"I'll kill her next time",
says Heather Corrigan

Heather Corrigan fumes as she watches the last two rounds of her fight with Carolina Kusmagk at Wu's on a Youtube video posted by someone from Sweden. Heather sees the one-two that stunned her and the smashing right that broke her jaw, then watches as a left to her jaw knocked her flat.

"We should have stopped that fight right there," says her father, standing behind Heather and shaking his head. "You should have taken a knee and let her have the win."

Heather watches her struggle to stay in the fight but the Swede punished her with both fists until she was counted out on the canvas. She seethes as the video shows the Swedish boxer standing over her with her gloves raised high in triumph ... and her blue leather boot on Heather's blood-spattered trunks!

"That effing bitch" yells Heather, "I'll kill her next time!"

Mike Corrigan is worried.

"You want a next time, Heather? She beat you bad."

"Dad!! There's no freaking way I'm going to quit with that freaking tart's boot in my trunks!  Who the freak does she think she is? I'm going to punch her freaking teeth down her freaking throat next time!"

Mike shakes his head. 

"She's a heavy hitter and she hurt you bad both times you fought her. We may have underestimated her."

Heather's furious.

"Dammit, Dad, there was way more than those two rounds in that fight! I beat the hell out of her before she broke my jaw! Her freaking fans just posted the end of the fight to make me look that bad! This freaking stinks."

"She's tougher than we thought, Heather. She took your best shots for four rounds then she knocked you out. You lost that fight fair and square."

Heather can't believe this.  Her own Dad is losing confidence in her!!  She backs the video up to before the final knockdown, sees herself stagger from a vicious body punch, her legs are gone, she's dazed and leaning in as Kusmagk lands two vicious uppercuts, then a right and a left. Heather's blood flies as she falls face down and her broken jaw hits the canvas hard.

"Shit!" says Heather.

"She kicked your ass there, kid".

"Then I've got to go back to Wu's and kick her freaking ass all over that ring next time, Dad. There's no way I leave this game like that!  No freaking way!  I want her fat Swedish ass for putting that boot on my trunks!"

Mike shakes his head, but grins. There's no quit in his girl, he should know better than to try to talk her out of a rematch with an opponent like Carolina Kusmagk. She's mad as hell and spoiling for another go with a girl who beat her bloody and broke her jaw!

Later in the summer break, Heather's back in her gym, working out like never before. She's sweating and grunting as she pounds a heavy bag that has two bullseyes marked on it at chest height.

"One for each tit", Heather tells her father. "I'm gonna hurt her, Dad."

Mike has never seen Heather this angry. She'll try to tear Kusmagk apart if she gets her in the ring again!

But Mike's worried. The Swede's already shown she can take Heather's best punches and hit back hard enough to break her jaw. He hopes she won't break her heart as well. 

BJ Fulton finishes her workout on a double-end bag, pulls off her training gloves and comes over to Devon Ling. She plants a juicy kiss on Devon's cheek and gives her a hug, pressing her breasts against Devon's.

BJ: "How do I look?"

Devon: "Hot, I guess. What are your plans for next year?"

BJ: I want to fight Carmen Santos again for a title. It felt good with the title belt around my waist. Don't you think it looked good on me?

Devon: Sure, but Carmen took it away from you right quick then knocked you out at Wu's.

BJ: She's smoking hot and she fights hard!  I like that.

Devon: Is that why you kissed her?

BJ: Wouldn't you?

Devon: She's not my type ... she's a girl.

BJ: I like girls, especially boxer girls!  I am going to start an all-girl gym called Kentucky Wildcats. I've got a new friend who'll start in the WEBA soon.

Devon: What's her name?

BJ: Lisa Jackson. Want to meet her? She's in the shower now after her workout.

Devon: Sure.

BJ grins, takes Devon's hand, and leads her to the showers.

(Katie O'Hara is a sports reporter for the Irish Times.)

DUBLIN, IRELAND - When I first met Hannah Riley, at her twenty-second birthday party in Dublin, I wondered if the strawberry blonde in the strapless green dress could really be a boxer. A year later, I have different questions for Hannah and her trainer Billy O'Rourke..

I am in the gym with O'Rourke, a flat-nosed pug of a man with curly red hair, huge hands with knuckles that have done and taken plenty of damage.

"How do you rate Hannah's first year of professional boxing, Mr. O'Rourke".

