Brooklyn’s Heather Hardy Returns

Brooklyn’s Heather Hardy Returns and other fight chatter – Undefeated Heather “the Heat” Hardy returns to the ring with her small army of followers.

The Brooklyn-based prizefighter is one of a growing number of female boxers in the country who can attract a large fan base to one of her bouts.

Normally a super bantamweight, Hardy (16-0, 4 KOs) faces featherweight Kirstie Simmons (8-1) in a catch weight bout set for eight rounds on Saturday June 25, at the Barclays Center. It’s part of a big fight card staged by DiBella Entertainment.

“I remember my first fight there I was doing a press conference at the atrium area. The whole stadium was empty but I looked down and it looked like the Grand Canyon. It was incredible,” says Hardy, 34. “Anybody on the big stage can tell you it’s incredible to see but walking to the ring during a fight is like walking in your own backyard. You’re just focused.”

She’s zeroed in that focus on Simmons.

“I’ve never met her before. I know she’s a southpaw with a seven-fight win streak,” Hardy says unflinchingly. “She’s a bigger girl. We’re meeting at a catch weight.”

The fight weight is set for 124 pounds.

Just two months ago Hardy defeated Sweden’s Anna Donatella by knockout in the fourth round of their clash that also took place at Barclays. She’s becoming a regular attraction at the Brooklyn venue that only stages big events.

“The truth is that I sell tickets. I’m up to $24,000 in tickets sold for this fight,” she said. “I call everyone. If the networks won’t pay to put me on fights like the guys, I can do it myself.”

Hardy’s not just breaking down opponents, she’s also breaking down mythical barriers that female prizefighters do not attract fans. It’s quite the opposite. She’s proven it six times on Barclays Center fight cards.

Now she’s looking for a chance to prove it on a televised event. Just like Ultimate Fighting Championship proved can be done with a large degree of success in female MMA.

“Dana White proved it with Ronda Rousey that a woman can be a big attraction,” Hardy says. “So why not boxing?”

Photo by JP Yim

 

Other Female Fight Chatter

Argentina

In Buenos Aires, Micaela Lagos (4-0) knocked out Carla Massa (0-2) in the fourth round of a featherweight contest on Friday June 17. The fight was set for four three-minute rounds.

In Junin, a super flyweight bout saw Anahi Lopez (4-0-1) score a knockout win over Rocio Cejas (1-3-1) in the third round on Friday June 17. Lopez, 21, fights out of Junin, Argentina.

Daniela “La Bonita” Bermudez (19-3-2) defends the WBO super flyweight title when she faces Marisa “La Nena” Portillo (16-11-3) on Friday June 24. The 10-round bout takes place in Rufino, Argentina. Both Bermudez, 26, and Portillo, 28, are from Argentina. This is Bermudez second defense of the title. Portillo has had five previous attempts at world titles without success.

Super flyweights Maria Rivera (8-4-3) and Soledad Macedo (13-12-1) fight for the vacant South American super flyweight title on Saturday June 25. Rivera, 35, fights out of Lujan, Argentina. Macedo, 33, is from Salto, Uruguay. The 10-round match takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

 

Australia

At Newstead, Kori Farr (2-3-1) upset Julie Gaston (7-2-1) to win the vacant Australian featherweight title by split decision after eight rounds. The match took place on Saturday June 18. Farr, 39, lives in Brisbane, Australia. Gaston, 36, also lives in Brisbane.

A welterweight bout between Pania Marshall (1-0) and Kewarin Boonme (0-1) takes place on Friday June 24 in Malvern, Australia. It’s a three-round bout. Marshall is from Australia and Boonme, 18, is from Thailand.

 

Belgium

A super lightweight clash between Elfi Phillips (7-3-3) and Katarina Vistica (1-2) takes place on Saturday June 25. The six-round match occurs in Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Phillips, 22, hails from Oost-Vlaanderen. Vistica, 23, lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On the same card, Femke Hermans (1-0) meets Najat Hasnouni (3-0-1) in a six-round super welterweight contest.

 

Czech Republic

A featherweight match between Lucie Sedlackova (6-0-1) and Sopio Putkaradze (13-6-3) is set for 10 rounds on Saturday June 25 in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. On the same fight card, minimum weights Fabiana Bytyqi (7-0) and Halima Vunjabei (3-2-1) fight for the WBC Youth title in a 10-round contest.

 

China

A bantamweight fight for the vacant WBA International title between Alesia Graf (27-5, 12 Kos) and Noemi Bosques (10-6-2) takes place on Friday June 24. The female bout is set for 10 rounds and takes place in Beijing, China. Graf, 35, is a former champion who lives in Stuttgart, Germany. Bosques, 33, fights out of St. Petersburg, Florida and has lost three consecutive bouts but has never been stopped.

 

France

At Royan, Ericka Rousseau (9-0) defeated by decision Bojana Libiszewska (2-17) after six rounds in a featherweight contest on Saturday June 18.

