AIR DATE:
EPISODE: Episode 1
Join Brooke “No Mercy” Dierdorff-Millbrook as she hosts a captivating interview with the renowned retired IFBA Light Flyweight Champion, Sindy “Scorpion” Amador Tuesday July 4th 2023 @ 8:30pm EST. Discover the remarkable journey of Amador, who dominated the professional boxing scene from 2010 to 2014, amassing an impressive record of 12-1-1. Witness the extraordinary moment when Amador triumphed over boxing legend Carina Moreno in her 9th fight, despite Moreno’s formidable 22-2 record. Her exceptional performance earned her the prestigious WBAN yearly award, recognizing her incredible talent and dedication. Prepare to be inspired as Amador shares her insights into the challenges and triumphs she experienced throughout her career. Delve into the memorable October of 2013, when she claimed the IFBA light flyweight title, solidifying her status as a true champion. Excitingly, Amador will also be inducted into the esteemed IWBHOF class of 2024. Don’t miss this exclusive episode of No Punches Pulled With No Mercy, where we celebrate the legacy and accomplishments of the incredible Sindy “Scorpion” Amador.
Transcribed
Come on, I feel them in the shadows: hey, hey! What’S up everybody, 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 I am your host Brooke Millbrook, Formerly Known in the fight game – is Brooke no mercy deardorff.
I am a retired professional boxer.
I held the WBC lightweight title until I retired and I was inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022.
.
I personally have been through some good, some bad and, of course, 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 will bring out the truth in women’s boxing you’re, going to hear from pioneers of the sport past boxers current boxers, even future boxers we’re going to get down and dirty 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 that you like subscribe and share, so we can get some more people up in here.
Listening to all these amazing amazing stories, but tonight guys tonight uh we have a special guest in the house.
I’M sitting down with renowned retired ifba light flyweight Champion Cindy scorpion Amador in amateur Cindy, one, the California Golden Gloves twice before.
Turning pro in 2008, she dominated the professional boxing scene from 2010 to 2014 amassing and impressive record of 12 one and one she triumphed over boxing Legends and i w b, h, o f International women’s Boxing Hall of Famer as well Karina Moreno and only her.
Ninth Pro fight, despite Moreno’s formidable record of 22 and 2 at the time her exceptional performance earned her the prestigious wban yearly award, recognizing her incredible talents and dedication to the sport in 2013.
She was ranked number one in the U.
S and number three in the world.
She won the ifba light flyweight title in 2013 solidifying her status as a true champion.
She was recognized by the governor of Durango, Jorge Herrera, and received the keys to the City of Huntington Park in 2014.
She was selected as the only athlete to welcome the current president of Mexico, Eureka, Enrique Pena Nito.
In his first visit to Los Angeles excitingly.
She will also be inducted into the esteemed International women’s Boxing Hall of Fame class of 2024.
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She has been on many radio and TV networks and writing as a boxing Ambassador for different events, she’s now working on bodybuilding and competing in wellness and working to promote the war against drugs by talking with youth, to stay away from drugs and find something productive to Do please help me welcome Cindy Amador to the show Cindy.
It’S such a pleasure to have you here.
How are you doing thanks for joining us? Thank you.
Thank you.
Um, I’m honored to be here too, and listen to everything that you were saying.
It makes me tear like it’s amazing.
You know it’s it’s um.
Sometimes I don’t even know, or I don’t even recognize what I did.
But when you have you know your biography or somebody that speaks about you.
It’S like wow amazing.
Like again, I 100 feel you on that, because sometimes people say something and be like.
Oh yeah, I guess I did do that.
You kind of like forget about it or it just kind of like, doesn’t seem real or special.
Until someone else recognizes it, then it makes you feel like more special and like oh wow, like people do know, and not just like you’re just another person on the street, exactly yeah yeah yeah.
I mean you’ve, you’ve, you’ve accomplished so much in in a short amount of time, so um I’m super excited to go over the journey with you and and like hear your side of everything I mean, I know all about you.
I didn’t really have to do much investigating, because I knew I mean you were fighting at the same time as me so uh it is what it is, but that’s how it goes.
But why don’t you take us back to the beginning.
Um tell us a little bit about your childhood and your struggles, um that you faced as a young girl that you had talked to me about yeah.
Well, I was uh born in Durango Mexico uh in um Elite 13, 1984.
uh, my mom passed away.
When I was uh eight years old and uh it was, it was hard.
Uh being you know, the middle of sister of three, my baby sister was only two and my oldest uh was 10.
.
My dad uh Mary remarry uh pretty soon so it was uh.
It was a shock for me, you know, losing my mom and and having a stepmother right away and stepsisters, and you know Brothers um.
It was very hard for me um.
I was depressed.
I was angry with life.
Obviously um my dad was very strict.
He taught me how to work.
He has business in Mexico um.
He raised me.
You know very tough uh, just working like any other employee in his business uh.
Then I uh, I discovered boxing uh because uh I was getting jumped in the street and I remember that he punched me with you know with the feet the feet – and I was like I came home like you know, like oh, my hair, all messed up and Crying because I don’t know how to defend myself, uh then after that I was like.
I need to do something uh, to learn how to defend myself uh.
So I joined this uh gym.
