Post by Yvonne Reis on Oct 6, 2009 15:27:05 GMT -5
Sue posted a story I wrote on WBAN and I have receivied many emails thanking me for writing their story. I is nice to know that I am not alone. They asked me to post it here, so for what it is worth, here it is:
Bernie McCoy gave me a compliment earlier this year in a story saying, “I get it.” Well I guess I still don’t get it and do I really want to?
I lost to Hanna Gabriel by a decision in a fight that took place on September 26, 2009. Did I really lose? Well, what fighter will admit to a loss on a decision? I would, and no, I don’t feel that I lost, but I did lose something----Faith.
I went to the U.S. Virgin Islands expecting a tough fight. But like all fighters hoped for a fair decision if it came to that. I felt the odds of that slipping away the minute weigh-in took place.
Of those of you who have never been to a weigh-in, that is when you get the details and rules from the local boxing commission, fill out the commission’s paperwork, and of course weigh-in, do the stare down and press for the fight.
Well, first off, there was no commission representative to give us the rules and regulations. Okay, that is not so weird; I have been in many other countries and received the rules in the dressing room before the fight. I thought that I would get them then. We both made weight, did our stare down and went on our separate ways.
After weigh-in, which is that day before the fight, all fighters go eat. I find out that the promoter takes my opponent to the local high school to talk to the kids. A publicity move which is normal, but I wasn’t invited. A little red flag goes up in my head.
Ok, I now know that I am the opponent so I don’t get the press, fine. I seem to always be in that position in my fight career because I have no promoter. In fact, very few of us female fighters do. Those that do can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare.
Fight day comes and the venue is nice, professional and seems very legit---So it appears.
We get our dressing rooms and wait. That is the part we all hate; the wait. I am ready, come on lets do this! Is what goes through most of our heads. The referee comes in and gives the rules we will be fighting under, 3- knock down rule in one round fights over, can't be saved by the bell, etc. We ask the referee when the commission inspectors will come to watch us wrap our hands and to sign off on the wrap. The referee says good question. I am here from the sanctioning body for the title fight so you will need to ask the promoter.
Red flag warning number #2.
We notice that the blue corner is losing every fight. The blue corner is the opponent’s corner. The first few fights end with knockouts. We all know that game of over matching fighters, to get KO's and build records. But they are all in the first round.
Red flag warning number #3.
We wrap our hands and wait. We get our gloves, no inspector and wait some more. No one comes to sign off on our handwraps. We put our gloves on and go fight. There is no one from a boxing commission anywhere near the ring that I can see that looks official. I see the ring announcers, promoter and matchmaker and of course, the ring girls! Don’t get me wrong they have judges and a doctor, in fact, it looks real legitimate. Still something is not quite right---there is no one in the corner watching what is given to me or her between rounds, no inspector. Hmmm...
Bell rings, we fight. I say that laughingly (sadly really). I stand in the middle of the ring and she runs around the outside. Six round of this and it goes to decision. I lost by decision but really it wasn’t even a fight. It should have been a draw or given to me for trying to make the fight. But I am always the opponent and never seem to get the decision.
I know you are all saying; “I should have knocked her out”, that the decision will always go to the promoter's fighter. Well here is the rub, the promoter and matchmaker are the commission. There were no, and are no U.S. Virgin Island boxing commissioners or inspectors. The promoter fly everyone in and puts boxing shows on an island and pays the judges to build records.
So, if the promoter’s fighter is standing at the end of the fight. They win. It really is that simple. One fighter in the blue corner won because the red corner didn’t come out after the 7th round. The blue corner had knocked the red corner down 4 times in the fight. After talking to the blue corner after the fight in the hotel, he told me that they had the red guy up. Can you believe that?
I have received and seen many out right robberies in the boxing world and still cling on to the hope that the best fighter will win when I enter the ring every time.
No, Mr. McCoy, I guess I don’t get it. I don’t want to get it. Female fighters do not make that much money and there really is no great financial benefit for the fight to be fixed (for lack of a better word!)
The fighter’s ability to earn decent pay day gets hurt.
Women’s Boxing gets hurt.
I try at every opportunity to promote my sport, the sport of women’s boxing. Not women competing in male boxing, but the sport of women’s boxing.
I know everyone needs to work and make money, so I can’t blame the judges really. They have to work and the promoter is paying them, so if his guy is standing he wins.
Is it right? NO. Is it reality? YES. Do I blame the fighters? NO.
Fact is Gabriel trained just like me. She entered the ring just like me. AND she wanted to win--just like me. Did she win? Well, she was standing at the end of the fight, but so was I.
The judges didn’t even make it close. Where the rounds score card written in advance? Maybe?
There are no commissioners to complain to and no one to file a complaint with, not that it would do any good.
You see, I am a warrior. I need to believe that the best fighter will win.
I need to believe that the sport of boxing, the one I love, will find its way to truth.
That honor will prevail.
