world and and just stay dedicated um.
You know, I’m not I’m not a a hater, I know I know it’s still hard for women and they still don’t get paid well.
I know we get to see a few scattered here and there that are making better money, but I I um, I would just always say: don’t you can have a backup plan, don’t want to call it a backup plan but always find another crafter good at just Be good at something else and have boxing and yeah just you’re just good at both.
That’S that’s the best advice that I think I could give anyone yeah before I quit school.
I did get my associates but um.
I learned bookkeeping to the T you know, and that was just the one thing that I always thought was was good and and even though I haven’t had two weeks that I’ve always made many other ways but uh.
Just when it comes to boxing.
Just always always have something else: that’s going to bring income in to support yourself, always believe in yourself and just just see through see through the hate, yeah yeah.
You definitely have to have a backup plan or a uh a b plan.
It’S better today, like you said, but not everybody’s, getting that luxury.
Only a select few are getting that luxury right now, yeah I’ll change, but um yeah they’re, definitely getting paid more, but still some of them still can’t do it as a full-time girl.
It’S just too hard um.
We talk about this.
A lot on this show um.
Every one of the female fighters in the whole entire world has dealt with a lot of BS in the male dominance Board of boxing.
Can you share some of the things that you’ve had to deal with or go through that you just shouldn’t have had to see or do uh? You know, I think the worst part is is dealing with trainers, male trainers who think that that they can hit on you and and get too close like that, always bothered me yeah.
I got no names to give out, but I just know: there’s been some trainers out there across the line, uh yeah many of times, and I’ve never been, I’m not there for I’m, not boxing.
For this reason, also, we’ve had I’ve had promoters lie about signing.
I remember when I fought on Oscar De La Hoya’s card um Golden Boy promotions.
I was the only knockout of the whole.
This is when I knocked out another girl that I was smaller at that time.
It was at like one 110 or one to what maybe 110.
and I was the only knockout on the whole card and he came up and he’s like I’m gon na sign you and that and never heard from them again and uh.
I forget his name and then I remember when I I had messaged him later on.
I think when Facebook was around, he said we’ll, never sign a woman, we’ll never put a woman on TV and what they did.
When you know Layla was around what state is right, but uh yeah.
That was rough just to hear them say that to you, which is kind of like [ __ ], their hopes to get your hopes up and then just to be a complete jackass.
Then I’ve had some women come along and try to take advantage of the situation.
Uh saying that oh well, we’re gon na make money doing this and I got this promoter and I got this promoter and at the end of the day I had to say like this.
I don’t know who’s Dick they’re sucking to get some me somewhere, but at the end of the road they want to cut my money and pay them and I just needed for it.
I wasn’t for it all, or even just people, I’m pretty sure you probably dealt with this people who think that you wouldn’t be where you’re at without them.
Yes, that part gets me so heated only because it’s like I did this.
I got in the way I trained every day, I’m the one who got up every morning exactly for people to say that and for male or woman I think is yeah and I’m glad I’ll say that to your face, like you, wouldn’t be where you were.
If it wasn’t for me my whole career as my first coach, I wouldn’t be anywhere over here.
If it wasn’t for him the person who brought me in my craft, any coach who came after anyone, no none of those people get get to say that no, no, no, they teach you stuff and they help you and they guide you in directions and stuff they’re.
Not the ones that are actually in there yeah yeah.
The only reason why I said my first coach because I probably would never win a box if it wasn’t for him.
Like I said, I didn’t even watch Boxing, so it’s not like I kind of fell into it and just was good at it and I was passionate about it also.
You know I wanted to be there every day.
Yeah and that’s that’s, that’s the connection that you get with someone that’s like once in a lifetime.
You don’t get that very often um.
So the question that the person messaged me and asked me to ask: you was [ Music ].
So if you’re listening, I’m asking her your question: um 2015, you tried out for the WWE Tough Enough, tell us about that experience and what motivated you to try wrestling.
Okay, I I did it because I got the call for it and someone’s like just do it.
I was like you know what why not, let’s just go out there and see what we can do and I could say it might be the most [ __ ] up thing I’ve seen in my life like when we talk about Hollywood, I get it because, that’s All like WWE is and and it’s acting there’s no, maybe some people have a passion, but I would guarantee most of them, probably don’t uh.
I remember going out to Florida.
I remember them packing Us in and I remember when they took us into the room.
There’S all kinds of people from different walks of life, but you can see the ones that that were favored or the ones that were good at what knew what they were doing, because you have.
You know: girls who had acted before um uh.
I think there was like a motorcycle girl, um and a few other girls like just real, pretty girls too, the real pretty ones.
Then you had the guys with all of the the steroids looking good.
Those were the guys who made it farther and then you had like it was just characters.