It was like uh 24 hours, something like that, but they have this Boxing class and I joined the class and I really really like you know how they teach you, how to do the jump Rock and you know it wasn’t like a real boxing game, but it Was the beginning of something you know? Yes, beginning techniques and just yeah yeah the basics, exactly um yeah? So then I saw this girl doing the meat work.
She was like skinny and Tall, but she can punches.
I mean you can hear you know the punch like she had power yeah and that inspired me like I was like.
Oh, I wan na, be like her like.
I want to punch that hard and I wan na do everything to to to become a great boxer.
So then, after that uh like I really liked the boxing so much and my dad.
Actually he was a boxer.
He won the uh, the Golden Gloves in Mexico, okay, so um.
I I talked to him.
You know about you know my love for the sport and he actually took me to this uh professional boxing game in in Mexico, in Durango and yeah uh.
I fell in love with the sport, you know and, and it was uh it was that old game like everything was, you know like all punching bags and it was probably an ugly game, but to me it was like magic.
I love the smell of the gym.
I just felt like it was everything to me: yeah like the game and it was uh.
There was like all professional fighters there, yeah there’s um.
I always tell people and it’s hard to find them now, but I probably was in a very similar to gym to the one you’re talking about it looks like a dump and it smells, and it’s dirty and gross, but Windy City Gym in Chicago was the my Main gym when I was Pro and yeah it, and it was all pros, and but I mean there was tons of different people in there, but it was.
It was gross like if a normal person walked in there be like this is disgusting and unhealthy.
Yes, but that’s that’s a true gym and they’re very hard to come by nowadays, I haven’t, walked in a real gym in a very long time, probably over a decade because they just don’t make them anymore, it’s hard to find them for sure.
But yeah.
That’S a true gym, yeah yeah, so it was.
You know hard uh, like I remember, I got to the gym and there was like no no girls.
You know, obviously no no woman, um and I remember uh this first uh trainer that he started showing me the basics like how do this dance? The boxing stands, how to uh walk forward and backwards, throwing the job uh, but then uh.
Something happened because I started learning with him and then he moved.
He told me that he was gon na leave to USA and I was very very sad because I was like now who’s gon na train me.
You know who’s gon na yeah.
So then I remember like he left and I was very sad.
I had no trainer uh and then there was this girl.
I remember very good.
She was like tough, you know and she was already a professional fighter right.
So you used to look at her.
Like you get intimidated, you know because she was already a professional fighter, the look that he has like.
He was a badass, you know yeah and, and then they told me, okay, like you, wan na fight, so get in the ring with her, and I was like I want to fight.
So I don’t.
I don’t care.
So I step in the ring with her for the first time and it was a disaster you know.
Obviously I don’t even know how to do the boxing stance right.
I was like chasing her like crying she’s, throwing wild punches just trying to hit her yeah.
I always had a problem with my nose like even the first dose and I was like bloody like yeah yeah.
It was a mess, and after that remember I came home um.
I was living by myself with my sisters.
At that time I was probably like.
15, 15 years old – and I was like – oh no – she beat me, but I’m gon na get her next time yeah and then they were like scared.
They say like no, you don’t you don’t have to go anymore.
Who cares it’s like? It’S dangerous you’re gon na get like hurt, and I was like no I’m gon na make her pay yeah yeah.
I got ta get her back for that yeah exactly so then I started.
You know like working hard and learning and learning and then after she said the way I trained like she never want to step in the ring with me anymore, she’s like I’m, I’m not silly.
She knows how to fight now, so I’m not gon na risk.
It yeah she just didn’t want to take that ass, whooping yeah, exactly yeah.
So then, after that you know many things happen in my personal life uh, my dad, you know he he had her life, he was an alcoholic, so he lost his business and then he came here to USA, to you know better himself and start working.
So I was, you know there with my sisters, uh I stopped going to the boxing game because I had to work.
You know to to bring money to to the house, and then I decided to came behind my dad and um.
You still look for a better life.
You know to provide to my sisters that they stay in in Mexico.
So then I, when I got here to USA um I was just looking for for a job.
You know I started working.
I even have like three jobs.
At the same time, I used to sleep for like four hours a day yeah I was providing for my sisters, then eventually I get in you know in a better uh Place.
Uh.
I start you know.
I have a better job.
I start driving and then I look for a boxing game because I felt that you know I remember perfectly when I first stepped in a boxing gym in Mexico.
I just know in my heart that that’s what I, what what I wanted to do, that I wanted to be a a fighter and not only a fighter.
I wanted to be a champion yeah and I felt it in my heart and I knew that was my destiny.
I knew that that was.
That would be like my happiness, yeah.
Absolutely when I came here – and I was you know more stable in my in my life – I looked for for a boxing game um, but you know it wasn’t easy in my head.
I thought.
Okay, I served you know.
First, I discovered boxing when I was 15 years old.
I thought to myself.
Oh when I turned 18 I’ll, be a world champion hell.
No, it’s not that easy! You know it’s not it’s just totally different yeah for women.
It’S just a lot more for women.
Yes, so uh, then you know the transitions to move from country to Country, the adjustment with life and everything uh very hard um.
Then I found like different boxing games in in Riverside California uh, but it’s still like it’s really hard.
