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EPISODE: Episode 1
Join us on this exhilarating episode of “No Punches Pulled With No Mercy” as our host, Brooke “No Mercy” Dierdorff-Millbrook, delves deep into the extraordinary life and career of Yvonne Reis. From her beginnings in martial arts for self-defense to becoming a WBC Middleweight champion, Yvonne’s story is one of determination and resilience.
Yvonne’s journey includes winning national championships, taking on legendary opponents, and imparting invaluable advice to aspiring women boxers. In an exclusive live interview, she shares her insights, emphasizing the love for the competition over monetary gains and the importance of being prepared for the unexpected in this tough sport.
Don’t miss this compelling conversation with a true warrior and newly inducted member of the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame, Yvonne Reis. Tune in to No Punches Pulled With No Mercy and be inspired by a boxing legend’s incredible story. Subscribe, like, and share to support our channel and this remarkable episode!
Transcribed
[, Music ], why see them in the shadows? Why see them on my brain? Hey, hey everybody! What’S going on, it’s your girl, no mercy here and it’s Tuesday night! So you already know what time it is.
It’S time for no punches pulled with no mercy me.
Of course, some of you proba already know who I am for those of you.
If you are new here and are not sure I am your host Brooke milbrook, Formerly Known in the fight game as Brooke no mercy deardorf, I’m a retired professional boxer held the WBC lightweight title until I retired and was inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022, I’ve been through some good, some bad and, of course, everybody knows a lot of BS in the sport of women’s boxing, but welcome to my platform.
This is where we talk the talk and we walk the walk, we’re going to bring out the truth in women’s boxing we’re going to talk to pioneers of the sport past boxers current boxers, even future boxers we get down and dirty here, though speaking the truth of What takes place in women’s boxing, so you don’t want to miss a single show, so please make sure you guys are liking, sharing and subscribing.
So you don’t miss any Tuesday nights here with me.
But tonight we do have a very special amazing boxing icon in the sport joining us tonight: Ivon Reese uh.
She began studying martial arts at the age of eight to learn self-defense, but in 2001 she competed in the USA extreme Challenge in full contact during preparation for the event she linked up with another boxing icon former World Boxing Champion Bonnie Canino, who then became her trainer In the amateur she won the 2001 US Women’s Golden Gloves the national championship and then in 2002 won the gloves again and then took S silver in the 2002 Women’s World Championship.
She turned Pro in December of 202, defeating Bonnie man who we’ve had on the show in her Pro debut.
She won the WBC middleweight title in 2006 and she has literally been toe-to-toe with so many greats in women’s boxing, such as Bonnie man.
We talked about Tish, Robinson Shelly, Burton Aaron to Hill Dakota, Stone Mary Joe Sanders, Jazelle candry, uh, Valerie, mafud, Addie, irisari and Hannah Gabriels, just to name some of them.
She was also inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame with me last year, 2022.
Please help me welcome Ivon to the show hi Brook.
How are you I’m great? Thank you good.
Thank you.
So much for taking the time to come on the show share your story with the world.
It’S such a pleasure to finally be able to speak with you.
Um, I know we haven’t met yet in person, but we will yes, we will yeah.
I missed you, the deductions last year.
Did you make it out this year? I was plan.
No, I did not.
Oh my God.
I had everything booked was going and then we had events.
I forgot to put it on my calendar, so I had events all weekend for our business.
I forgot to put on our work calendar so I booked the whole weekend and then it was like two weeks out and I looked at the calendar, I’m like oh, my Lord yep guess I can’t go so yeah but yeah.
We missed you last year for sure, but thank God.
Christy gave Christian and – and they gave me a good uh, they did.
They did my.
They did me red my friends.
They did, they did.
They absolutely did um.
So first, though, we always kind of start off.
Traditionally, take us back to the beginning, tell us a little bit about your childhood, your journey with martial arts, starting at a young age um, and just what how that grew for you? Okay! So let oh okay, that’s a lot, but let’s go: let’s go as quick as we can so um everybody in my family when they were younger, had to learn something and my mom put me in piano for two weeks, which I hated and I said, Mom, I’m Never going to do this, I’m going to travel the world, this is useless.
This is useless and she said I said I.
What do you want to do? I said I want to take karate.
There was one karate school go to style and she said.
Okay, if I put you in there, then you’re not going to quit after two weeks.
I was there for six years, got my uh my brown belt there, and then I ended up falling in love with martial arts and, as you know, male boxing is a male sport yeah and they weren’t that open-minded, but the the martial artists were so they like.
Just like Bonnie Canino and Bridget Riley, we all got our start in martial arts because the men were farmer, open-minded in the actual fighting company competitions.
Yes, absolutely um.
Yeah I mean I took u martial arts as a child um.
Oh, I think 90 % of us probably started off there um When We Were Young um for self-defense and different.
You know just different reasons, because we just needed an outlet or whatever the case may be um and it something else.
But yes, it is way more.
Accepting of females to me in all sports, besides boxing right, I totally, which is sad – I mean it’s getting there, but it’s still in our time.
No, it was.
It was definitely frowned upon, but uh fast forward a little bit 2001, the USA extreme Challenge.
What motivated you to compete in that, and how do you think, oh my God career, so I um I I I moved down to Florida to save my marriage quote: unquote, we ended up getting divorced, we’re still friends but um.
I needed something.
I weighed 200 20 and I weighed 218 pounds at one point and I got to a personal trainer.
