Amateur Event – Oshkosh Eagles Club – December 1, 2001

Two women’s bouts opened the Oshkosh Boxing Club’s top-notch amateur show of 13 matches Saturday night, Dec. 1, at the Oshkosh Eagles Club. What was called an exhibition bout between two 106-pound females got things off to a rousing start as newcomer Krystal Willis, 1-0, boxed a four-round exhibition bout against “veteran”, Faizah Ami, 2-2, in a match that stretched the rules but entertained the crowd filling the hall to capacity and jammed with more who stood to watch the night of exciting boxing.

Willis of the Peshtigo Boxing Club, will be 16 in February and in her only previous bout last summer she stopped her opponent in the second round. This time the tables were reversed as Ami, 26, stopped her younger opponent in the second round when the ringside doctor advised that the bleeding 15-year-old had suffered enough damage to her nose and the referee, Dick Hannum of Marshfield, stopped the contest.

Both women showed active, aggressive ability and had the crowd screaming and yelling in the first round. A little wild but definite accuracy showed talent that was waiting to be developed in both boxers who pretty well brawled until the match was halted. The age disparity prompted the bout to be termed an exhibition and rounds were shortened to a minute and a half. Larger sparring 16-ounce sparring gloves also were used for the match.

One of Willis’ teammates pointed out the match was “just sparring” but the crowd took it for real and enthusiastically applauded both contestants. Although holding the bout stretched amateur rules, it realized the promoter’s philosophy of letting young boxers compete to help maintain their interesting the sport. Both women received solid applause in appreciation of their efforts. An unjudged bout, according to the rules, is not permitted to be held as part of an amateur program. The Ami/Willis bout was officially called a workout. The crowd didn’t know the difference and no mention of the change in gloves and directions to the boxers that they were only to “spar” were made. The exhibition was staged so that the boxers could gain the experience of boxing in front of a crowd as part of a real program.

Two other relative beginners in the sport got things back to normal as Sienna Bahlwin, 0-0, faced “veteran” Cherise McFarlane, 0-1, in their 147-pound bout. McFarlane of Madison Boxing Club, showed that since her last contest she had learned something about boxing taller opponents as she narrowly took the decision from her much taller foe.

Bahlman’s coach, Ken Hilgers from the Wisconsin Rapids Boxing Club, was at first opposed to letting his charge take the bout against the somewhat more experienced McFarlane but Bahlman told him she wanted to box and not waste the two and a half hour trip to Oshkosh. She was not in the least discouraged by the loss and took encouragement from the fact that the judges’ results showed a split decision. McFarlane knew how her opponent felt for only two weeks previously she was in her first bout with no experience and came out on the losing end. McFarlane’s smile on winning showed she is in boxing for the long haul. It’s just too much fun not to go on, in her view.

Willis, at 15 is ideally positioned, chronologically at least, to fulfill her dream of competing in Olympic women’s boxing. In a brief interview before the program she explained that she loves “fighting sports”. She competed for two years at 106 pounds on the boys wrestling team in high school but without much success, she said ruefully. But only a couple of blocks from her school in Peshtigo she daily passed Willy Price’s Peshtigo Boxing Club going to and from classes. “I decided to stop in,’ Willis said with a smile, “and then I figured, why not try it? It can’t hurt.” (Boxing can’t hurt? Ed).

Willis found she loved the new sport and showed quick learning ability. She worked hard to master the game and was dedicated in her ambition to make a success of boxing, her coach, Price, said. Her brother wrestled and so did a cousin, pupil and coach explained. She tried wrestling but it just didn’t seem to be her sport but she loves combative competition. Willis now trains at boxing four days a week and makes sure she gets in the fifth day of running when she can’t make practice because of duties at church. She entered the Silver Gloves in Minnesota last summer and stopped her more experienced opponent in the second round. She got stopped Saturday in the second round. It will be interesting to see who gets stopped in her next match up.

The eleven men’s bouts that followed the women’s contests were exciting and the crowd showed its appreciation with loud cheering and enthusiastic applause after each contest. There were eleven clubs represented with the largest contingent understandably coming from the Oshkosh host club. Manistique, Mich., was the sole out-of-state club present. Oshkosh Boxing Club is planning a repeat amateur show there Feb. 2, 2002.