I was ending out different boxing games.
It’S hard to find a trainer that take you serious.
You know to uh a lot of harassment from different.
You know guys and until you know I uh, I remember uh yeah.
It was doing a mature fight, it’s hard too, because I had my my full-time job and to go and have a fight.
You have to ask for the day off and then even if they pretty much the fight, sometimes they don’t sell yeah and you just lose your day at work and your money, and it was really hard for me honestly because, like you know, boxing is expensive too Yeah and I have no support from from no one but myself um, so then I was you know, my dream is still there.
You know, I know in my heart that I just had to give it up my all and train hard and I thought to myself Someday My Day Is Gon na Come and I gon na turn bro.
I will be professional fighter yeah, but then uh, obviously like you get tired like to.
I have these different trainers and I never got fights you know for amateur fights.
It was really hard and then uh years passed by and then you feel stuck.
You know I’m just training and training and I’m not getting enough.
Uh fights – and you know you’re getting old, honestly and – and I thought like I just want to turn pro because I’m not gon na be wasting my time to look for amateur fights.
If I felt that my style was more like a professional fighter than amateur fighter, I didn’t have these careers like Karina, Moreno or sinis, Estrada where they start from dinner girls.
They grew with sport.
To me, I was already a teenager when I, when I uh discovered the boxing and with so many UH responsibilities in life like it was hard for me to to just focus on this sport yeah right.
But despite all that, you still got won the California Golden Gloves twice before attorneys yeah.
So that was a big achievement, because the same thing I only had, I want to say, maybe 15 amateur fights and like most of them were at the gloves or the Nationals.
Yeah because they are more hard to get yeah, it was hard to get regular Club show fights because there wasn’t girls to match up with or they didn’t want to fight.
So it was hard um.
Sometimes you know there’s obviously mismatches.
This girl can be like 10 pounds over you here.
You have to take the fight because you know as long as nobody say anything like you think.
As long as you don’t say anything, I don’t care yeah, whoever.
As long as I get a fight, yeah yeah um, but then so you did decide to turn pro in 2008.
When you met your trainer and your promoter manager um.
Can you tell us a little bit about meeting them and how that changed, the Dynamics of your career and led you to be able to be become the champion that you are sure, um iTune Pro in 2010 October um? I actually took a year off from boxing because I was just you know, disappointed and at the time I was you know, I had a relationship.
I was just enjoying myself and – and I decided to give her a break in boxing yeah so but at the same time I just felt like empty.
I was missing something you know everything was going great, but then I I felt like I don’t want to be used.
You know just marry this man and just become a mom and just like I, I want to be a boxer I wan na.
This is my dream and I just cannot let it go so I remember it was the start of Facebook.
I believe so.
I found a collection West, so I I remember Kalisha was uh.
I was a sparring partner for her in some of the games, so she recognized me and she’s like champ champ.
You have to come back to boxing because you’re gon na be a world champion, and you have a great story to talk to your grandkids yeah and to me you know like heard that from Kalisha, because to me like Alicia was like my hero, you know.
Yes, I love collection, her personality and Vibe, and I she was just like.
Oh wow, that’s exactly what I told her when she came on the show because she was like, like you were one of my Idols.
I can remember the first time I met her at a show that she came to.
I was fighting on in California and came up to me and was like.
Oh, my God, you know like she was all excited and I was like I know who you are like you’re big too.
I know you are but yeah I told her she’s, probably by far one of my favorite Fighters I ever actually met just because of her.
Her Persona her demeanor, like just the way she acts The Way She carries herself like how she just has that I don’t care not like in a disrespectful way, but like we’ll, tell you straight how it is yes, so yeah she’s just really down to earth like She’S, a truly good person yeah as she is she is, and then I feel like you know.
I remember, though, before I met, I found Kalisa again on Facebook.
I remember I pray, I pray God because I felt so so sad and empty in my heart.
I felt that I I was missing something I was missing boxing, so I remember like I pray and I asked God you know I just want the to find the right team, the the right coach somebody that guide me and see me as a fighter, not as A girl, you know yeah and somebody that respect me and Believes In Me and take care of me too, because how many times you see uh trainers that they don’t care about.
You know if you take a beating, that’s the way you learn and that’s not true.
You know everybody has limitations and a good trainer has to know like how to take you.
How to you know, take you out of business.
Yes, yes, so then uh Kalisha was like okay girl.
I see you at the gym on Monday.
At this time I went back to the gym and in two months after a year off in two months I turned Pro like.
I couldn’t believe it like it was.
It was.
That’S amazing, yeah.
It was a dream then, after that, like so many things happened to uh.
You know, in my understanding I had a team.
You know a boxing team where it was uh one with kalisha’s Dad, and then it was Ruben, castanon and Charlie Perez the manager and to me it was like a team, but after my first fight uh it was like no we’re, not a team.
So you have to choose like you stay with Kalisha and Wes, or you sign up with us and we offer you this and you’re gon na become a world champion in three years and to me you know, I’m a loyal person and not only that.
I love police could do that and – and I have a lot of gratitude you know towards Juan and collision with, and it was.
It was a very hard decision for me to make.
But you know in life I mean you have to make that kind of decisions.
