The Most Outrageous in the Sport of Women’s Boxing in 2005! by Sue TL fox

(DEC 31, 2005) WBAN has listed “some” of the most outrageous things that went on in the sport for 2005.  It would be impossible to list them all-but here are some of our top picks!   Here you go….

 “DID YOU GET TIRED OF HEARING THE WORDS MILLION DOLLAR BABY”? THE MOST OVER USED PHRASE IN JUST ABOUT EVERY NEWS STORY WRITTEN ABOUT WOMEN’S BOXING…in 2005!”

Did you get as tired as WBAN hearing the words, “Million Dollar Baby” in 2005? This had to be the most over used phrase in just about every news story written about women boxers this year. We even had a “Million Dollar LADY” fight that was supposed to take place until one of the boxers got “injured.” Let us NOT forget OTHERS who jumped on the bandwagon to attach themselves to the “Million Dollar” phenomenon.

FEMALE PRISONER MAKING PRO DEBUT IN BOXING—FIGHTS FOR WORLD TITLE IN A THAILAND PRISON

Who could forget about Nog Nai Siriporn, the Thailand boxer who never had a pro fight, was a prisoner in a Thailand prison, and where the world title bout took place in the prison.  Did I mention, she was fighting for a WBC world title belt?  There was little information on Siriporn, and we were led to believe before the fight that Siriporn was 8-0. BUT it took Siriporn,  herself , who gave her true record to the press–she WAS making her pro debut. JUST WHEN YOU THINK it could not get worst, more information is revealed through the news media that Siriporn was told that they would shorten her prison sentence if she won the fight!

WBAN reported the following:  “There was a fight that occurred at the Klong Luang Prison, Pathumthanee, Thailand on November 5, 2005. The contestants to fight—Nananko Kikuchi of Japan vs. Thailand’s Nongmai Sor Siriporn, who was making her pro debut.  Siriporn displaying the heart of a tiger, AND for not ever fighting in a sanctioned boxing bout, did quite well to last seven rounds with a seasoned boxer, as Kikuchi.  But, let me ask you….If you were a person who was fulfilling a prison sentence, and someone said to you, that you would  get a “Get Out of Jail for Free Card” IF you won a fight….how well would YOU fight to gain your freedom?   In many news sources, it states that this was somehow a “bargain chip” for Siriporn to shorten her prison sentence—IF SHE WON.I can only imagine the sleepless nights Siriporn must have had in that lonely Thai Prison cell…thinking…hmmm…If I win–I get out…Ah…I lose,  I stay longer.” Personally…they would have had to of put me out with “knockout” pills to get me to fall asleep with that kind of dilemma facing me in life.    Another perplexing issue….The WBC stated that Siriporn was ranked #3 in the last two months (Oct-Nov) of their ratings—the ratings prior to those ratings (Aug-Sept), she was not even on the board.  (WBAN has these ratings archived as they were posted on the WBC).  Another issue…Siriporn was reported to have had eight pro bouts, winning all of them.  But NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE has any record of those sanctioned boxing bouts-except some emailed list sent out by an affiliate of the WBC.  WBAN went up and beyond the call of duty to find one shred of documentation on Siriporn with absolutely no results.  But, all was solved on November 5th, when out of the mouth of babes….Siriporn confirms what everyone suspected.   THIS WAS SIRIPORN’S FIRST PRO BOXING MATCH.   Siriporn stated to the news media the following, “She was better and stronger. Her right was hard. This was only my first professional fight. I need more experience to become a better boxer.”  It was said from Prison authorities that Siriporn could be a role model for other prisoners…and as far as WBAN is concerned–she is.   Not only has she dedicated herself to getting physically fit and to set goals for herself, facing her addiction to drugs, having a successful recovery from that addiction, and last but not least, she has a virtue that CANNOT go un-noticed. SIRIPORN IS honest.  She told the truth, when others gave a wrath of BS about her background.  Of what has been reported to WBAN thus far, Siriporn has the potential to be a very good boxer. She has the heart and guts of a boxer—and WBAN wishes her well in her endeavor to become a champion in the future.

THE IOC REJECTS WOMEN’S BOXING FOR 08’ OLYMPICS

The IOC rejected women’s boxing, but approved open-water swimming and women’s steeplechase for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The International Olympic Committee Executive Board rejected the request to include Women’s Boxing in the Beijing’s Olympic Games in 2008. However, the IOC left the door open for women’s boxing to be included at the London Games in 2012. (Oh…thank you—you are SO Generous). Amateur Boxing Champion Angel Bovee wrote the following, about this decision that  not only affected her, but other female boxers, “Believe it or not, even after all our exhausting work, boxing is the ONLY sport in the Games that does NOT include women. After competing on the first-ever Women’s World Championship team back in 2001 and again in 2002, I cannot believe that we may not see women boxers in the Olympic Games until 2012! The opportunities for women boxers will continue to be on a sub-level to that of the men until we receive the necessary funding from the IOC and USOC to support both national and international competitions for the women. My years of dedication to Olympic-style boxing (never going pro because I believed the world would recognize the importance of gender equality and equal opportunity) and dreams of Olympic Gold have been taken away, simply because I am female. I do not want that fate to happen to a single girl out there that wants to train, sacrifice and deserves an equal opportunity chance to reach the Olympic Games and believe in the Olympic ideals.” Yes folks….this was definitely OUTRAGEOUS!