I got down a little bit and then I met John Morrison, who said: do you want to fight in This Woman’s competition? Because I I he had come to a my master, I also I’m a black sash in a in a Filipino martial art called cabala s and my Master J.
My JC Cabo had come in din a in a seminar and he was there John Morrison who now owns the ISA okay, okay, so they he said.
Do you want to compete in This Woman’s Muay Thai amate, your boxing event and I’m like sure, because I needed something after the divorce? I I was stressed out.
I need I needed an option, so I started compe.
I was getting ready to fight and my Sensei at the time said he was getting married and it was cutting.
It was almost at the same time of his wedding, so he’s like look it.
Let’S go down to this place and we’re GNA we’re going to go to us one Fitness and we’re going to do some.
Some.
You know she’s a kickboxer, you know and she goes name’s Bonnie Canino.
I was like holy [ __ ] Bonnie Canino.
I mean I was a black belt collector.
She was like in black belt and all that [ __ ].
I was like holy [ __ ] Bonnie Canino, so we would we.
He sent me down here and I trained with her for a couple of months and then he said two weeks before he said you know I’m having problems with my my my fiance.
I can’t compete so I went I’d only been training at Bonnie’s gym for like three months and I asked Bonnie Canino.
I said you know, I know you don’t really know me.
Could you work my corner and she said yeah, so it was the.
It was an amateur fight, but back in the day the only amateur thing about it is.
We didn’t get paid right because I didn’t have S pow I didn’t have headgear, I didn’t have you know I had the gloves had like right.
Basically, so I did my [ __ ], so um, so I was the F.
It was the first woman’s amateur Muay Thai fight here, little history mode.
I got ta, I got ta, I’m a little, which is kind of cool.
My mom’s, my mom, is heaven laughing because she’s like I’m a little I’m a little note.
I got a little side notes and all this history about, but so I did that and then I won the fight she uh by she retired.
I finished her and Bonnie said: hey.
Can you come back to the gym on on Monday and I’m like okay, the fight’s over but okay, doubt of respect I went and she said.
Would you like to amate your box? I’M like amateur boxing.
I didn’t even know there was amateur boxing for women.
I honestly didn’t not know, and I I said back in that day you could only box up to your 35th birthday and I was I was 33 and a half 30 almost 34, and I said you know she’s, like I said well, do you think I have A chance she said: well, let’s try so I tried it.
I had a pretty successful amateur career.
I started meeting a bunch of amazing other female competitors and realized that this is a a community that I really respected.
Female female boxers World worldwide are a spef specific special Community.
Absolutely, as you know, you know I mean yes they’re, one of kind and they’re all they all have your back, regardless of how they feel about you, so yeah much respect.
Let me let me tell that I would say that the older Fighters are some of the newer Fighters.
Aren’T you I mean I’m talking our time.
Thank you, I’m just our because I know we’re gon na get there eventually.
So let me yes our time right that our time.
Yes, yes, as a matter of fact, I had a pro fight.
I had a pro fight in Oregon um against.
I think it was Shelley Burton.
I think it was Shelley Burton.
I forget who I was fighting and the next night chel halach was supposed to fight and chel went to Bonnie the night before and said.
Damn you know you know Bonnie.
Could you please you know my my opponent fell out.
I really want to get this fight.
Blah blah blah she was doing a little comeback, so Bonnie, who was working my corner that that that night, the night before she’s she had like basketball, shirt she’s like okay Shel, I mean like we did.
You know you wanted to promote women’s boxing yeah, whether or not you won or loss.
It was about the fight.
It was about elevating elevating the sport of women’s boxing yeah, so the next night Bonnie T So Bonnie fighting chel Hall back I lose.
I lose to Shelly uh, oh, that was [ __ ] up so Bonnie Bonnie.
This is I’m sorry.
I dropped the f bomb.
I didn’t mean to all right.
So so the night before, when Bonnie’s, like throw an uppercut, throw an uppercut and all my years of martial art training, I throw the uppercut and chamber my backand.
I go boom instead of Boom.
This, like I’m like boom.
I [ __ ] me up Instinct Instinct.
So I went down to the ground.
I lost that fight um and the next night Bonnie’s fighting chel, trying to trying to save this fight for chel and I’m working Bonnie’s corner and Bonnie hadn’t trained for it or nothing because she was not.
You know so Bonnie.
I’M, like you know, I’m working the corner, I’m like you know.
Bonnie first round comes in, I’m like you know, Bonnie.
You know, you know you need to throw more.
She goes.
I know I’m like here’s, some water, I’m like what the [ __ ] am.
I gon na say to her what I tell her that she doesn’t already know I’m like next round.
I was like okay, look at you’re, not getting hurt you’re, not winning the fight.
You’Re gon na lose this fight, but you might want to try to throw some more.
She goes I know, but I just can’t I said I know since she ended up losing that fight, but it wasn’t about the fight.
It was about the opportunity to get women in the venue on TV for people to see it yeah and that’s that’s where our that’s what our society was about.
We were about promoting promoting everybody, yeah everybody right, whether I like you or not, I’m still gon na help you out and then I’ll kick your ass later.
Thank you, yep, exactly exactly um.
So though, training with Bonnie tell us like what was the most valuable lesson.
I mean I know y’all still still to get like trained together and do all that.
But what’s the most valuable lesson that you feel she taught you about boxing that all that all fighting relates because there are only so many ways you can punch and kick somebody there’s only so many ways you can punch somebody there’s only so so there’s only so Many blocks, there’s only so many angles.