He had the athlete that pretended like he was sucked at everything and I was like I was gon na, go there and try my best yeah and beat me, and I felt so bad because I got kicked off that first.
The first day I got kicked off of the show: that’s why I’m not even probably um in any of the the seasonal highlights of that show at all.
I think the next, if he made it to the next, the next one that you you were included, but I remember sitting next to me.
I didn’t care I was like well, I got a free trip um.
I need some food and meet some people, and it’s not that bad, but there was a guy next to me who was bawling his eyes out.
He he was so passionate about wrestling.
This is the first time he had ever been on a plane.
First time, he’d ever been anywhere.
He showed me his photos, he he would go to schools in his small City and town and neighboring towns with a bunch of with a bunch of people, and they were just so passionate but like they would have their own shows wow.
He showed me the video I’m like the video is real bad.
Obviously you know this was that that long ago, but um he was so passionate about and they kicked him off the first day I mean I get why I got kicked off, but why did this guy get kicked out right practicing this? Since he was a kid, he was so passionate and that’s when I thought like man, this is such [ __ ], like yeah, like at least in boxing it.
If you’re really good, you might not win over the promoters and the fans with with the way that you talk but yeah the way you fight you know right, but with this he knew everything to do, but for some reason they just didn’t want it.
Even though he’s probably the best one for the job and that just made me feel so bad about it and it just – I just turned my I turned my face to it and I just didn’t like it: that’s crazy, um, but yeah.
He was very intrigued to to know about that.
Um interesting, yeah, definitely a whole different world over there.
Um Joel Jennings, chimes in and wants to know how old were you when you first trained when your first trainer got you into boxing? How long after that, before you turned the pro uh, I walked into the gym at 13 years old and I started sparring at 14.
, so I would say I had my first um amateur fight at 14 and turned Pro like two days after I turned 19.
.
I was hoping that I would get Pro and get a fight before before and be 18, but I was 19 when I turned Pro and and God it just feels like so so long so long ago.
I don’t feel that old.
I know when I get in the ring I feel old, but I in my head, I just feel like man.
I still can do this well.
I know they can’t beat me, but but I mean you’re only as old as you feel one, but I mean now.
You have, I don’t know, you just have the experience, but it was a lot when you think about it.
It was a long time ago.
Yeah, it was um.
I can’t even lie to you.
It was a while ago um, but speaking of the wobb, you also made your pro debut and crossed over into the MMA World.
2019 um had two fights in the cage.
What made you decide to try out MMA uh, it’s the same thing as the wrestling thing.
It was like why not like just try it out and see if you like it, and I actually really like it.
I I know I got um.
I got choked out in my second fight, but I can honestly say this from a boxer’s point of view, because maybe I didn’t get beat up like some.
These guys get tore up sometimes, but I think the fight is easier.
The actual pride in MMA is easier, but the training is harder than boxing, but even getting choked out.
I was like oh man, I didn’t get my ass whooped, you know, like I had a face smashed in.
You didn’t even tap out yeah.
Well exactly, but I mean I can understand some people like they get their arms broken they get their their ankles broken like things get broken.
I didn’t have that.
I didn’t have that experience.
I just got choked down and I only got I only got choked out to the point where I was about to um I didn’t get, I didn’t go unconscious.
No, he thought you.
I think he thought you were unconscious because he lifted your arm or whatever, and I’m I’m sitting there with my eyes closed because I remember exactly what was going on, because my boyfriend does MMA so and he’s put me in plenty of uh rear, naked, jokes, but Um the transition to it and I’m like [ __ ], I’m [, __ ] right here like there’s nothing I can do she’s got she’s got a body lock like either I sit here.
I was like oh [, __ ] and I closed my eyes and my arm went numb and I think because I think that someone had commented on my page too, about faking it like there’s no reason for me to fake it yeah.
Why would you fake it? I would have just fell down, but uh.
No, I didn’t go out and but there was nothing at that point.
If I look back, I didn’t.
I haven’t watched the fight because I’m so embarrassed about it, but I already know what happened.
I was there, but I did get out a few other uh submissions, which I am proud of for the the little bit of Jiu Jitsu that I have them, but I would do it again.
I would do it again in a heartbeat.
I think it’s fun.
I enjoy it, I mean I don’t like getting kicked in the leg, but I mean what can you say? I don’t like getting punched in the face either right.
I would do it again and – and you know my boxing, like I said, is not over.
I know I’m I’m almost 35, but I’ve trained my whole life and I’ve stayed active.
My whole life and I’ve made sure that even getting in the ring I got I just no one knows it on on the internet, but I just had a baby and my first my first little girl.
I fought four months after having this one.
He gave me fat, so I I couldn’t I couldn’t fight I wanted to fight.
