Arely Muciño is Ready for England’s Nicola Adams
As if capturing the four major world titles in her weight class wasn’t enough, now current WBO flyweight champion Arely “Amatralladora” Muciño (27-3-2, 10KO) could possibly be in her toughest challenge yet.
She was looking forward into going to the lion’s den to defend her world title against the Olympian and interim WBO champ Nicola Adams (5-0, 3KO) at the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington, England, on Friday, March 8th, but now the fight has been postponed due to a recent injury to Adams.
“We found out about a week ago,” Muciño said of the recent postponement. “They let us know she hurt her shoulder. They said they had a new date about three weeks later but I find that hard to believe because she needs to recoup and then continue her training. We are waiting for the final word.”
According to a press release put out by Adams’ promoter, Frank Warren, they are looking to put on the fight not in March but later this year.
If the fight against Adams doesn’t happen in March, Muciño along with her team as well as her promoter Zanfer have a contingency plan.
“We are going to defend the title on April 13th here in my hometown of Monterrey,” she said. “We are waiting for official word from the WBO but we are already looking for a suitable opponent.”
When asked why she was willing to travel half way around the world to defend her title, Muciño was very frank with her answer.
“I like challenges, I like to work hard, I like to go against the grain,” Muciño recently said during an exclusive interview before the injury was announced with the 2-Min Round, the all-female boxing podcast. “When I went to Germany when I was walking around they would ask Laura Serrano, who was my translator for that trip, if I was Arely Muciño then they would tell her I was going to lose. There were a lot of negative comments.”
At 29 years old and 11 as a professional fighter Muciño can be considered a veteran in the sport. In her pro career the Mexican beauty has also held the WBC, WBA and the IBF in the 112-pound category at different times. A major accomplishment for somebody who at first didn’t really like the sport.
“I started 18 years ago in this sport when female boxing wasn’t as popular as it is now. I am from Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico,” she explained. “My father was a boxer. At first I didn’t like it much but my father only had daughters. We used to go with my dad to the gym and one time he invited us to a Golden Gloves tournament. By that time I had trained a little bit just as self-defense. When I saw a girl get a medal at the tournament I asked my dad to train me. That is when I began when I was 11 years old.”
She began as the darling in her hometown with a draw against Alma Flores Bueno who she beat in their second go-around in her very next fight.
“When I began boxing it was rare to see female boxing in my hometown,” she stated. “I consider myself a pioneer here in my state. It was very difficult because I had to fight against much heavier opponents at times just so I could fight. I won 11 different tournaments here in my city of Monterrey and there weren’t any opponents anymore.”
“My life has been different since I don’t have any kids and I am not married,” she explained. “I have sacrificed that for the sport. At home they did require me to have a degree, which I achieved. Here in Monterrey I was the first National female amateur champion, the first female world champion from Monterrey and the first world champion in my state of Nuevo Leon in 40 years.”
She went undefeated for two years and nine fights before heading to Germany to face Susi Kentikian in the fall of 2010 in her first world title bid. The fight ended as a no-contest after Muciño suffered a cut due to an accidental head-butt.
She came back home and immediately captured her first title, the vacant IBF strap, with a technical knockout over Chantal Cordova. She defended the title three times before being brutally knocked out by Ava Knight in late 2011. She then captured the interim WBA world title with a split decision over former champion Melissa McMorrow and defending it once. She captured the WBC version of the crown in December of 2014 with a win over Japan’s Shindo Go but lost it in her first defense against Jessica “Kika” Chavez. Her current title she captured with a majority decision over Montserrat “Raya” Alarcon early last year and since has defended it once with a spit decision over Maria “Polvorita” Salinas.
“All have been important in their given moment,” she said about the world titles. “In the beginning of my career I didn’t really have the support of a promoter. When I first fought out of the country it was on my own, without the support of a promoter. After the Susi Kentikian fight that is when promoters began to approach me.”
I think every one of my titles is significant,” she said. “I’ve had very tough fights. I think the hardest ones have been outside of the ring because I have always fought so that our work, not only mine, but also of all female fighters is valued. Every belt has been worth it. Now I hold the WBO title and have always waited for the opportunity to win this title. I think my toughest fights weren’t for a title but every title has had different significance and they have taught me not only as a boxer but as a person.”
To keep the world title she must beat Nicola Adams, 36, of England. Adams is a two-time gold medalist winning the top honor in 2012 and 2016. Not only did she capture Olympic gold but was the world amateur champion at flyweight and also took the Commonwealth and European titles as well.
In her last fight, her fifth as professional, Adams defeated Isabel “Estrella” Millan to capture a WBO strap.
“I think what distinguishes all Mexicans when we step into a ring is heart, persistence round after round,” is what Muciño said she needs to win the fight. “I will do whatever is necessary. I can’t say I will go out and box or that I will go out and brawl. I have been watching videos of her work in different fights. I think after the first round everything will fall into place.”
“I am not going to lose,” she said confidently. “I am going to do what us Mexicans are known for, be aggressive but in this fight I also have to be smart. I need to use all the experience I have. This is not my first tough fight. I have had big fights with tough fighters. I am going to use all of my experience.”
“I think the most important thing and I have learned it from this sport is to never underestimate your opponent,” Muciño stated. “I think Adams is making that mistake. I like to be the underdog but at the end in the ring it will only be her and me.”
A student of the game Muciño is very aware of her opponent’s and her accomplishments. As well as her statements, “I saw an interview she gave where she says she is sparring with a world champion to get ready for her. He doesn’t have my style. She is a fighter that likes to talk. She’s said that she knows what I am going to do like all Mexicans. She is forgetting that not all of us are the same. I like the fact that she talks because at the end when we get into the ring, not her trainers, her friends or anybody else will be in that ring but she and I. ‘Si le va entrar’ (if she is going to step into it) like we say here in Mexico, then she will find out what she will be getting.”
As a world champion, one of the most popular fighters in Mexico and signed to Zanfer Promotions, one must say Muciño has her pick for future fights. Despite that, she says she is only focused on Adams.
“I like to work with what is next,” Muciño explained. “If you get ahead of yourselves you neglect the present. This fight is very important for me. I want big fights on big events. I want people to not only value my work but of all female boxing. We want equality. Female boxing is now a reality so now we need to work on parity. I don’t think we are too far away. I think this fight can open doors for Mexican female fighters. To be able to have a place on major international fight cards.”
To listen to the complete interview please visit www.BlogTalkRadio.com/2MinRound