Yeah now my my cabala Sada, my knife, stick fighting style that I’m a I’m a guru at that helps me too, because it’s a 45 degree angle, but when she said that and she always concentrated on focusing on the center line yeah and that’s something we actually.
We just had Don Wilson at our gym last week and that’s like the first thing that he started.
Oh man, you got ta fight this work on the center line and Bonnie’s like yes, you know Dar Wilson back to me up.
Yes, absolutely yeah, and that’s so true and and that’s the funny thing about boxing is so many people do different Arts prior to boxing or while they’re boxing, but you can use all of that in boxing.
If you just apply it correctly, exactly and people, don’t they don’t make that it’s very hard to make that bridge, but once they make that bridge wow and then you lose like you drawing your hand, Ian go overcome that, but you still can mix the Arts together And they all will Ex very helpful right um, but amateurs though we just kind of briefly talked on it.
You won several titles in the amateurs in your short amateur career um.
Do you have any like favorite experiences from the amateurs? Yes, I I I do um when my very my very first, my very first competition was at the at the Women’s National Golden Gloves, and that was like that was like the most amazing experience yeah for me.
So um – and I remember I remember I was blessed.
I I I got if you, if you, if you’ve done any research I mean I got, I was in.
I know French on Cruz.
I was blessed with a bunch of other Fighters.
Yes, that you know that that went on to do amazing things.
So um we were the first, my my amateurs too, and it’s funny like when I go back in look because I did the Golden Gloves and the Nationals and all that stuff in Chicago and it’s funny when I go back and look at the names like how Many people were there that were Pro with me, and I didn’t realize that they were at the tournament with me until like later on, when I started knowing them and their names and when they were Pro and like they were being talked about, and I’m like that Name kind of sounds familiar and I look back and I’m like well gez.
They were with me at the tournament didn’t even and some of them.
I fought in the pros so and I never fought in the amateurs so yeah.
But that’s it’s a small world and it’s it’s! It’S just amazing because um I remember winning the WBC World title for the first, that it was the first middleweight D, but when they hung that silver medal on me, there’s something special about that, because we were the last woman we I wanted in Turkey.
We were the last women’s uh National event to qu to help qualify us into the Olympics.
Yeah.
So, like you know, Christy Halbert, all of those people that we were.
We were fighting to get into the to get women’s boxing in the Olympics.
That was qualifier and we got it in there and that that alone, like you, know, yeah, we we’re happy that that they all won, but that alone was like we achieved so much and behind the scenes, but they don’t know what we achieved.
They don’t know how much Christy halber and all those people fought to get yeah.
I know now um yeah, I know chrisy well um, but yeah.
They that’s the thing like when I talk about it.
I get it just gets me upset, but that’s the thing about the new generations is and when one of the main reason why I started doing this show when they asked me was women’s boxing has lost what it is granted it’s growing and we’re moving steps in The right direction, but there would have been no Olympics without us and the fighters before us.
There would have been no um TV fights and recognition and bigger paydays that they’re now none of that would have happened without our era and the era before us and before them all Paving the way to get it to where it is and then for the new Fighters to feel like they did it all and don’t pay recognition to the past.
That’S where I get frustrated and that’s why I did the show because I feel like I want to get as many people’s stories out as possible to maybe then they’ll start seeing the clips and seeing the videos and being like.
Oh, like I didn’t realize there was that many as if they don’t know if you’re boxing you don’t know some of the damn history, but the women, the most of the women do but some of the new newer generation don’t.
But I mean I was but yeah.
That’S it’s just frustrating, because none of them would have these opportunities without everybody that came before them that helped get it there um there was no Olympics just because of one fighter.
We all helped make it and then you know, make it get there um and it wasn’t easy battle.
People don’t realize um the things that us past Fighters went through to get the Next Generation to be able to succeed, uh that that it is your Victory, though you know, we talked about civil matter that that’s phenomenal um, the WBC middleweight title, though you also won In Kenya, um 2006, definitely one of first American one of the first first female American.
It was B basically Rumble in the Jungle.
I was the first woman American to fight there, absolutely um describe the emotions and the challenges for that fight.
Well, it was kind of weird because uh Bonnie, Canino and Bert Bert um Rodriguez, her her trainer were going to come with me and they were real skeptical and I’m like look at i’.
I’Ve been to Africa, I’ve been to West Africa.
This is Kenya, it’s it’s! Not it’s not that big, a de you know, let’s, let’s do this number one, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to actually to get to Kenya.
Yes, you know I mean to to be able to you, know: CH ching, ch-, ching yeah, you know, that’s where you money, right and – and all I can say, is uh boxing has allowed me to travel to parts of the world that I would have probably never Got to see yes, you know so I so they actually sent someone from Texas to to send show them a video to to see it to to see.
Oh look it.
You know it’s real Kenya, it’s basically by the time I went to Kenya in Nairobi.
It was about New York City in the 80s okay, it was so it was fine, yeah and – and I have you know, I had done a lot of research and I was quite ecstatic to go to Kenya.
So when I went, I learned a little bit of suil.
I still consider I I literally consider Kenya, my my my second home, my mother, my mother country, so, and believe it or not.
After all these years, I’m still kind of well well known there yeah I mean it.
It was funny when I, when I came back, I mean like I never experienced Paparazzi, like literally people with cameras following me into the bathroom trying to take pictures underneath the stall it was a wild.
I was like I mean number one: there’s not a lot of two two white blondes around the world, you know, but it it was.
We went in areas in the mountain in Kenya where they had heard me on the video on the on the radio and they’re.