I am in my early forties now and know the end is near for my fighting career. I believe in honor. I will keep fight in and out of the ring for the sport I love and cling on to the hope that someday I will hear, “Yes Yvonne, there is a Santa Claus.”
Bernie McCoy gave me a compliment earlier this year in a story saying, “I get it.” Well I guess I still don’t get it and do I really want to?
I lost to Hanna Gabriel by a decision in a fight that took place on September 26, 2009. Did I really lose? Well, what fighter will admit to a loss on a decision? I would, and no, I don’t feel that I lost, but I did lose something----Faith.
I went to the U.S. Virgin Islands expecting a tough fight. But like all fighters hoped for a fair decision if it came to that. I felt the odds of that slipping away the minute weigh-in took place.
Of those of you who have never been to a weigh-in, that is when you get the details and rules from the local boxing commission, fill out the commission’s paperwork, and of course weigh-in, do the stare down and press for the fight.
Well, first off, there was no commission representative to give us the rules and regulations. Okay, that is not so weird; I have been in many other countries and received the rules in the dressing room before the fight. I thought that I would get them then. We both made weight, did our stare down and went on our separate ways.
After weigh-in, which is that day before the fight, all fighters go eat. I find out that the promoter takes my opponent to the local high school to talk to the kids. A publicity move which is normal, but I wasn’t invited. A little red flag goes up in my head.
Ok, I now know that I am the opponent so I don’t get the press, fine. I seem to always be in that position in my fight career because I have no promoter. In fact, very few of us female fighters do. Those that do can be counted on one hand with fingers to spare.
Fight day comes and the venue is nice, professional and seems very legit---So it appears.
We get our dressing rooms and wait. That is the part we all hate; the wait. I am ready, come on lets do this! Is what goes through most of our heads. The referee comes in and gives the rules we will be fighting under, 3- knock down rule in one round fights over, can't be saved by the bell, etc. We ask the referee when the commission inspectors will come to watch us wrap our hands and to sign off on the wrap. The referee says good question. I am here from the sanctioning body for the title fight so you will need to ask the promoter.
Red flag warning number #2.
We notice that the blue corner is losing every fight. The blue corner is the opponent’s corner. The first few fights end with knockouts. We all know that game of over matching fighters, to get KO's and build records. But they are all in the first round.
Red flag warning number #3.
We wrap our hands and wait. We get our gloves, no inspector and wait some more. No one comes to sign off on our handwraps. We put our gloves on and go fight. There is no one from a boxing commission anywhere near the ring that I can see that looks official. I see the ring announcers, promoter and matchmaker and of course, the ring girls! Don’t get me wrong they have judges and a doctor, in fact, it looks real legitimate. Still something is not quite right---there is no one in the corner watching what is given to me or her between rounds, no inspector. Hmmm...
Bell rings, we fight. I say that laughingly (sadly really). I stand in the middle of the ring and she runs around the outside. Six round of this and it goes to decision. I lost by decision but really it wasn’t even a fight. It should have been a draw or given to me for trying to make the fight. But I am always the opponent and never seem to get the decision.
I know you are all saying; “I should have knocked her out”, that the decision will always go to the promoter's fighter. Well here is the rub, the promoter and matchmaker are the commission. There were no, and are no U.S. Virgin Island boxing commissioners or inspectors. The promoter fly everyone in and puts boxing shows on an island and pays the judges to build records.
So, if the promoter’s fighter is standing at the end of the fight. They win. It really is that simple. One fighter in the blue corner won because the red corner didn’t come out after the 7th round. The blue corner had knocked the red corner down 4 times in the fight. After talking to the blue corner after the fight in the hotel, he told me that they had the red guy up. Can you believe that?
I have received and seen many out right robberies in the boxing world and still cling on to the hope that the best fighter will win when I enter the ring every time.
No, Mr. McCoy, I guess I don’t get it. I don’t want to get it. Female fighters do not make that much money and there really is no great financial benefit for the fight to be fixed (for lack of a better word!)
The fighter’s ability to earn decent pay day gets hurt.
Women’s Boxing gets hurt.
I try at every opportunity to promote my sport, the sport of women’s boxing. Not women competing in male boxing, but the sport of women’s boxing.
I know everyone needs to work and make money, so I can’t blame the judges really. They have to work and the promoter is paying them, so if his guy is standing he wins.
Is it right? NO. Is it reality? YES. Do I blame the fighters? NO.
Fact is Gabriel trained just like me. She entered the ring just like me. AND she wanted to win--just like me. Did she win? Well, she was standing at the end of the fight, but so was I.
The judges didn’t even make it close. Where the rounds score card written in advance? Maybe?
There are no commissioners to complain to and no one to file a complaint with, not that it would do any good.
You see, I am a warrior. I need to believe that the best fighter will win.
I need to believe that the sport of boxing, the one I love, will find its way to truth.
That honor will prevail.
I am in my early forties now and know the end is near for my fighting career. I believe in honor. I will keep fight in and out of the ring for the sport I love and cling on to the hope that someday I will hear, “Yes Yvonne, there is a Santa Claus.”