"You can call me Billy! Hannah's had ups and downs, there's no doubt. She was after being too confident with the knockouts she scored at the start."

"Eight in a row until she met Sharon Brown. Then the shoe was on the other foot."

O'Rourke looks at me. "That loss not so bad, you see. Hannah was put into a tournament for the main WEBA title too early but it taught her that the top of this WEBA is a long way.  She held her own with Sharon Brown. It was her junior title fight with Ariel Coleman that gave me concern."

I'm puzzled.

"Why? Hannah won that fight and the title."

"Hannah had knocked Coleman out in their first fight, and she had the American groggy again in the fifth, but she eased up. Hannah did not force the issue and she even took a standing eight count in the last round. Hannah let the Yank take the fight to her and I thought she was lucky to get the split decision for that title."

"She knocked out Maria Lozada in her next fight, though."

"Yes, but Lozada had Hannah in trouble in the third round, and Hannah was lucky to get that win.  I saw trouble ahead, and Hannah has only won four of ten fights since that."

"She lost twice by knockout to Lozada after that first fight. She also lost the junior title to Karen Kelly, who she had knocked out before"

"Now there you go. That Kelly girl is a hard scrapper, I don't doubt there's some Irish in her with a name like Kelly. That's three girls who Hannah knocked out the first time who've done well against her since.  I am sure Hannah has potential but she'll not be knocking these girls out every time.  That was too good to be true."

"Her training will be important, then?"

Billy smiles.

"Training always counts to a boxer. Hannah's aiming high and she will need hard work and dedication. The year to come will show us what she's made of."

I go over to a ring where Hannah is sparring with a male boxer. It's a tough workout that leaves Hannah gasping as it ends.

"Wow, Hannah, was that as rough as it looked? He hit you hard!"

"I have to learn how to stay calm when I am hit like that. The other girls in the gym can't hit me as hard as the WEBA boxers."

"The ones who knocked you out, like Karen Kelly and Maria Lozada?"

"And Jenny Johnson. Those girls are good."

"So you practice being hit to get ready for them?"

"I need to work on my defence as well but I need to keep cool if I do get hit. I can see that what happens after I take a punch can settle my fights. Even the best boxers can get knocked down but the top girls are able to keep going afterwards. Karen, Maria, Jenny, I put them all down on the canvas in fights that I still lost, so fighting back well after you have been hit hard is important."

"What will be different for you in the new season?"

"I now know how hard it will be, as I am not a beginner any more and I must be more prepared for a tough road ahead."

"Karen is a fierce fighter, Maria has an experienced trainer, Jenny is huge and she hits you hard. Sharon has improved and Mikee has looked unstoppable. What steps will you take to compete better against them all?"

Hannah looks at me with piercing, intense grey-green eyes.

"One step at a time, I want to win back the junior title, fight regularly, and train hard until I can win the others."

"Your fans will be cheering for you."

"I hope to make them proud of me."

"I expect to fight for the world title"
says Carmen Santos

Box Latino visits Carmen Santos at a gym in São Paulo as the Brasilian boxeadora prepares for her next fight. Carmen spars lazily with a young man who's  distracted by the beautiful boxer's skimpy bikini top and shorts. Carmen gets his attention with a combination to his face.and he soon shows he is ready to stop. Carmen laughs and removes her training gloves before she sits down with our reporter, smiling as she wraps her body in a scented towel.

BL:  Your sparring partner was preoccupied with your form, today. Perhaps you should wear something less distracting than the bikini top and sexy shorts?

Carmen (laughing): He is not a usual sparring partner, but a boy from my fan club who won a competition to box rounds with me. I like  my fans to enjoy such an experience to be in the ring with me, I make it hard for him in the nicest way and he has fun to be with me.

BL:  How do you assess your progress as a fighter, Carmen?  

Carmen:  I am very pleased. I have lost only two fights and I am the WEBA champion.

BL Still you have not defeated the two who gave you losses, the American Katelyn Kennedy and the Chinese Mindy Li. 

Carmen: I asked to make a rematch with the American as our fight was close, but she did not answer me. Perhaps she believes I would beat her so she takes other fights instead.

BL: Does that bother you?

Carmen:  I am now champion, so I am not much concerned about the American. I have many willing opponents and the Chinese gave me a match for her junior title that was a draw. Now she has to give up that title she must challenge for mine if we will fight again. I hope to hear from her soon!

BL: What about the American Billy Jo Fulton who made the sensation when she kissed you? You beated her badly at Wu's.