Yeah so I’ll decide is to you know, go with uh with a different trainer and manager, and it was hard because um, like collection.
I know she was her.
You know yeah and I was her too.
I didn’t know what you know what what to do, but, but you know it’s like in in life – I mean you have to make that kind of decisions for your own good yeah, and I mean if you don’t, have anybody there really explaining things to you or Helping guide you on the right path.
Yeah, I mean it’s really like flip a coin because yeah.
Well, you don’t know what would have happened had you stayed with Kalisha and her dad training, yes and then lost the promoter and the other trainer.
Would you have been able to get fights? I mean more than likely? Yes, probably because Kalisha had plenty of fights with her dad um so probably, but who knows if you’d have taken the same pets so yeah, I’m sure that Kalisha has no hard feelings towards you about that.
I’M sure she understands she probably just missed you yeah.
Every time you know I had the chance to thank Alicia every time I see her in person.
You know my love and gratitude will be always the same.
You know because because of her really I got into boxing yeah and it’s really a shame.
It’S really a shame that they made you choose because yeah they all do that because they want you to themselves and they want to make the money and do all of that and not share the the Limelight or the exposure and all of that.
But there is absolutely no reason that you can’t to me personally.
I that’s why I never signed with anybody um, but I worked with a lot of different coaches.
I mean my husband was my main coach after he got his um coaches license, but I mean I worked with um Jesse Torres at the beginning of my career.
He was a pro fighter, then I worked with Sam Kalona, who trained I mean he’s a very famous.
No like the biggest trainer in Chicago um, trained tons and tons of world champions.
Um and I’ve been to probably 20 30 other gyms, and I just take a little bit from everybody because they all teach you something different.
So but that was kind of like a nice Freedom now had I signed with someone, you wouldn’t have the luxury of being able to work with other trainers because they don’t like that they don’t allow that they want it just their specific people period.
That’S it um, but it’s a shame because yeah you could have learned not that you needed.
I mean you became a world champion regardless, but you could have learned a lot more things and maybe had some other opportunities working with them.
Still plus you’d had a great sparring partner, yeah yeah, I guess for hers she built yeah, so yeah I had you know the the best uh sparring with her and then like.
They knew everything about every single female fighter.
Yeah her dad yeah knows everything about everybody.
Yeah for sure yes, so you know, but you know it’s life I mean and things happen and you have to use, you know, move forward and yeah I did and um yeah it was uh pretty active in my career um.
I had uh.
I thought five times in a year twice in a month uh.
I was very, very active because uh when my trainer told me is like okay, you just have to make sure that you’re gon na be uh open to work with us.
The way we do and he’s like, it’s not gon na be no excuses.
You know once you close, the the door from the game is like you, let everything outside the gym.
All your problems, fears whatever you come here, ready to learn and to fight yeah.
I did you know I did uh.
I felt that it was a great great team um.
I was very happy uh and yeah.
So many things happened.
You know through those years uh uh.
I had a you know, a partner at that time, a boyfriend and he actually became uh a system from my my main trainer um.
He learned so much about boxing that he was really really good doing the meat work and everything uh.
He became part of my team um and then he was a great support.
You know for me because he was in charge of the ticket sale about you know my uniform and everything like you know.
I felt that you know I had somebody uh that supports me and and yeah and yeah, and but the thing is that uh when I I think it was my my probably my eight nine five uh we broke up and everything was a disaster.
You know because uh not only like he was my best friend he was you, know part of my team, but then um yeah everything changed after that uh.
It was weird that he he was.
You know coming to begin with his new girl and take her to my boxing events and my fights uh.
It was a little awkward you knowing hard instead and uh, but I remember my trainer told me, like you know: don’t worry about him.
He’S like you’re gon na keep, fighting and you’re gon na keep winning and you’re gon na be a world champion regardless, and that’s what I did you know, that’s why it just makes it it was very uncomfortable, I’m sure.
Yes, he did it on purpose, clearly to make yeah typical man no offense.
Yes, yeah no offense to you so yeah yeah, but in your fourth profite um.
You faced Christina Fuentes, yes decision, but that fight was known as definitely a barn burner that had the crowd on their seat.
Yes, Prep and Engineering um.
She had you in the fight of your life from you know everything that it says, but it was completely action-packed kept everyone on the edge of their seats like like a great movie when you’re, just on the edge like waiting to see what’s gon na happen.
Um was that your toughest fight of your career, or how do you feel that fight was you? You know, I feel that it probably was at that time, because it was a test.
You know because they put me in this uh boxing car, where they didn’t allowed to have female fat female vows, but they put me in as a favor because to my coach because uh, I think one of the fights got canceled so they need somebody to you Know fill the spot yeah exactly so.
My coach told me like this fight is very important because after this it depends like your career.
It depends if they want you back or not.
So you have to make sure that you, you do a good.
You know a good job and yeah yeah, so this girl, uh, you know yeah.
I didn’t have that much experience and neither her um and she was hard.
You know I remember one of her punches like it was like those punches where you, where you feel the punch like it, was like a little dizzy.
Actually – and I was like, oh my God, this girl, like she can’t hit like maybe it was a while, because you know at the beginning, like we don’t have that uh good yeah at the beginning, when you first start you kind of look.
Yes, I don’t know what you’re doing, because you don’t.
