Postponement is No Problem for Eva Wahlstrom or Melissa St Vil
By Phil Woolever
It’s been said that good things come to those who wait.
There’s a strong chance that old saying will prove true for boxing fans when Eva Wahlstrom defends her WBC Super-featherweight title against Melissa St. Vil on April 6th in Finland.
The bout was initially scheduled for March 9th. While the undefeated Wahlstrom, (21-0-1, 3KOs), one of female boxing’s pound for pound elite; has plenty of fans, promotional realities dictated a change of venue and date.
“The fight was postponed because the original evening did not sell good enough, even though the card is one of the best here in a long time,” explained the forthright Wahlstrom. “We had to move the competitions from a big hall in Espoo to a smaller venue in the middle of Helsinki. I guess people were watching the Olympics instead of buying tickets.”
Both fighters remained unruffled by the change, even though the
postponement was announced relatively close to the originally scheduled weekend and could have created problems with their training timetables.
“When I heard about the delay I took a few days off from training,” said Wahlstrom, 37. “I spent more time with my kids sledding, ate more, and met with friends.”
“I got prepared for another month of hard training. I think it is important to be able to adjust to a situation quite quickly. Mentally I was close to my peak, but I will get there again. Physically, I’m in shape all year round. I was an amateur boxer for over ten years so I’m used to staying in shape for a long time. I think boxing is mostly about skills and being smart, so even being close to my
physical peak will be enough at anytime.”
Wahlstrom, who has never fought as a pro outside her homeland, was anxious for the fight but she was also patient and realistic as she explained the state of Finnish women’s boxing.
“There are only a few women in professional boxing here but the amateur scene is looking good for women. Mira Potkonen beat Katie Taylor in the 2016 Olympics and got a bronze, so she is a big role model, and so am I.”
“I will absolutely box outside Finland whenever I get a good offer. I don’t care where I fight, and to be truthful for me it’s not about keeping the belt, it’s about the fights and adventures! I guess I will also fight Taylor someday, but that fight shouldn’t be in Finland.”
The upbeat St. Vil, (10-2-4) a recognized gym rat whose prefight activities included posting a humorous video to Nordic fight fans, echoed Wahlstrom’s lack of distraction or worry about the fight being rescheduled.
“I’ve got a good team so the delay won’t mean anything,” promised St. Vil, who sounded as cheerful as she did confident. “We just slowed down my training, and I’m gonna pick it back up as the fight gets closer.”
Both boxers know their bout will be here soon enough, and they seem to remain as cool as the northern climate.
“Before the fight came up, I didn’t know she even existed,” smiled St. Vil. “When they told me she was WBC champion I was like, all right! If you look at my record, you know I’ll fight anywhere. Travelling to Finland is no pressure on me. I’m ready to go, whenever. I will be the new WBC Champion.”
“I have watched Melissa’s fights, but I don’t think about her much anymore these days,” observed Wahlstrom. “I guess she will fight the way I want her to. I think she is like sunshine and we will be happy to have her here to cheer people up. She’s a tough boxer and it will be fun to fight her.”
April 6th, in Finland.