Like oh Ivan race Ivan race, they like had had watched it.
It was like a big deal and I beat their hero.
You know it was.
It was a big deal, but I got to tell you: it was the most amazing country, most amazing people, most amazing opportunity, yeah and to this day you know, I consider it the best.
You know – and I I kind of laugh because well they’re like oh, do you know Kalisa Shields, it’s like, of course.
I know kicia she’s been to our gym of spot a few times, but you know that belt I own it.
First.
It was my [ __ ] belt.
Sorry, it was my you had it.
You had it first yeah and then relinquish it and the odds were [, __ ] against me.
I won it by decision in Kenya, yeah, which is hard to do um, and I know exactly what you’re talking about with the paparazzi thing.
One time in my career once and it’s funny, because we can only say that it probably only happens once in a lifetime.
For females to have the feeling of being famous uh like the males like the male Fighters, but when I fought me and St John, the second time in Mexico, that’s how it was um.
I was out there for two weeks uh because you know of all the press and the pre-fight weigh-ins and the press conferen, and all this [ __ ] that we had to do, but I couldn’t go anywhere without being like mobbed like with.
Can I get a picture? Can I get an autograph, I couldn’t sit down and eat.
I couldn’t walk out on my hotel room.
There was people outside my door and I was the opponent so same thing.
You know I’m coming in as the opponent, but literally everybody in Mexico, because boxing is so big there.
They know everybody, yes, but I was.
I was very famous over there and I can tell you after my 10 days there I was ready to come home now.
Granted, I loved it, it was a nice feeling, but I’m like I’m glad.
I don’t have to do this every single day right.
I remember when I came home.
The first phone call I made was to uh I’m friends with Lea Ali and I called Ila, and I said, Lea man, I get it and she goes she I she I said I understand now and she said: did you ever eat a hot meal and I Said no, no, I said because you’re you’re now remember I’m representing wom’s American boxing.
So when people come up to you in the middle of the the middle, you you you, you got a smile and, and they don’t they’re just excited to see you.
They don’t see that you’re trying to eat; no, they don’t see that you’re trying to eat or that you’re talking with someone or like I.
I really wanted to go walk around down in like in the little shops and well.
I did that anyway stopped every two seconds, so it’s like man, I’m tired, just smiling my face.
Can we go back to the right, but then Leila turns to me and she says you know yvon now, I’m imagine being me because you never know if they’re trying if they want to meet me or they wanted to meet my dad and I went oh [ __ ] you’re right that that’s like a heavier thing.
I like feel heavy.
You know like I’m, I’m I’m, I I consider CHR.
Christe Martin are good friends Leila and I are acquaintances, but all of that knowledge that everybody shared with me helped me deal with a lot of [ __ ] yeah, and that is so true.
I feel bad for her with that, but making that statement is so true, because so everybody wanted to meet her dad.
Everybody wanted right um, but I mean she was just as famous but yeah.
I guess you never know if they really you to get to him exactly and that that’s something I would never even occurred to me till she said I was like wow.
That’S like deep ma.
Never thought of that.
I would have never thought of that, but she had that’s truth.
I mean that’s straight facts y.
That’S facts! Um! Another interesting one though that um intrigues me um only, probably because I know her real well because she’s from Chicago but Tish Robinson Tish, Tish um.
She should have fought Leila Ali um.
I I think just her mouth and demeanor got her in trouble a little bit later on and I think that’s kind of why they stopped airing her um, which is sad because the men do it all the time.
But you know we held the first woman’s International Bonnie and I can Bonnie Canino and I used to um.
We promoted for 10 years the Women’s National Golden Gloves and we made it a week and we tried to make sure and we and when, if you lost the first night, we’ immediately try to rematch you, because how often do you go to a do? You go to a fraking weigh-in and you never got a fight because there was no one there.
So here we have an opportunity for a week to get a bunch of women together to fight and they would come, and they would you know and if they lost they put their their trainers would put their name in to come the next day.
So I remember, like I’ve, heard all sorts of negative and positive things, but Leila that one of our Golden Gloves we did the first woman’s International Golden Gloves: uh woman’s International Boxing Hall of Fame.
At our Golden Gloves, we had Christy Martin Leila Ali um um.
Oh, my God, you, oh my God, she’s gon na kill me um.
Oh, oh, my god um! Oh, my God, she’s, like really famous.
She was in a a boxing fight boxing movie Luc rer, oh my God.
Oh my God, Luc all like there’s so many names.
I could have threw out there Luc, but Luc rer was it so all three of them are there and and and and Kalisa Shield was there also because she had just won her first Olympics, her first, her first, so so they’re all giving a speech.
Now I’m talking to all of them yeah separately and they’re like oh, you know, I’m gon na see I’m gon na see leil La Ali and I’m gon na see.
You know Luc rker, you know like they were all like back in the day they were like.
Oh, we didn’t get this fight, we didn’t get that fight, but all of their because I knew that, basically being female Fighters having male trainers, they were almost all had the same story yeah, but it wasn’t for me to tell them because they all told me, but I wasn’t for me to tell them, but at that event they all did the speech and they all told each other and they all realized wow.
We all went through the same [ __, ] yeah.
You know so it’s sad, you know, and there there there was one.
There was one person there, who’s actually cripplingly more shy than me, aan wolf.
I get that from the vibe from her, which I never would have pictured, but as as long as I’ve been following her on social media and I’ve talked to her a few times on social media and stuff, but yeah.