Yes, it was hard to go either way like it depends what they do.
Just they see in a fight but to me uh.
Actually, after uh, I think it was the trainer of uh.
This girl from New York, uh Heather Heather, hit Heather okay yeah.
They uh reached out to me uh to give up that advice about Christina Fuentes, and I was like this girl is not it’s not like.
It seems this yeah, it’s not a walkover, yes yeah.
So just be careful because chicken head and she’s she’s good and he was like yeah, but you won unanimous decision.
I was like yes, I did.
But to me you know yeah.
Yes, it is yeah so yeah after they fought like he came in in and he was like.
You were right.
Like he’s, he was in a easy place, yeah yeah and then there’s a lot of them.
They may not there’s so many fighters that just never really got the wins.
They were known as opponents, but were toughest tough as nails like they were tough got the win yeah, because their record is like probably like a bad record like all losers, who their face.
Like you know exactly it’s water, like it’s crazy, it’s crazy! I have a lot of respect for her.
Obviously she found like a thousands of good girls in different words too.
You know, because I remember we far as 108 and then Heather hit is like 122.
yeah, because Christina probably went all out like wherever she’d get bites, yeah like they don’t care about the weight yeah, whatever yeah, which is hard.
I don’t know how they go up and down like that.
I could never I mean hey, but not long after that fight, you beat a an international women’s Boxing Hall of Famer Famer Karina Morano um yeah.
It was your your ninth fight um, which was a significant Milestone and turning point in your career.
Can you take us back and tell us a little bit about that fight and your thoughts and emotions during that victory over her? She was, I think, 22-2.
At the time, yeah yeah.
Well, it’s crazy, crazy story, because uh remember the girl that I told you from Durango the one that was my first party, so I actually never never pay attention who was gon na, be my opponent.
But in this case I look and I said that she was from my dad.
My opponent was from Durango and then I look at it and I was like.
Oh my God is here with her yeah.
It was her and I was oh, my god wow.
I was so excited, you know I was like you know, I’m gon na beat her.
I mean I’ll, be happy you’re like when I was 15 and she beat me up.
Yes that girl was like this is my revenge.
You know it’s my chance, so I don’t know if she probably look at me.
You know and probably like I know her yeah because she um she dropped the fight, so she dropped the fight.
I don’t know if what two weeks before or a week, I can’t even like I can really tell uh, but then the replacement was Karina, Moreno, okay and it was hard because I think it was even different way.
So I have to move uh down in weight.
I think well, she didn’t want to face you what the heck, yeah, yeah and he’s crazy, because actually, I found out later that she [ __ ] Alicia yeah, told me like you – can even find some of my opponents like she was like they’re, not even good And I I never knew what she was talking about.
She was talking about Elizabeth Cervantes, so there was a girl from Durango.
Okay, after that, so you know the change yeah yeah.
It was Karina Moreno, so my coach saw me um.
He called me and told me like look.
This is gon na, be a risk, a risky fight, this girl, she has everything you know to win, and you know his stuff she’s.
She has experience uh she’s, a former world champion he, but he told me, but I believe in you, I believe in you, and this is boxing, you have to stay risk and I was like okay, I mean, let’s do it and it’s funny because at the weigh-ins One trainer from I don’t know what gym he came to me and he’s like Cindy.
Who, who are you fighting and I was like Karina, I mean he’s the only girl here so who else right right like? What are you crazy? Are your training? Is nuts he’s got he’s gon na kill you, he told me that he was gon na kill me yeah the day of the way, and I go like how can you tell that to to any fighter right right before the the uh yeah yeah? I thought that happened to me before yeah yeah, the same thing when I fought um when I was getting ready to fight Mary McGee in Indiana, she was 17-0 and I think it was like my Fifth Fifth fight, maybe maybe my fifth fight and it wasn’t my Trainer I was with Sam Colonna at the time.
It wasn’t him, but it was uh Willie this guy.
That was always at the gym like he did it like other stuff at the gym, but I was like yeah.
I got this fight, you know against married and he’s like she’s, like literally the best fighter.
I think I’ve ever seen.
So I don’t think you’re gon na win this one and I was like you got ta, be kidding me.
I’M gon na beat her ass.
What are you talking about, but yeah, and I was so then afterwards when I beat her ass and I came back and I said: look I told you and he’s like yeah.
That was that was like.
That was a great fight and I was like I told you, no, I don’t quit stop playing with me, but yeah.
No God bless the soul, but he’s not no longer here but yeah.
He was hilarious but yeah.
He was.
He said the same thing, but I was like what you’re supposed to be on my side.
What are you talking about my gym so anyway go ahead.
I just brought up a lot of memories.
Yes, so after that I mean I beat Karina Moreno uh, and it was just amazing because that fight put me in a very good place in boxing.
So because of that fight, I get you know better opportunities uh to become.
You know a world champion and uh to be ranked too.
You know and uh.
I think it was the uh, the most uh improved fighter of the Year in 2012 because of that yeah in 2012, W band fighter of the year yeah and you know yeah.
It was amazing, the thing is like I never got to see this trainer, though it was like.
I wanted to go back to him and tell Luke okay.
Now, what do you got to say? Yes, nothing and actually I saw him last year.
