Katie Winning Hearts
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First of all, apologies for the delay in this article but with Grand Slams, fighting championships and much celebrating to be done, I’m only crawling out from under my hangover now.
A few months ago, I moaned about the fact the World Champion boxer Katie Taylor (with her Sportswoman of the Year trophy, left) is never on the telly. She’s the best boxer we have and, being a woman in a man’s sport, RTE and their ilk ignore her. No more it seems.
As part of the brouhaha around Bernard Dunne winning his Super Bantam title, promoter Brian Peters decided he wanted to bring Big Night Boxing to Ireland. There would be drummers, dry ice, lights, cameras and lots of action. He also insisted on there being one Katie Taylor. The result was fantastic.
Taylor, although World Champion, was unknown in Ireland unless you were a boxing fan. That will never be the case again.
Watching the event on the TV was hilarious. The talking heads in the studio had no vocabulary for her. They were excited to see her fight and were nothing but respectful, almost in awe to be honest, but they didn’t know how to talk about her. Mick Dowling, former Olympic boxer, described her strength and toughness but added “but she’s a very feminine fighter, a very pretty girl”. What on earth is a feminine fighter? And how pretty is Bernard? What? These things seem to be important in boxing all of a sudden.
When she arrived out to the ring, 7,000 people chanted her name. What an amazing thing for a woman who, at the top of her sport, would never have had close to that number. Afterwards she said, “I couldn’t believe the reception I got – it was an amazing experience for me”. And one richly deserved.
As a fan of boxing, and equality, my heart was moved by the fact that no one person in that packed arena laughed at her, looked down on her or thought less of her skill because of her gender.
The hilarity continued with the fight commentary.
Jimmy Magee: This is not tippy tappy, this is a vicious hook.
Jimmy Magee: Most people talk about women’s boxing as being ‘paper powder’ stuff but this is the real thing. The real deal.
Dave ‘Boy’ McAuley: She punches better than some men I’ve seen.
Jimmy Magee: The Panamanians were watching her train with pads the other day and they said to her Dad, Peter, that not a man amateur in Panama would beat her.
Jimmy Magee:In case you’re wondering about attire, the women wear protection around the chest area for fairly obvious reasons.
Dave ‘Boy’ McAuley: This is one of the best amateur fights I’ve seen in a long long time, and they’re two girls.
Jimmy Magee: This is the stuff they write country songs about and she’s in the right place to right the lyrics – the Day I Met Katie Taylor.
Dave ‘Boy’ McAuley: There’s not a mark on her,straight nose, no puffy eyes – for 101 fights, her face is incredible pretty.
It wasn’t all clangers though, you had to feel a bit sorry for the commentators, boxing has been such a male-dominated sport that they just didn’t have the vocabulary for it. But they did their best and were in awe of her technical prowess, the power and raw talent. Here are some of the other comments that show that, although you could be a bit peeved about the sexism, they are taking her seriously.
Jimmy Magee: She’s unbeaten and unbeatable in the world. Barry is an excellent fighter but Katie is making her look like an amateur tonight.
Jimmy Magee: Wherever you are tonight don’t tell me you’re not surprised.
Dave ‘Boy’ McAuley: You can feel the power if those punches from up here. She’s an absolute credit to the sport.
It was truly an amazing night and a fantastic advertisement for women’s boxing. Both ‘girls’, as they insisted on calling them, loved the scale of the event. Caroline Barry, who Katie beat 25-3, was jumping around the ring afterwards, delighted to be able to bring the sport to so many people. Katie fever continued over the following week with a poster of her in one of the newspapers. Things like this don’t happen in women’s boxing. This ia a special time. But then, she is a special fighter.
Next up for Katie, the AIBA 2008 female boxer of the year, is the Ahmet Cup in Turkey, which runs from April 14 to 20.
In the words of Mr Magee: “Women’s boxing is alive, well and pumping.”
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I entirely agree with you Hal. A great performance then; also in her earlier two contests against another very talented United States star, Queen Underwood (National Stadium and Athy) and equally interesting is last week’s exhibition bout in Bray – the enclosed extract from Mary Fogarty’s report in the WICKLOW PEOPLE this week just shows what a great competitor she is.,and of course how much she benefits from regular sparring with the top male amateurs … Now she moves on to Istanbul 14/20th for the Ahmet Cup where she faces stiff competition from the Turkish and Russian champions….A decision on whether or not the sport will be included in the London Olympics now seems likely to be made on or about 14th August albeit it will need to be ratified in Copenhagen in Ocober. Katie was also voted female boxer of the year in the prestigious U.S online WBAN.org
Mike/Sports Journalist/London
From this week’s edition of “The Wicklow People ”
”
Running for cover
By Mary FOGARTY
THE CROWD held their breath last Thursday night in the Royal Hotel as boxing hero Katie Taylor took on former Irish champ and European bronze medalist Ross Hickey from Grangecon in what would unfold as a frighteningly good exhibition match.
Hundreds of people crowded into the ballroom and got to their feet with a roar, as champ Katie climbed into the ring to face lightweight Ross who stepped in at the eleventh hour when Liverpool’s Anastasia Cousins backed out of the bout.
Hickey and Taylor, who have sparred together before, produced three rounds of exceptional boxing. They sized one another up for the first three minutes and while there are no official points scored in an exhibition bout, onlookers agreed that Katie remained well ahead for the following two rounds.
Hickey only managed to tap Taylor a handful of times, with her speed and precision allowing the Bray sensation to land several blows on her opponent. The 22-year-old’s coach and father, Pete Taylor, and brother Peter gave orders from ringside, with Taylor anticipating their instructions almost before the words were out.
‘Hickey is a gentleman and a great guy. He had nothing to gain by coming out and stepping in. He did it as a favour and we really appreciate it,’ said Pete.
(From Wicklow People report of the Bray Boxing Club tournament at Royal Hotel, Bray)
Thanks for the comment, Mike! It’s true – the woman is swamped with awards, titles and achievements. It’d be atrocious for the Olympic authorities to refuse to allow women’s boxing. (Although maybe I say that now because we all know Taylor would totally win, heh..) It’s disgraceful, really though, that women’s boxing isn’t included at all.