She seems real, like just down to earth.
Quiet shy, but you know, but the funny thing is, is a bunch of the girls says would come to me and you say: do you think because they didn’t have any trainers, do you think she’d work, the corner and she and and they they went and asked Her and she was like you want me to she – was like really.
She was like the of course, the corner she was like.
Of course, I know she gets a lot of [ __ ], but I’ve never had a problem with any of these people.
I love them all and I me neither um and it’s funny that because well because when you see them in the ring and when they’re fighting or doing press like like they’re beasts, but they’re, really just big teddy bears.
Thank you the better.
They are moreel.
Everybody is like petrified of chevel, I mean the first time I met her.
I was so [ __ ] nervous.
I didn’t even know if I could speak just because her.
I like we’re like family like she’s the sweetest most like she cares about everybody.
Like I mean I, I had the opportunity many times many times I used to spot her yeah and is the same there.
Just teddy bears yep hey.
We got ta hide that, though we can’t let everybody know that we’re oh, no, but but teddy bears are still Bears baby.
That’S true! That’S true! Like M, you don’t mess with a mama bear with a mama bear yeah.
We had.
We had a pro fighter, uh Isaiah night night Thompson and I was in his corner and he won the fight right and he you know he won the fight by knockout in the second round yeah.
At this time.
I think he was amateur, so we go on the back.
We were in the back room.
Okay, now, Bonnie and I are are in his corner.
There was no one else there.
Okay, she and Bonnie go Bonnie like blows, [, __ ] off all the time.
I can’t blow this [ __ ] off yeah, so this guy is sing.
I’M standing next to Isaiah and he’s like hey.
You know when you want to learn some boxing.
Okay, now he just knocked the guy out.
You want to learn some boxing come to my gym and I’m like what the [ __ ].
Why don’t you come to my gym and get in the ring with me? [ __ ] and I was like all up the guy’s face and my my and Isaiah is like coach coach chill.
I’M like [ __ ], I’m standing in front of you and you’re telling him he he just knocked the guy out and he needs boxing instructions right.
I was so pissed.
I literally had to it’s like I’m a boxing mama.
Don’T don’t don’t disrespect my guys and don’t disrespect me, you know, please.
I will disrespect anybody.
That’S in my presence, okay, right, we’re right in front of you and you just said that.
That’S so funny! Oh my God! That’S what you think with the little head.
Not the big head exactly exactly uh, but tell me about your fights with Tish.
I know the first, the first fight, you fought with the flu, so tell us a little bit about that experience, fighting sick because I’ve done it many times and it you just do it you just you just do it like.
Look at I’m a woman.
We have to fight what a period.
Okay, you know you, men have no concept.
We have to make way and figure that crap out with our period yeah and still try to lose the extra four pounds that we just gained when we started.
Thank you on the morning of weighin yep yep people have no clue what you know.
It’S like these women make it.
You know I to be honest, I really don’t remember there.
There aren’t too many fights where moments.
I remember.
I remember the Knockouts like, like I remember um.
I remember the Russian one when I, oh my God, oh my God R.
She was huge, that’s when I I looked up and I I got I got I mean literally, I blocked the punches and I felt them in my body, I’m still blocking them and I’m feeling them.
I made it to the 10th round and then B.
You know, and my body hurt for two weeks later: that’s when Bonnie said you, you either quit boxing or you go down and wait.
I said I’m going down and wait, never fought that I do it yeah it’s like I could do it.
I went down one time would never [ __ ].
Do that again.
That was very.
I have anything to lose wow when, when Roan Elie, when she hit me when Natasha hit me – oh my God, I blocked this crap but still felt it.
Oh, my God! That’S when I’m like, I’m not fighting at 168 again, no, not doing it again, 154 and that’s what where I made it yeah 154 but5 126.
I went down to 122 one time, I’m like four pounds.
That’S nothing! Yeah! No! Oh babe! It’S something! It’S a lot! It was a lot, especially you’re, already training up and waight.
I like I’ll, go up that’s easier right, but I went too far up.
I was like screw that I’m going back down to 154.
These girls are too damn big up here, yep another one, though that I think was still a great um time in your career.
It was a huge highlight in your career either way uh but facing WBC welterweight chant Mary Joe Sanders 2005 uh significant challenge.
But what did that fight? Teach you about yourself in your career, because I still thought it was an interesting matchup.
Well, when I fought Mary Joe um, I was walking, I didn’t know what I was walking into the [ __ ] is Fast Very.
She is fast not as powerful as rowski, but this [ __ ] is fast and when I walked over the corner they looked at me.
They said good fight.
I said no, I lost.
I got the I got.
I got my ass boxed off yeah.
She boxed my ass off and I you know no shame in that.
Was she powerful? No, but did she box my ass off [ __ ] girl, yeah yeah? She bmed my ass off.
What can I say yeah you know I learned.
I learn like okay, that that she’s, fast yeah and sometimes speed is all you need and she used it yeah.
I always used to tell that I mean some I mean if they don’t have enough power.
Sometimes you can get through that [ __ ], but sometimes you just can’t see and you’re like what the hell I just got.
Ta keep covering up.
She boxs the [ __ ].
Out of me.
That’S all I can some of my sparring matches with the guys.
I’M like godamn, can you just slow it down just a notch? Oh yeah! Oh my god, um.
Another high stakes fight, though that I thought was interesting when you fought Jazelle s, salandy yeah.
That was an interesting with so so many titles on the line, though um such a high fight um, that was a messed up scene.
