Marischa Sjauw

©Hollywood Style

"LA MATADORA" ON THE MOVE

European champion Marischa Sjauw first invaded American shores back in
March 1998 to do battle with current IWBF champion Lisa Ested. Sjauw, owner
of a sparkling 6-0-1 record amassed at the expense of European competition,
was less successful in her first foray to the USA. Attribute it possibly to
ring rust, a result of not fighting in over two years.
In any event, in her first fight here, she walked into Lisa's vaunted
right hand and went down. Up quickly, she resumed the fight but the flash
knockdown was instrumental in the loss.
Despite a furious late rally, her attempt to overcome Esteds early lead
fell short. She lost the close but unanimous decision. The loss, however,
served another purpose.

Triple champion Kathy Collins, in need of a quality opponent for a title defense, selected Marischa. Despite the loss, her credentials were impressive and she appeared a safe opponent. The two met in May, 1997 for one of Collins multiple belts and the bout turned out to be one of the 'years best'.
Sjauw started quickly, firing out of her corner and taking the fight to
Collins. A surprised Team Collins found themselves well behind by the end of
the fifth stanza but Collins was not one of the worlds best for lack of skill
and determination. In the middle rounds, the tide began to turn, ever so
imperceptibly. Entering the final rounds, the win was still up for grabs.
Both fighters reached down to find that special quality that makes champions,
grit.
Both fighters stood toe-to-toe, firing all weapons to the delight of a
roaring crowd. It was probably the best single round action of the year. At
the conclusion, fans and fighters anxiously awaited the decision. The result,
Collins by the slimmest of margins. Sjauw had narrowly missed the upset of
the year. The officials all scored the bout 96-94. One round going the other
way would have produced a draw at 95-95, and the last five rounds were so
close that they could have gone either way. Collins, as always, gracious in
victory, admitted that Sjauw was a surprise and one of the finest fighters she
had ever entered the ring against.

Sjauw had established her world-class credentials but was nonetheless 0-2
here in America. To further compound her frustration, her next bout yielded
still another loss. Matched with a woman 12 lbs heavier and at 6'1" tall,
Marischa fell victim to a holding, clutching and grabbing opponent and a
hometown decision.
For most fighters, this would have been the ultimate disappointment and
enough to send them 'packing' and heading for a more desirable clime. Not so
for Team Sjauw and her supporters. It was simply 'back to the drawing board',
in her case, the gym.

Relocating temporarily in Florida, Marischa underwent an arduous training
regimen under the aegis of Steve Shepherd and assistant Johnny Bumphus.
Eventually, with her conditioners 'stamp of approval', Sjauw was deemed
ready for all comers. Her return would be a tune-up to check her improvement
and conditioning. She accepted a 'look and see' four round assignment with veteran Shakurah 'Pugs' Witherspoon in Atlanta, Georgia.
Witherspoon, though featuring only a 2-6-1 log, was nonetheless, a decent
test. She had gone the distance in losses to world champions Leah Mellinger
and Melissa Salamone as well as undefeated stars Corrine Geeris and Songul
Oruc. The test turned out to be a 'stroll in the park' workout with Sjauw
pitching a four round shutout, battering the hapless Witherspoon from pillar-
to-post for the entire fight. Despite suffering two knockdowns, the durable
Witherspoon somehow managed to survive the distance, losing the unanimous nod by scores of 40-36, 40-35 and 40-35.

Sjauw and her management now feel that Marischa is ready for bigger game.
That 'bigger game' might well be Brit WIBF World Champion Jane Couch.
Negotiations for a title fight are currently underway.
So...who is this 'La Matadora', a fighter who seemingly has all of the
skills, determination and intestinal fortitude of a future world champion?
Sjauw was born in Paramaribo, Surinam, a former Dutch colony (Dutch Guiana) on August 27th, 1971. Surinam is a breeding ground for top fighters, among them superstar, Lucia Rijker.
Sjauw moved with her family to Holland at the age of six. Her family
includes five brothers and one sister. In school, she was an all-around
athlete, favoring the European soccer. She graduated from Meao College in
Landgraaf, Holland as an Economics major.

Her first athletic successes were in the Kun-Tao discipline of martial arts but with two brothers that were boxers, she eventually gravitated to that
sport, this after winning European titles in Kun-Tao.
By 1995, she had amassed a 5-0-1 record as a boxer and felt that it was
time to move up. On November 18,1995, she met Annie Sophia Mathis for the
WIBF European championship crown. Mathis, renowned in Europe as a genuine
star, was the heavy favorite. The scene was set for Marisha's entry into the major leagues of womens boxing and she wasn't about to permit this opportunity to slip away.
Jumping all over the surprised Mathis, she dropped the champ three times
en route to a fifth round tko stoppage and her first championship belt.
Sjauws personal resume' now read 6-0-1 with the only flaw being a draw against
another Dutch star, Sandra DeVries.
At this juncture in her career, womens boxing lapsed into dormancy and
Marischa would wait over two years before she would fight again and she would
have to cross the ocean to do it. The rest is current history.

Individuals to whom Sjauw gives credit for her successes in boxing in Europe extend to Henk Moerkerk, a longtime fighter in Germany and Sefket Ramadam, a Turkish coach who she claims to have been her greatest motivator.
Marischa currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida and is managed by
Jimmy Rowan. She has recently wed her longtime companion and boyfriend,
Marcel Niessen. The future bodes well for this dedicated athlete who captures everyone's heart that she meets with an ever-present and winning smile and an incredibly positive attitude to life.

Rod Mahaffey