Carmen: I smashed her Barbie breasts with my fists after she made my nose bleed to give her the lesson not to touch me again except in fight! I go to boxing ring to fight these girls not to party with them!

BL: Your success as a sports model and boxer have made you so famous, everyone hopes that you will bring the world title to Brasil. How soon may that happen? 

Carmen:I will fight for the world title one day, but there are many good boxers I must fight before I make such a challenge. I must prove my skills against the Swede Greta Bergstrom and the Americans Rame and Smith, also the Russians Petrova and Karpova, before I fight for the world title.

BL: We look forward to seeing you as an example of beauty and strength for all Brasilian girls!

"I wanted to knock her out"
says Gina Silva

Devon walks into the Hard Rock Cafe on Times Square in New York to meet Gina Silva. Silva was on a hot streak until she lost at Wu's to Marina Galieva, a much lighter opponent. Devon sees Silva at a table, dress on and in makeup. Devon sits with Silva and greet each other, and starts the interview.

DL: Seems you really took to meaning when they say dressed to impress!

GS (smiles): Well I had a photoshoot earlier for Victoria's Secret. I've been spending the break doing shoots and commercials for them and Maxim in addition to being with family here in New York and Brazil. I feel kinda funny when I think about it sometimes. Being a boxer and a model.

DL: Haha yeah I know how you feel sometimes. Well, the last fight you didn't do so well. Despite a sixteen pound weight advantage and doing well for most of the fight, what happened?

GS: It was just a bad fight for me. I lost. I guess experience made the difference this fight. I'm gonna get better, and I'll face her later again later down the road.

DL: Before your loss you were on a bit of a hot streak with a notable win over Junior Welterweight contender Irena Hrbkova. Explain how you managed to overcome the early rounds of the fight in which it was nearly stopped.

GS: Well first I didn't look back to the last round. At the end of each round I look ahead to the next round, listen to my trainer and plan out the attack strategy for next round. When I knocked her down in the sixth, it was a big momentum booster I have to admit, but I wanted to knock her out.

DL: Now this match was your first loss at Wu's. Your other KO loss and only one in WEBA matches came against at the time a slumping, but future junior welterweight champ Sandra Perez. This fight you didn't fare very well and Perez knocked you out on route to her first title. What lessons did you learn from that fight that got you in the right direction?

GS: That fight was the most heartbreaking of all my fights so far because I'll be honest, I have never been hit at hard as Perez hit me, and I've never been beat like that. Eventually Mike, my trainer, talked to me a few days later and I really come to terms that I have my off days as well as my good days.

DL: Still at 8-4 you seem to be on the right track are you proud of your accomplishments.

GS: Yes, I think that things have been good in the WEBA. I just have to keep up the pace and the intensity and I'll be a force eventually in the WEBA.

DL: You're one of several south American fighters in the WEBA who've seen a lot of success with Monica Rodriguez as World Featherweight champion, Carmen Santos as WEBA Lightweight champion, and Teresa Delgado, former Welterweight title. What is your relationship with the South American fighters and what certain attributes do South American fighters like yourself bring to the ring?

GS: Well I talk to Carmen Santos and we go out sometimes, hang out and chill on our downtime. I talk to Teresa Delgado too and that's pretty much it. I have to say that South American fighters bring a toughness and agility to the ring. We're fast on our feet as shown in our soccer teams, especially my home country Brazil, and you learn a lot in South America, more than people usually think. Even though I left when I was eight, I still spend summers and breaks down there every year.

DL: What's next for Gina Silva?

GS: I don't know. Let's see and we'll find out.

Local Phoenix boxer Stephanie Page
on the rise
by The Arizona Republic 

Stephanie Page is a pure knockout. She's strong and beautiful, a deadly combination that is envied by both female fans and her peers. She has a record of 16-7 with majority of her wins coming by KO, and she's the league's junior featherweight champion. Our own George Halbert sat down with an interview of Page.

GH: Stephanie, I'm glad to be sitting down with you. I've seen some of your last few fights and you are just exciting to watch in the WEBA. I remember when you I saw you in Smack Girl, and Elite XC contests.

SP: Why thank you, I'm glad to know I have fans.

GH: First of all, for the people who don't know, tell them how a little about yourself.