It was two years ago in 2020 because some of the uh trainers from Riverside he passed away.
Larry Rios and we went to this Candlelight and everybody was, you know, um having his speeches and telling something about the trainer and then he came and and took the microphone and he looked at me and he recognized me and actually he apologized to me in front Everybody because of uh yeah, I was wrong yeah.
Well, at least we admitted it takes a lot of guts for him to admit in front of everybody.
I was happy with it.
You know I was like okay, I mean at least he recognized that, but I don’t think anybody has the right to tell you uh or to make you feel like you’re less than you know then you’re up because right you could beat anybody can do this exactly.
I don’t think it’s right to to say anything if you think it of your mind, you just keep it to yourself because yeah I mean that’s not right, maybe because you believe in yourself and me as well.
But what if you know so many fighters, they don’t even believe in themselves it’s hard to step in the ring when you have doubts and you when you’re facing especially like opponents, are there like in paper, like they’re, impossible to be yeah one, and especially when people Are telling you that you can’t like yeah now that could just make you second guess like? Well, maybe damn well, maybe I can’t yeah.
This is going to be really hard or, and if it gets in, if you get in your own head, then you’re gon na beat yourself.
You didn’t really lose to that.
You beat yourself so yeah people need to learn to just kind of yeah, like you said, keep it to themselves until afterwards and then be like man.
I didn’t think you were gon na, get that one, but good job, yeah or something yeah.
You know don’t tell me right before a fight and then try to get in my head now, I’m like now, I’m like second guessing it like what did I do yep exactly yeah um, but not like 2013.
You were ranked number one in the U.
S and number three in the world.
How amazing did it feel to be ranked number one? You know I in my career as the boxer it was used to me.
It was like uh.
It was like a dream.
Everything was like so good.
I remember like when I stepped in the ring.
I I felt like I actually was dreaming because all the emotions and the crowd and the people and you know, but actually it was earned, and you know that I mean we have.
We really really work hard and to become you know what we wanted to be uh, it’s not nothing is given.
You have to earn it and I deserve it, because I really uh I really for her in in boxing and in life.
You know because yeah don’t forget that we have a life after yeah outside of the Ring yeah and it’s hard things happen.
Yeah, absolutely I mean life happens and yeah.
That’S for everybody across the board, not just female sports.
That’S male Sports, all sports um, but people, especially like fans, commentators you know, trainers.
Even sometimes I mean everybody tends to forget that we all deal with things outside the ring in our personal lives and yeah.
We might leave it at the door when we come in the gym, but it’s still waiting for us when we get out and it takes a toll on you so um.
You just got ta think of everybody’s dealing with something, and it may not be as big as what you’re dealing with or they may be dealing with more.
But you just got to kind of take that into consideration when you’re talking with people that, just because you’re, a world-class athlete or you’re a world champion or whatever the case may be, doesn’t mean that you’re not dealing with something outside of the ring or depression or Losing someone or having to take care of someone or whatever the case may be we just don’t let you know that side or we don’t show it yeah, so yeah um.
I know, let’s see so after that, though July 26 2013.
You had your one and only loss to Jolene Blackshear a former world champion, but by Split Decision yeah.
I feel like that she actually won the fight, or do you think that you deserve the win in that fight because it was a close fight.
You know I’m gon na be honest.
I I I know that I lost the fight, I mean I know, there’s so many fighters that you know as a fighter some in some cases you have your ego and you say: oh no.
Well, it was a sweet decision, though yeah, so it was cool.
It was you know, but maybe because um I don’t know, maybe I’m just a little too hard on myself that to me uh it’s the decision.
I felt that I really lost the fight just because I never got dropped even in a sparring and she dropped me no only once like but twice and to me I mean um.
She she was kind of like very hard, strong and uh right and we work on it.
We work on it during the the training camp.
We knew that you know she was dangerous.
Uh uh.
She had the skill uh a lot of experience and uh, but it happens to Academy you know and um.
To me I mean I was disappointed, uh because I I was beating her.
It took me a while to go back and watch the fight.
I couldn’t because I was like in shock.
After maybe a year I went back and I was the fight and I was like I did pretty good.
I mean I was meeting her the first six rounds.
I got dropped with the seven I continued fighting and in the a you know she really got me even though I continue fighting you know.
I did the fight and yeah, but you know yeah, and I mean, if you look at it that way at that particular point.
You probably were winning through six, yes and then the two when you got dropped in each round.
That makes it a 10-8 round, so that gives her a couple points in those two rounds, which is probably the only reason that you lost the decision.
Yes, had you only been dropped once you still made, it came out with the decision because you won more than half the rounds.
Yes, so that’s why it was so close, though yeah get that rematch.
You know yeah, I mean um, it’s crazy because after the fight after you know, because it’s it’s fun when you undefeated you, you hold your career and you have the support of people.
But when you lost, you really see the reality like yeah, where, where do people go? Like you yeah myself, I was alone.
I Was Defeated, it’s hard, it’s hard.
You know – and I remember after that, like Jolene uh kikami and she thanked me to to you know for that fight and to me that was very special, because you know not anybody do that.
Like yeah, I never do that.
With my opponents I mean I I we gave a hat on the ring and whatever, but I usually never go back to them.