I mean at the time that we had the fight now when you fight internationally.
It’S not like fighting in a lot of the um um.
First world States, First World countries, because we got in there and we had learned a.
We had learned from traveling that we wanted to make sure there was an ambulance there and they tried to start the fight without the ambulance and we refused – and it’s a good thing, because the fight before me, the guy, was a knocked out, was knocked out and Needed to be Lo removed in an ambulance yeah, so there was a long wait.
Um, it was a messed up scene.
Um Gizelle was a good fighter.
Do I think that do I you know.
I think it was fair.
It wasn’t fair, I mean just say it: we’re we’re not fighting anymore, there’s, no, shame in it.
Yeah I mean and J, but you but jelle’s passed.
So you don’t want to talk negative.
Exactly yes go God, Rest, her soul and she tremendous fighter.
But everybody knows that you don’t always get a fair Shake, especially when a road warrior I try, I went wherever they send me.
I got ta.
Tell you one of the most um satisfying fights to me.
I was ecstatic to to fight Valerie valy mafu.
That was the next yeah winning unanimous decision against valy mafu 2007 must have been so rewarding.
Um yeah describe the significance of that vict ictory for you.
Oh I’ve always wanted to fight valy, she’s, so cool, but I always she’s a badass.
I wanted to fight her.
So bad and the day, the day, the day of the way, the day of the fight Bonnie goes down to the the gym to train.
To you know, you know okay little trick for the trainers we all we all like do our pumps and because we want to look all buff next to our Fighters too.
So she goes down down that day.
The fight do her weights and stuff and Valerie’s down there running on the on the treadmill.
Just to loosen up or something and Valery goes.
Oh, you know Bonnie, you know I I I studied you because I know she’s going to fight just like you, so we’re going.
Oh [, __ ] you we’re in trouble.
I got ta tell you get another game plan yeah, I’m like ah [ __ ], but I mean it is what it is, but that was that was the most satisfying because she retired after I fought her yeah.
You know and I I was like wow.
I just retired Val mafu yeah and she phenomenal tough as [ __ ] nail, tough.
She – and I was that that was that was one of my most satisfying fights.
I got to tell you no, no one ever really talks about it, but, oh my God, I mean it was valie [, __, ] mafu.
I know, and I met her at the inductions last year – she’s a phenomenal person as well.
They all are yes get it, but they all are but yeah I mean huge she’s, another iconic.
Let me tell you a cool little story.
I was here at the gym and Bon Bonnie’s, really good friends with uh barara butrick, who was a Boxing Hall of Fame.
One of the first ever boxing anyway she’s her boxing grandmother really so Bonnie barara was here and um.
Nicole Adams was here.
Nicole Adams was doing a training camp Nicole is so cool, so Nicole Al was training here for a training camp and Nicole goes to me.
Pulls me over, she goes yon, yon, well, barbera’s talking to Bonnie she goes.
Do you think I could get a picture with barara butrick and I’m like I’m sure of course.
Of course, Nicole and I go over and I’m I go toon and Barbara goes pulls.
My Shir she goes Ivon ion.
Do you think I get a picture with with with Nicole Adams and I’m going? Oh, my God.
How funny is that bar wanted with Nicole Adams and neither of the two wanted to ask to each other? It’S like, I was like.
Oh, my God, the humility between the two and the respect, yeah, that’s amazing.
They got that Kodak moment yeah and think about how awesome felt that Barbara wanted to take a picture with her.
That was so funny.
It was bizarre and – and I seem to spend my whole life as the intermedium I tend to like connect people yeah connect, the fighters.
That’S what I do.
I would I talked to Jimmy Finn.
I want Barbara on the show so bad you have to do it.
She’S just getting older and I get it, but I me like I want her on the show so bad she’s amazing.
I mean you put that lady in front of a speed bag.
She can still do it.
I know yeah.
I talk to jimy and he’s, like you know, she’s just getting older and I’m like yeah, but it’s like it’s like it’s just like a zoom call like she don’t have to go anywhere.
So I’m gon na I’m gon na keep working on that one.
But I I’ll I’ll hit Jimmy up too I’ll, actually hit Barbara’s sister Barbara’s daughter up.
She.
She lives here, yeah, let me know but yeah I would.
I would love to interview her.
She was, I mean one of the first I I love love love to interview.
Her yeah I’ll see, if I can’t I’ll see if I can’t push that for you, because I know I I have the S.
I have the daughters, two daughters.
We know yeah, that’s awesome that would be great yeah, phenomenal, small, Phenomenal Woman.
All around yes, um you’ve been in the ring, though just like so many of us actually 90 % of us from back in the day, with pretty much the best of the best that there was at time to fight all of them um.
But I didn’t have any choice.
I started so late I had to take.
I had there was no building up yeah, I didn’t really have a building either and that because I start I mean I started in my late 20s, but once I fought Mia the first time it was only my third Pro fight and I only had 14 or 15 amateur fights, so I didn’t have a big amate career either, but I fought fight and after that, when I beat her, I couldn’t fight low caliber Fighters.
They wouldn’t sanction them right, so I was fighting all top 10 fighters from my fourth fight on yeah you’re.
Not you’re, not that option yeah yeah! That’S why my career went so fast, because I I have a choice after I beat her they’re like well, you fought me it so I was a replacement fighter like it’s not like it’s not like the men’s.
The men’s boxing scene, where you could, where you build up the careers, no, there was no, you couldn’t do that.
No, we didn’t have that.