SP: First of all, I'm 27 years old. I've had a very successful kickboxing and MMA career. I know Muay Thai and Savate. When I was in high school, I was a cheerleader. I started boxing in the amateurs when I was 13; had a very successful amateur career and won the junior olympic national tournament at age 14 and won 5 more times before moving to kickboxing.

GH: Why did you move to kickboxing?

SP: I wanted more of a challenge. In addition to boxing, I was learning the aformentioned Muay Thai and Savate, so I wanted to show my skills at that too. Plus I needed money to pay for Arizona State University, and kickboxing manager paid more. So it was a matter of getting by for why I kickboxed.

GH: Then you moved to MMA, participating in Smack Girl and Elite XC events. How was the experience different from kickboxing?

SP (laughing): Other than the fact that it was more brutal? It was a good experience. I fought a lot overseas. I never lost in the competitions, but after a few years of MMA I realized I didn't really like it. It wasn't the sport for me. I didn't feel comforable despite being undefeated. Plus there wasn't really any titles or leagues. I felt I was going nowhere. I wanted to go back to boxing, my first love; a sport that is now accepted for women to box.

GH: So how did you get into the WEBA?

SP: Well I wanted to find a boxing trainer for professional fighters when I met Marisol Kari at a local amateur boxing match. Marisol was a champion boxer in the IFBA for a long time and after a short unsuccesful stint in the WEBA she retired, deciding to train boxers. She noticed me, and talked about how her and her boxer she trained, Lilka Nowak, just settled here in Arizona. She offered to train me, and I said yes.

GH: How did you feel about your first WEBA fight?

SP: Well I remember it was against this French girl named Nicole Geiger, who I knew had a losing record. I wasn't very nervous for I did this before, but there was some nervousness as I was gone from boxing for some time now. When I went out there in the first round, I hit her hard and often. After that first round it felt natural again and I tore her apart the whole fight and KOed her in the final round.

GH: So 23 fights later you feel good about where you are now as junior featherweight champion. I understand that the league is on its usual break. What did you do for the break?

SP: I went to Britain with my trainer Marisol and my teammate/friend Lilka. Then I went to Poland with Lilka and then Beijing to see some of the Olympics. I came back as the league was gonna come back from break.

GH: Now Arizona is also known for another fighter who is in your division, Raquel Rivera. She's a very popular fighter as we all know in Arizona. I think I speak for everyone when I ask, When are we gonna see an all-Arizona brawl between you and Raquel?

SP (laughing): Hahahah!. I knew this question was coming!  All I gotta say is ... eventually. I'm gonna come for her, but not now. There's other unfinished business with other boxers I have to handle first, then I will face her.

GH: All right. Thank you for the interview, Stephanie.

"I must make changes"
says Jenny Johnson

Devon Ling looks on as Jenny Johnson works on a heavy bag with banging blows that come faster and faster until a thunderous combination sets the bag swinging and draws a loud shout from Jenny.

DL: "Woah Jenny, that's the way! You need more of those when you fight!"

Devon hands Jenny a towel as they prepare to start the interview. 

JJ (panting): " I know. I can bring it here in the gym but it's not happening enough in the real ring. " 

DL: "You lost your last four fights and were knocked out every time." 

JJ: "I am disappointed with my progress. In fact, I seem to be slipping backwards so I must make changes to my approach " 

DL: "You had two world title fights with Mikee Mulroney, and you were badly cut and beaten in both of them. What's happening?" 

JJ: "Mikee Mulroney is a very good fighter who has stopped me every time we have fought. I held my own in the early rounds of our first title fight but later I was bleeding from my nose and Mikee was able to knock me out. Again. "

DL: "That was tough, but you went back for more! Why? "

JJ: "I thought I did so well in the early rounds of that tournament fight that perhaps I had been unlucky to get such a bad nosebleed. It was a big thrill for me to fight for the world title and win some rounds against Mikee so I wanted to try again! Donny said I had shown I was a title contender! I also did well in the first rounds of the second title fight and I actually began to feel quite confident in that fight because I bloodied Mikee's nose this time. But she came on strong in the fifth round and opened a bad cut over my right eye. I was having trouble seeing and defending myself so that fight was stopped by the referee before the sixth round. I just can't get a win against Mikee, I can't even go the distance with her!"

DL: "Then Maria Lozada knocked you out. "

JJ: "I did ok in the early rounds but Maria made a comeback and I was bleeding from my mouth. I still thought I was ahead until she knocked me out in the last round. All of our fights have been close, this time it was her night."