I think boys do that yeah, I don’t know I know mine did mine did too that’s.
Why I’m saying that well he’s three months now and I’ve already been sparmed for the last month.
You know so I mean it’s not easy.
Obviously I still have um not complications, but I still have problems from from the pregnancy that are bothering me but uh.
I still even with this whole Marlin thing going on, like I don’t think she can beat me and she’s, not that much older than me.
So I mean she’s, not I’m not that much older than her.
I think I’m only older than her by a year and a lot of These Girls Aren’t that young as well.
I think Michaela Mayer is in her 30s yeah Alicia baumgarner is 29.
.
I think snesa Estrada is 20 29 like they’re, not they’re, not babies.
The girl from Ireland I just Katie, Taylor, she’s, not young, you know uh Serrano they’re, all in my age range.
You know, and I picked up boxing the only differences.
I just had two kids in the middle of the past, like four years three years.
So it’s been, that’s been hard um and this having that mentality of people being like, Oh you’re, done you’re done it’s another reason why I never told anyone I had another baby yeah you did.
It was news to me, and that was the next question was going to be.
You haven’t fought since 2021 um.
Are you officially calling yourself retired or planning to fight again, but we now know the answer to that yeah I know yeah.
I can’t give it up.
I know I can still win.
I told myself after having my daughter that I was gon na win another world title and – and I know I can do it.
It just happened like you know, not he’s not he’s not uh an accident but uh.
He just popped up in the wrong time, and I said you know what, but at that time I had fought four months after having her, I was trying to get a fight right after and my manager at that time was trying trying his best and and we Couldn’T get anything and then you know I like said: I got pregnant, so I guess he’s out now: I’m not I’m done I’m not having any more and I’m gon na make sure that I’m focused on the ring and let’s see yeah.
So then the big question.
Well, I guess Joel wants to know when you expect, when you expect that, as far as a fight you’ve hinted it on social media um, you are pending retirement, she’s, not retired um.
How many more fights can we expect and what is next for you after boxing or MMA, so Esparza, I I don’t know, I don’t know how it is with golden boy.
I know I I don’t have a promoter right now, I’m not with um Mayweather promotions anymore.
So there’s a possibility.
They could call me and uh.
I know that they know how to get a hold of me if they want that fight um.
I I couldn’t anticipate me, have being ready for that fight until the end of the year, which I’m okay with I’ll fight as far as, if they call me, and they say, Hey, you got ta.
Do this I’ll do it, you know like I got weight to lose.
I had the baby, but I know I can do it her last three fights that she had.
They were gifts.
Yeah, like I watched, I didn’t watch the last one, but I watched the highlights and I’m like man, I don’t understand, maybe from the highlights it looked at the way it did and then the other two fights um the girl that I lost who she fought.
I didn’t think she’d lead her, so it was tough and she’s been having those Hometown decisions and um, but I’ll fight her and I – and I I I’m not gon na say I’m gon na beat the brakes off off of her, but if anyone’s talented enough to Beat her to me just tell it like it is Ava tell them tell them how it is yeah, but I’m not gon na be one of those people to talk [, __, ] and then you know gets beat up.
She can’t beat me up, though, I’ve already sparred her.
You know we have beef from before uh, but it’s because I helped her.
I helped her with sparring and all of a sudden.
She comes back and starts talking trash about me on Twitter.
When I helped her, you know – and I drove my little way out to go – see her and help her out with spine, and when I tell her no, she started calling me names on Twitter, which is a very little girl thing to do so.
I don’t know I I hope that fight can happen.
I hope it happens too um, but before we officially hang up the gloves.
Aside from we know, we want as far as uh um, you mentioned a few other names.
Who else is on your hit list before retirement? I would love to fly uh Toronto.
I know I.
I was never a champion at that weight.
Class.
I’Ve never really been big enough for that weight class, but I think I come from the era where you fight the best till you’re done.
You know I am honestly I don’t wan na.
I would never quit after a loss, but if anyone, I think Size Matters in this fight, so I don’t have to be to my teeth, but I know for a fact that that I can.
I can go toe-to-toe with Sharon.
I know it for a fact.
Um.
Other than that, I don’t really know.
Who else is, you know, there’s a lot more 125ers um, but it’s just really can I can I get that big and stay that big yeah? That’S gon na be my next.
My next, if you’ve been bulk up enough so we’ll see about, I I don’t think 112 is is where I want to be at.
I would fight as far as at 112, but other than that I know people have talked about sunnisostrata, which I think she’s too small um.
I know if she wants to make her way, but she’ll fight Esparza again, but I think it wants to make her way up to 112.
She should she should fight at the next weight class and then get to 112, and I think she’ll be really good at that.
I think yeah, I think any any actual ideas of us fighting and probably long gone um.
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