We didn’t have that option, no OPP that we took whatever we could get the best, though we wanted the best true – and I don’t see that now I mean now we’re finally getting the money like like Bonnie and I are going up to the Serrano fight this Weekend yeah, that’s I’m interesting, uh matchup there um.
I don’t.
I don’t know why, but I don’t know much about her opponent.
Like I much about her opponent.
No, it’s it’s not about the opponent it’s about the minute, but I don’t think it’s going to go.
The full distance – I don’t think so, either um simply for the, and I mean I’m not gon na, say I don’t take anything away from any fighter.
Good night baby love you um.
I don’t take anything away from any fighter, whether I know them or don’t know them.
Everybody has a chance, but I don’t see it going the distance either and I guess just mainly because I’d know nothing about this girl.
I hadn’t even heard her name until they said she was fighting her exactly which we kind.
Sometimes those ones will surprise you, but not not very often uh but still great moment for women.
But another thing about that is: they are not the first females to fight three minute rounds.
No, I fought.
I fought two three minute fights.
I remember I F Nikki epon and it was me that was a messed up fight.
But when I fought Nikki epon um, I was told at the at at in the in the locker room.
Oh it’s three minutes.
I’M like okay, we’re like we didn’t, know three minutes, but that’s okay, yeah and we were the springb.
So they had they had.
They had the Joe Lewis Center until midnight and we were the swing Bel and then all of a sudden we weren’t gon na fight anymore.
They cut my hand wraps off.
They said: okay, you’re gon na get paid anyway, blah blah blah you.
They cut my hand wraps off, then the commissioner comes in and says she’s in the ring right now.
You have you you.
If you don’t get in the ring, we’re g to sanction you.
I was like what the so I I so I so Bonnie picks up the hand wraps and tapes one on and I run to the ring and her Corner helps tape.
The other hand wrap on, and I’m thinking you know you know so, I’m like so so now.
Then then the fight goes on and the the the referee’s, like you know, calm down, relax, it’s okay, I’m like okay, but then the fight goes on yeah and I’m thinking.
Oh and I lost the fight and I’m thinking, okay, I lo, I think I lost the fight, but then I go back and watch the fight and I’m going wait a minute.
I didn’t really lose that fight.
I was like wait a minute because all these years I hadn’t seen the fight, then I go back and watch it.
I’M going! Oh [, __ ] right what’s up with that yeah! Well, that happened a lot too.
It still does yeah.
They happened a lot to me.
I remember fighting um um when I I fought in AR Ruba and yeah and and and I lost by decision and this kind of pissed me off because I go over there, no Bermuda, I’m sorry, it was Bermuda.
Who did I fight in Bermuda? What’S her face um, oh my God, they’re all falling anyway.
I fought in Bermuda and they go and they raise my hand.
They they they go.
I go over to the corner.
I kicked her [ __ ], I box the [ __ ] out of her and I go over to the corner and she go the literally the girl goes to me.
Can I have a rematch and I said, of course it was a great fight.
I’Ve loved to have a rematch and then they go and raise her hand yeah and we’re pissed as [ __ ], and she goes.
What are you upset about? I’M go.
You just asked me for a rematch.
You [, __ ], know.
I’M sorry.
You know you.
L lost you just asked me for a rematch.
Why would you want a rematch if you won that’s the first time I’ve ever seen, Bonnie freaking lose it she’s running all over to the the commissioner’s like, oh well, I saw I called it.
I called it a you know.
It was a draw, so the others went, I’m like what the I mean.
Literally her own people were screaming.
Where were booing? I’M like okay, I mean you know what happens yeah I mean I have opinon friend who went to England knocked the guy down three times and still lost the fight lost yeah.
You know it is what it is.
I guess what you gon na do is: make sure you don’t um, they make sure they can’t get up.
Judges yeah, you got ta finish it or you just you’re, not.
I know personally yeah, but if, if you don’t knock them out and they don’t get up nine times out of 10 you’re gon na get lost on the decision, whether you want or not, but you know what would I Didn’t Do It For the Money? Basically, it was a credit card payment.
I did it because For the Love of the sport, exactly you know, but now getting paid, that’s a good deal right, uh, all all the best fighters, though you fought.
Who would you consider your toughest opponent and why uh rowski Natalie she [ __ ]? She she made me change weight divisions never to go up again, yeah! That’S a good point, my body, my body ACH for two weeks be like I’m going back down and damn waitting never going there again.
I mean literally I’m looking up like this she’s.
That reminds me, like my very first amateur fight was in the Chicago Golden Gloves and the girl was 63 and I had only been training like two or three weeks like I had just started, and I was like what the [ __ ] did.
I just get myself into yeah.
This girl can’t be in my weight class she’s, [ __ ] way up there, I’m 5’4 y.
I was always the shorter opponent, though always uh another, though like special special moment for me.
So I always like to hear hear how everybody took the news, but tell us about the special phone call you received from Su Fox telling you that you were being inducted into the international women’s Boxing Hall of Fame and what that meant.
You oh come on.
I mean to be to be to be picked to be among such an amazing group of people.
Having you remember, I was at the first one and I saw who they were.
You know bonie and Regina.
I mean my God yeah the people that they’ve already inducted and to be included into that was amazing.
Yeah I mean I couldn’t I couldn’t have been more honored and and and it’s funny even on the speech, I think that Christy wrot read for me or or Jill um, who I think, Christy read it.
I don’t know who read it.
I think Christy read it, but where it’s like it’s like some of the fighters in there I fought.