DL: "Then your fight with Karen Kelly."

JJ: "That was my worst loss ever. Karen Kelly is my main rival in Canada and I had knocked her out in our first fight, so I was hoping for a big win but I blew it. I couldn't do anything at all against her this time."

DL: "You often do well in the early rounds but then lose."

JJ: "That's been a problem for me but against Karen Kelly I flat out stunk, it was humiliating and I know I must make changes now, with four straight losses "

DL: "What's in your future? "

JJ: "I had hoped that my size and skills would be my ticket to success but it's not working out. Donny says I need to get tougher and be more aggressive. I'm going to give up trying to fight defensive as it isn't working. I'm getting good starts in most fights so I need to make them count and get the job done early. "

DL: "So you'll try to get knockouts now?"

JJ: " I am obviously not winning long fights so Donny and I are working on a new approach. We will make big changes and I will try again. "

DL: "Good luck, Jenny!"

JJ: " Thank you. "

"Not the kind of victory to be proud"
says Mónica

Luckily for the intrepid Devon Ling, the Chilean world featherweight champion Mónica Rodríguez and her team chose Pattaya instead of the chilly Chile for her summer training.

Mónica is very busy in her training, as she spars with a 15 year old Thai boy ... and he's pummeling relentlessly the Chilean boxer! Eventually in the 11th round the extremely exhausted WEBA champ fall down to the canvas after a hard right uppercut, along with her mouthpiece, her blood, sweat and pride.

To Devon's surprise, Mónica's trainer kept his cool as the Thai kid works the crowd and humiliates the Chilean champ by posing over her before leaving the ring.

Trainer: Still sleepy? Hey Mónica wake up! You can't take a long nap in the ring you know...they need to clean up your blood for the next sparring and you have to work back in the bags.

Mónica (still groggy):  Whaat you say?

Trainer: Wake up right now! Besides the Chinese gal is here for an interview.  OK I'll give you fifteen minutes to talk to her and that will be all your rest before the bags (he removes her headgear) No.. keep your gloves on, I don't wanna waste time putting them on again...go,girl!  (He leaves them in the ring)

Devon: First, I'm American and second ... whatever ... you can't listen to me now!  Mónica are you OK?

Mónica (groggy in the ropes): Devon, right? Yeah fine, a bit KO still but fine.

Devon: Why is your trainer so rude? Even with you...he didn't care when that boy...

Mónica: Thanks for your concern but I'm here for training. Being the world champ I have to have the best and most intensive training that money can pay and this Thai people, boys and girls are really serious.

Devon: But that boy destroyed you, the showboating...

Mónica: and the pose over my pussy. It's the third time that the lil motherf ... does the same. At least now I lasted until the eleventh, first time I spar with him I was done by the fourth ... and his older sister owned me two weeks before I could dominate her ... she punches so hard that pinky Rivera or Fiona seems so weak in comparison.

Devon: So you actually agree with this kind of training?

Mónica: Absolutely! I need it if I want to keep my title! Eventually I'll handle these Muay Thai bastards as I did it with their sisters..and they will pay, you'll see!

Devon: Well it seems that you need a better training after your controversial win over Raquel Rivera.

Mónica: You and your questions ... of course that it was a pretty close fight. Honestly until the twelfth round I was ahead on cards so I don't had any doubt, but the pink bitch came back and ... well I was that close to losing ... she really got me in the final round and when I saw the ref coming to me I thought that I was done, but it was the end of the fight. I made it to the bell and won the fight on points.

Devon: And the crowd booed the decision. You criticized so much Stephanie Page when she took the junior title from you in a very similar way.

Monica: Look I saw the cards and they were correct. Now I felt that I was done ... a single final punch and ... look, I won but that is not the kind of victory to be proud. I feel shamed about it, and I wanna to apologize to my fans my trainer, my country that finally supports me even to that pinky Rivera. I did a Stephanie and I feel so shamed!

Devon: So that's why your team is so exigent with you? They are still disappointed with you.

Mónica: Right, and now that I'm better I have to back to my training ... in the afternoon I have to spar against this guy again and a couple of gals too. All of them are Muay Thai looking to improve their boxing techniques fighting since they were four years old ... and I thought that I had a tough childhood!

Devon: Any message or insults?

Mónica: To my fans, apologies again. When I finish my training here you will see a much better boxer. To Rivera just that she have a rematch granted, and my bitter Apache foe: get a life! Bye!

 

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