Reach Out, yeah, yes and reach out.
So she came to me and she told me that you know it was sacrificed to take me and he told me very clear.
She’S, like you know what Cindy you are.
You are a great fighter and you are a good soul and your day is Gon na.
Come she’s like don’t give up because you your day is Gon na Come and to me that was a special.
You know.
I never had a um, a relationship with an opponent in boxing right with her and to me that gave me you know the the encourage to yeah.
I asked myself after the fight I was like.
Okay, everything was going good, it’s nice to be fighting and win, but now it’s a real test like yeah give up or you’re gon na keep working.
So I remember uh.
I went back to the gym, usually the fights out on Friday, so I was back in the game in Monday and I was you know.
I remember people came to me like.
Oh I’m, sorry, I’m sorry.
I was like light.
Only Speedy, like you know, just leave me.
Let me let me leave me alone.
I’M gon na keep fighting I’m gon na keep winning and it’s crazy.
Because, three months later uh I mean I got another offer to fight uh America Quintana for another word, title yeah and I did like I improved a lot, not only in you know physically and mentally, but mentally.
Yes, I was like so ready.
I had no doubt that I was gon na beat her because yeah, because I deserve it, and I and I just need to do that for myself, yeah well, you came back even stronger you’re, like I’m gon na I’m gon na write this wrong, like that, was A fluke type of thing like I, I wasn’t quite prepared enough, so I’m gon na make sure I’m prepared this time.
But you came back stronger than ever and yeah yeah we’re a 2013 one.
You became the ifba like flyweight world champion, yes, and so you finally solidified now that you can truly call yourself a world champion, so that was that was great.
So I tell I mean I: can people always ask me like what did it feel like when they said your name and raised your hand like when I, when I took the boat from Mia St John, and I’m like it’s to me? It’S Indescribable like I could not describe the feeling like I couldn’t put it into words, but maybe you can’t what what’s the feeling when they raise your hand and say that you’re, the new world champion a like, like you like it’s it’s it’s hard to sell in Words I use like wow, you know yeah, like is this real.
You know yeah, it’s learned even real, but again it’s just all the hard work that you put in in the boxing uh game every single day, yeah, because it didn’t happen like from one day to another.
It was, you know so many years of her training and inspiring, and so many so that was the result like I never give up.
You know yeah after the loss.
You know I became stronger and I deserve it.
I earned it absolutely totally agree.
I totally agree.
Um not long after that.
Next year 2014, you were given the opportunity to move up and wait and fight for the prestigious WBC Title yeah.
It was going to be the first female about televised on pay-per-view and you’re going to be getting the biggest person in your career um.
How much were you I don’t mean you don’t have to, but I don’t think it matters at this point.
But how much were you going to be making for that big fight um and what what was the most you had made prior to that you know, I don’t even remember how much it was gon na be honestly to be honest, but in my boxing career I Did not make money? Actually I probably make more with the fight with Karina Moreno than for my title shot like yeah, and I bet you did.
I 100 believe that you did because you were, if I remember right, wasn’t she the defending or was it a vacant title uh? I I think yeah okay um, because I know like for me when I fought me a St John in Mexico for the rematch for her WBC title yeah.
He froze defending champion and it was in Mexico.
We just didn’t yeah yeah so but to me was more like a personal satisfaction, because I know you know everybody told me like even my dad.
He was always against boxing.
You know against of me boxing because he was like you’re, not making money you’re investing more.
You know you should do like other thing go to school, but when, when boxing is your passion, like you, don’t really care, you know and to me, like really like, become a world champion, how many champions in the world you know from one division like it’s really, You don’t want it a thousand girls.
You know I mean to me it’s like something that I’m not regretted, and even if I don’t have money, I make a life that I wanted a legacy.
Yes, a legacy exactly exactly um two weeks before that fight, though, is when you said you had suffered the retina Detachment, which I had to cancel the fight altogether.
Um.
Is that the reason that you decided to go ahead and retire was due to the injury? Yes – and you watched enough me uh, they told me like.
I cannot even go back and misspiring anymore because uh I could go blind, they told me right away, they did the surgery, but it got a lot of complications that they did other six procedures and I’m just lucky to be.
You know healthy and to be able to to even drive to do a normal life, yes yeah and it’s crazy because in my head I was like that’s what the doctor said.
You know, but I think so many other Fighters that they had retina Detachment and they fix it and they go back to boxing yeah.
But in my case you know it’s not only the retina during the surgery got complications and I got another illness on my eye where I see distortion on my left eye, so the right eye is the one that is helping me to have.
You know even my vision, but it’s so risky yeah and you definitely don’t want to pick up crunch.
Yes, they didn’t yeah, taking the punch and having you go permanently blind and they couldn’t exactly it’s not worth it right.
I mean not work at that point.
So why can you risk your life for nothing right, yeah? No! For no and you had already become world champion, you would accomplish your goal.
Um.
You had done so many things in your in in there for you, you know your short pro career uh to prove to the world that you were one of the greatest of all time.
There’S no need to continue um, that’s why, after I won my title, I think I had a couple fights after that and I got pregnant with my second child and I was like you know what I’m not.
I got two kids now I need to take care of yeah.