MAN VS WOMAN RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD IN 2005

Just when the sport was looking up—-we had the Million Dollar Baby buzz, and the sport in general was receiving a heavy influx of media attention. AND THEN the Ann Wolfe team announces that Wolfe was fighting a “man.” Whoopee! Fans couldn’t wait—or could they? Luckily for the fans, the “man vs. woman” bout had been postponed for various reasons—and did not happen in 2005.  A noted matchmaker Chris Middendorf, could not have said it any better when he wrote, “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.”

BOXERS FIGHTING FOR WORLD TITLES WITH OPPONENTS NOT RANKED, NO WINS, AND MORE!

Well it has definitely been a “Rocky” year in 2005 (no, the Rockys’ don’t generally win in these true life scenarios)  for not only some of the worst matchmaking, but the craziest matchmaking. Some of these “TITLE HOLDERS” fought for supposed “WORLD TITLES” fighting soft and inferior opponents. After these “TITLE HOLDERS” won “WORLD TITLES”  some of them would then step in the ring fighting more inferior and inexperienced boxers.

FIRST “TWO ROUND” BOUT!

Yep…we actually had a commissioner, Aaron Davis, who apparently thought that women only fight two rounds! The fight took place in Topeka, Kansas, where two women boxers were fighting a four-rounder. When the fighters were coming out for the third round, the Commissioner and Ref stopped the fight—because they thought it was over. What was MORE outrageous, was that the fighters left the ring, took their wraps and equipment off, and when the nimrods figured out the Blooper they created—they actually tried to get the boxers to re-enter the ring!  Luckily the fight was ultimately called a “no contest.” This information was confirmed with the ABC Commission.

FEMALE BOXER ACCUSED OF MURDERING HER TRAINER

A big shocker in 2005 was when WBAN learned that a female boxer was arrested for murder. According to reports in the Paraguayan press on January 4, 2005, Severino Riveros, former Paraguayan amateur champion, active as both a promoter and trainer in Sao Paulo where he has lived for the last 15 years, had been shot dead allegedly by one of his pupils, 23-year-old Dávila Miura Ferreira, with whom he was romantically linked.

TYSON IS BACK….OR IS THAT “BITE”

No..No…WBAN is not talking about Mike Tyson, but a female boxer who was so outrageous in 2005, that she BIT her opponent! Zarrika Fatuma was fighting Frida Wallberg for a 10-round WIBF Intercontinental bout, when Fatuma apparently got frustrated, and took a chunk out of Walberg’s collarbone. In the Swedish news, where Wallberg is from, they reported the following (excerpt): “Forget the bite. Forget the scandalous fight. Forget, that Frida Wallberg probably will be unable to see with her left eye for the next week or so. Remember, that Frida Wallberg took the first big step towards the world top at the Scandinavian Congress Center in Århus yesterday. “She (Fatuma) lowered her head and bit. I was so angry”, said Frida Wallberg after the scandalous fight. Zarrika Fatuma tried to bite her way to victory in frustration. The kenyan woman bit Frida twice just above the left collarbone. Once in the sixth round and another attempt in the eight. I don’t know why she did it, but I realized immediately what she was up to. It hurt bad, but I couldn’t lose my temper. When that happens the boxing gets bad. Later she bit once more. It was very bad taste on her part, says Frida. The referee didn’t see any of the bites, but Frida’s new trainer Mikael Löwengren yelled out so it could be heard throughout the arena. -She is biting. A red mark shows where she was bit.

WBAN wrote on June 18, 2005:  “Looks like WBAN just may have a viable candidate for 2005’s dirtiest fighter of the year. As most of you know, Amy Johnson of Canada received that honor last year after trying in vain to lace and scrap Tonya Harding’s face with her gloves during their 2004 matchup.   Well, Zarrika Fatuma has done her little deed, alleged by Frida Wallberg, when Wallberg fought Fatuma in a 10-round WIBF Intercontinental bout last night, and took a “bite” from the Tyson-like boxer, Fatuma. Apparently Fatuma, getting frustrated in the match, tried to take a chunk out of Wallberg’s collarbone.   In the Swedish news, where Wallberg is from, they reported the following (excerpt): “Forget the bite. Forget the scandalous fight. Forget, that Frida Wallberg probably will be unable to see with her left eye for the next week or so. Remember, that Frida Wallberg took the first big step towards the world top at the Scandinavian Congress Center in Århus yesterday. “She (Fatuma) lowered her head and bit. I was so angry”, said Frida Wallberg after the scandalous fight. Zarrika Fatuma tried to bite her way to victory in frustration. The kenyan woman bit Frida twice just above the left collarbone. Once in the sixth round and another attempt in the eight.  I don’t know why she did it, but I realised immediately what she was up to. It hurt bad, but I couldn’t lose my temper. When that happens the boxing gets bad. Later she bit once more. It was very bad taste on her part, says Frida. The referee didn’t see any of the bites, but Frida’s new trainer Mikael Löwengren yelled out so it could be heard through out the arena. -She is biting. A red mark shows where she was bit.”