Yes, like I fought some of you guys.
You know I fought some of the people that were there too, and a lot of them did and it was a lot of them, did it it was.
It was it’s a true.
I mean you, it’s an honor of a lifetime.
What can I say? Absolutely absolutely um yeah, who were Your Role Models or who? Who who were your Inspirations in boxing um both past and do you have any present Marvin Haggler I’ve, always loved mvin Haggler? Being from my hometown, I actually got to meet him a couple of times.
The most humble, wonderful human being I’d ever met in my life, yeah and Bonnie Canino y, because I was a martial artist and all my whole life, so that was an honor yeah and, to be honest, a Lucy rker of you know when I, when I met Lucy I mean she had come through a lot and she was.
She was a special person to speak to yeah.
She seemed very, she seemed very balanced, I’m not there yet I totally admit it, but she is yeah and I’m okay with I’m, okay, with not being in Balance.
I like to that.
You know Bonnie likes to walk, walk down the center line because we believe in ying and yang yeah, so she likes to stay on the center line me I’m the same person that likes to jump from one side to the other yeah I’m here, I’m gon na Go over there yeah, I’m a Gemini two for the price of one, so yeah hey.
There is nothing wrong with that.
Nothing wrong with that.
I talk about um on this show with everybody.
Everybody knows boxing is a male, dominant sport, um and all of us females, especially back in our era.
I always talk like it’s.
I always talk about our era, but back then had to deal with so much [ __ ] in the sport things that we shouldn’t have to go through or deal with um.
Can you tell us a little bit of the things that you had to go through or deal with that you shouldn’t have had to if, if were a guy? Well, the obvious thing is: you know my my my WBC World title.
It was also the it was.
Also, the fight of the year I made $ 4,000, I made $ 4,000 for mine in Mexico, I was the opponent and then that was like a big deal.
You know yeah I mean so.
I paid off my credit card yeah.
You know that was that was that was the the The Awakening you know and that that’s when you realize you’re not doing this for the money yeah, you know, and I never really have – maybe that’s to my detriment.
Maybe I should have.
I never did it for the money either.
I just did it for the love of the sport.
Most people did back then, because no, there was very few people that even got a $ 10,000 payday, let alone they’re making.
Today I mean I never made more than $ 4,000 and that was my title fight in Mexico against Mia the second time – and I know she didn’t – make no [ __ ] 4,000.
No, no! But hey! I got the [ __ ] belt.
So there you go.
You know – and you know sometime so yeah – you know I mean look at.
I know Mia Mia’s got Mia’s doing she’s doing some real positive [ __ ] now with life.
Get me wrong.
I love me to death, I’m not that’s! No disrespect to her.
She got her money, yep yep, and we we know what that’s about it is.
It is yeah, some do and some don’t just that’s and it’s you know, and you know it’s like also back in the day.
I don’t really know if it’s so much now, um, because you know you got.
You got some women that that that don’t um fit the female Beauty image Persona yeah, I guess to say you know, but back in the day Mia did you know and it was more acceptable to have a you know: hey no disrespect she made the most of It would we all yeah, I mean you, you did what you had to do to gets a few extra dollars.
Bridget Riley beautiful lady did a lot.
You know hey, you know it is what it is mailboxes do it they do.
So it is what it is.
It is what it is well, we always talk about too.
Boxing is not just a physical sport, it’s also very mental and emotional, especially for women in the sport, since it’s it’s so male dominating.
How did you balance the aspects in your career of the the emotional and physical mental? How did you balance that I actually having again having been a martial artist? I found it pretty easy because I trained in a boxing gym.
That’S I mean we have a lot of males here and none of them.
You know the males here, it’s like, they don’t mind, training with us, because they don’t need the testosterone.
They already got that yeah.
They need, they need the thinking yeah.
You know it’s like big head little head yeah and they teach you that stuff in martial arts, which is another phenomenal thing about martial arts.
Is they teach you all of that yeah, not just the fighting part.
They teach you the mental part, the emotional part, the breathing the technique like all of that.
So that’s that’s.
That’S! That’S that’s a thing that I think we have an advantage of us older generation of Fighters.
Absolutely but personally, I think that there’s some really good younger generation Fighters here and I think that some of us need to we just need to step out of the way and and get our high our boxing high from training.
Like I get my high from training.
My Fighters, they come, I’m a boxing mama.
I don’t care how old you you’re 32 years old, I’m your mama yeah absolutely and, like I said we, we had three Fighters here and I will tell you.
I truly truly appreciate the mixed striking Styles like last.
The last amate your fight, we had boxing Muay Thai and kickboxing yeah.
I thought that was very interesting.
Why I like that is because people that come to the Muay Thai they look at the box and go damn.
That’S that’s! That’S pretty good! So you just built you just built in someone that may not go see a boxing fight you just you just increase that fan base and vice versa.
Yes, absolutely I have been to one um fight show that was like that it was amateur and Pro mix um, but they had all different styles interesting, because I had watched some styles that I had never watched before, but they were interesting and you and who knows You might fall in love with the fighter like we had we had on this show we had two boxers and some of the MMA guy, the Muay Thai guys were like they fell in love with our with our our 132 or Moises they’re, like oh, my God, He’S so good, you know so now we know when it helps build a fan base, but when they go pro you need a fan base, because you know I don’t care how good a fighter you are.
If you don’t sell freaking tickets you’re not going to get the fight no you’re, not especially in yeah yeah, a fact got to uh.
So speaking of the female fighters of today versus back in our era um.
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