RPM and Ann Wolfe make another bad decision – 2005

By Chris Middendorf –  February 24, 2005

(FEB 24) WBAN received an open letter from noted matchmaker Chris Middendorf, who commented on the latest news that Ann Wolfe is planning to fight a male boxer.

Chris told WBAN, “I read with real sadness that RPM has decided to totally devalue their fighter and the sport of women’s boxing by turning Ann Wolfe into a Tonya Harding-like circus act and having her face a male fighter. I do not know whether it is outright stupidity on the part of every member of the Wolfe team, desperation because they do not have a clue how to manage and promote one of the best female fighters, or once again the  overwhelming arrogance that they, and they alone have it all figured out, but to me it is the saddest day in women’s boxing.

That a top female fighter has to fight a male fighter in order to get recognition, a payday, or whatever sort of publicity is an embarrassment to not only Ann Wolfe, but to the sport of women’s boxing.

Having been the matchmaker for some of the sport’s most respected world champions, Isra Girgrah and Laila Ali, and having had the pleasure of working with several of the best past and present champions including Valerie Mahfood and Laeticia Robinson, and having regularly put female fights on television and on club shows for many different promoters, I have always maintained that all the sport needed was more time.

It is not that the sport is not lead by many quality fighters, it is that there is not the depth of talent emerging on club shows that could really bring strength as well as more broad based popularity to women’s boxing. I have always hoped that as long as there were a sufficient number of great female fighters out there showing off their skills and maintaining fan bases, that there would be a new generation of female fighters that would come along in greater numbers and every increasing skills. Quality will continue to emerge as long as the sport is treated seriously by all those that are involved. But for RPM and Ann Wolfe to feel the necessity to do this in order to keep her in the public eye at best or at worst use the fight as a money making venture is downright pathetic.

I actually should not have included Ann’s name in that last sentence. I think that as RPM is writing her checks and she has a family to support, that she just  does not know any better. Maybe she should not be blamed for anything other then being foolish enough to once again rely on a management team that has proven itself throughout all of the Laila Ali negotiations to be the most devious and underhanded pack of liars who clearly do not care one iota for Ann Wolfe’s future.

With this disgusting choice they have proved themselves once more to be more concerned with their own pockets then anything semblance of integrity as manager and/or promoters of a top athlete. Shame on them.”