 

Germany

At Velbert, a minimum weight battle saw Oezlem Sahin (21-1-1, 7 KOs) knock out Agnes Draxler (9-13) at 1:46 of the second round on Saturday June 18. Sahin, 39, who lives in Ludwigsburg, Germany, captured the vacant WBF and UBO minimum weight titles. Draxler, 20, fights out Hungary.

 

Italy

Light flyweights Valeria Imbrogno (7-0) and Kleopatra Tolnai (6-6) fight for the vacant EBU title on Friday June 24. The 10-round bout takes place in Brescia, Italy. Imbrogno, 37, is a southpaw fighting out of Milan. Tolnai, 19, fights out of Budapest, Hungary.

A lightweight clash between Anita Torti (9-5-1) and Lela Terashvili (6-1-1) is set for six rounds on Sunday June 26 at Catania, Sicily in Italy. Torti, 40, fights out of Milan, Italy. Terashvili fights out of the country of Georgia.

 

Japan

In Kobe, a minimum weight fight saw Etsuko Tada (16-2-2) win by knockout of Maitai Sor Praithong (0-1) at 37 seconds of the third round.

At Koga, Yuki Koseki (3-2) defeated Itose Ishii (2-3) by majority decision after four rounds of a flyweight contest on Sunday June 19. Koseki, 23, fights out of Yokohama, Japan. Ishii, 20, lives in Takasaki, Japan.

A battle between minimum weight fighters Mizuki Matsuoka (0-0) and Akane Hashimoto (0-0-1) happens on Sunday June 26, in Fukuoka, Japan.

 

Mexico

At Tijuana, WBA female minimum weight titlist Anabel Ortiz (21-3) of Mexico won by knockout over San Diego’s Jolene Blackshear (9-8) at the end of the eighth round on Saturday. Ortiz, 29, has made seven consecutive title defenses since winning the belt in July 2013. Also, Sandra Robles (13-2) won a technical decision against Victoria Polo (3-1) in another minimum weight bout. The fight was stopped in the sixth round of a scheduled eight round fight due to a cut suffered by Robles from an accidental clash of heads.

 

New Zealand

In Manukau, a heavyweight bout saw Nailini Helu (2-0) defeat Sarah Long (0-1) by decision after four rounds on Saturday June 18.

 

South Korea

Young undefeated flyweights Chan Mi Lim (1-0) and Eiko Jonai (2-0) clash in a four round bout on Sunday June 26, at Seoul, South Korea. Lim fights out of South Korea and Jonai fights out of Kobe, Japan.

 

Switzerland

In Basel, a bantamweight bout saw Aniya Seki (30-3-2) defeat veteran Claudia Ferenczi (11-52-6) by unanimous decision after eight rounds on Saturday June 18. Seki, 37, is originally from Japan but now fights out of Berne, Switzerland. She holds the GBU and WIBF bantamweight titles. Ferenczi is only 23 years old but has amassed 70 pro bouts in nine years. She fights out of Slovakia.

USA

In Chicago, a super lightweight bout saw Katonya Fisher (1-0) win her pro debut by split decision over Jessica McCaskill (1-1) after four rounds on Saturday June 18.

In Washington, Penn. a battle between pro debuting welterweights saw Shianne Gist (1-0) emerge the winner against Gabby Holloway (0-1) after four rounds by decision.

In Albuquerque, a lightweight contest saw Ayanna Vasquez (1-0) defeat Katie Ramirez (0-1) by unanimous decision after four three-minute rounds on Saturday June 18. Vasquez, 21, fights out of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Ramirez, 18, lives in Bosques Farms, New Mexico.

 

Venezuela

In La Guaira, a large female only fight card took place with a total of seven female bouts. Four of those were world title bouts. Argentina’s Yesica Bopp (29-1, 12 Kos) won the WBA light flyweight title by decision over Mexico’s Nancy Franco (15-9-2) after 10 rounds on Saturday June 18. Costa Rica’s Hanna Gabriel (16-1-1) knocked out Uruguay’s Katia Alvarino (8-3-1) at 1:28 of round three to add the WBA super welterweight world title to the WBO title she already holds. WBA bantamweight titlist Mayerlin Rivas (14-3-1, 9 Kos) of Venezuela hung on to the title by split decision against Spain’s Melania Sorroche (11-1-1) after 10 rounds. Linda Lecca (12-2-2) of Peru fought to a split draw after 10 rounds with Venezuela’s Carolina Alvarez (12-6-4) to retain the WBA super flyweight title. Ogleidis Suarez (21-3-1) knocked out Yarley Cuadrado (7-3) to win the vacant WBA Fedalatin super welterweight title. Colombia’s Yolis Franco (19-9-3) defeated Venezuela’s Ambar Fajardo (8-3) by decision to win the WBA Fedalatin super featherweight title. Venezuela’s Debora Rengifo (7-2-1) won the vacant WBA Fedalatin minimum weight title by decision over fellow countrywoman Eva Guzman (4-1-1).

In Los Teques, a minimum weight fight saw Maria Milano (5-1-1) defeat Angie Bejarano (0-1) by majority decision after four rounds on Tuesday June 14.

 

By Prizefighters.com Staff