I wasn’t making anyone, you know, I mean you know we’re not making money, you’re losing money yeah and now I have two kids to take care of yeah and it’s a dangerous sport.
So I was like it’s time to just be a mom: yes, every single day, um since then, but that’s life.
I have my title and I I made the Hall of Fame, so yeah yeah exactly yeah, but you were also recognized by the governor of Durango yeah.
He’S to the City of Huntington Park, how awesome and special was that experience? You know it was very special like I said, because probably boxing didn’t give me money, but it gave me other satisfactions, like you know, get the keys from Huntington Beach is like it’s.
It’S Priceless.
You know something like many people dream to.
You know I never thought about me met.
You know the the president uh yeah yeah, so other satisfactions that you know their youth prizes, like you know, when I mean any happens to you.
Obviously, all this time when people come to you and they tell you such a beautiful things, that they follow your career, that you did that, like that’s an amazing feeling, I mean it’s Priceless, you know yeah, absolutely 100 is I know when I went to the inductions Last year there were tons of amateur Fighters there, um females, that just wanted to be there meet Fighters and stuff, and some of the things that people said to me, I’m just like me like.
Are you sure you don’t want to talk to her over there? Like you know, but that’s just you know being humble and but yeah it was, it was very humbling and very special um because I had been retired for like 10 years by the time I got inducted and I at that point I’m, like I’m forgotten, like nobody.
Even knows who I am anymore now, like I’ve been out of the game for 10 years, like nobody’s even gon na know me um, like even going to the inductions and meeting Christy Martin for the first time and she’s, like I know who you are, you don’t Got ta tell me who you are and I’m like what, like you know me um, but yeah, so many of them, but yeah, I’m just like how do you know me like for real? You actually know me and she’s like yes, I know your career and I’m like wow, but that is that was what was more special to me, people knowing, but that I just hadn’t came across or whatever, but yeah, even fans that I met there.
Amateur Fighters that had knew my career and it was like wow like people really do, know me, but I just it had been so long since somebody like came up to me and was like.
Oh, like you’re, broke your door if you’re the World Champ like it, had been so long that I’m like, oh I’m, forgotten but you’re, really not in the boxing world.
It’S just everyday life, we’re not in the boxing world yeah, but you have to.
You have left a legacy Brook and yeah.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
That’S what yeah.
That means a lot and that’s what I explained I always remind Cindy about.
I met Cindy three years ago, I’m from Riverside.
I was in the boxing, but I got out of it from many years during her career.
When I met her, I didn’t know who she was.
My friend introduced us and she goes.
You know the champ right.
I go what she was yeah.
The first Riverside chap right here like what are you talking about so anyways um as we go around and we nowadays we try to go to some local gyms and all that yeah and even when we go to local events.
There are people that come up to her and remind her uh people that uh, you know whether they’ve been fans or xboxers or even trainers.
Um.
We have Boxer friends that always say: oh man, if we weren’t on the car fighting with you and we knew you were fighting, we had to go one two five.
He says yeah um, you know sometimes they’ll say we were you fought like too far.
You were on the on the same card, two belts before us, but I would always make sure I caught your fight before I went back to the Dress rooms and got ready um there’s a lot of great story, worries uh.
You know uh that have reached out to her and thank her for they’ve been going through a whole lot of things during their lives, and they thank Cindy for being that motivation.
That model for them to continue in moving forward yeah and a lot of people always say how exciting, and you know that women’s boxing being that there’s only a two men around you guys have to give it up.
You’Re all and most most women fights have always been like more exciting than men fights yeah.
She has been pretty much the only fighter that Thompson’s uh promotion in uh here in Southern California has ever had up to about eight months ago.
They had a female uh fight and when we’re walking out the the girl that won the fight, turn around and saw Cindy – and she goes – oh, my God you’re the girl that they have to post her in the office.
When we went in to sign the contract, we saw your computer and you know little things like over having the belt and all that stuff is yeah, just peop this the helping other people or inspiring other people yeah.
I guess that’s that’s, so that’s the best feeling of the whole thing really is just leaving that behind and letting other you know, other inspiring other people to box or fight things in life, even just yes in general, yeah the drive giving them the drive or determination To keep moving forward so yeah, that’s the best part about the whole thing um.
I do know every one of us females, though, and I’ve told lots of my stories on my podcast.
I don’t know if you’ve watched many of them, but I share something new.
Every time I think, but we’ve all been through a lot of BS or things that we just should not have to go through or experience as females in this male predominant sport of boxing um.
Can you tell us like one or two of your worst experiences or things that you had to do or deal with that you should not have had to deal with as a female? Well um, you know the harassment.
Obviously I mean that’s something.
That is hard.
I mean I’m sure, like after those kind of situations.
Probably you wouldn’t want to go back to the game and face you know that people that those those guys those uh I mean.
But you know I was always a woman of courage and I know how to uh.
You know how to uh defend myself in uh in the case that you know you have the right like.
If you feel like offended or abused, I mean you have the right to defend yourself and yeah and to yeah I mean you have the right to be whatever you want to be regardless.
If they want you or not or regardless, if they, you know um, they don’t have to come because you you don’t want to.
I mean yeah yeah those situations.
Probably uh were you know, uh, no bad bad.
For me in in so many occasions in different.
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