Post by Rick McLean on Sept 24, 2006 9:29:56 GMT -5
Struttin' out an attitude
By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI -- Edmonton Sun
What wears big leather and gold belts, pink gloves and will almost certainly turn into a punch-up?
If you guessed backstage at the Girls of Harley Davidson fashion show, you're wrong.
But the The Border War, a Nov. 4 title fight between Edmonton's Jelena Mrdjenovich and California's Eliza Olson, could be every bit as compelling.
The hometown favourite and WBC champion, who always has to search high and low for a good fight, will definitely get one when she tangles with Olson, the WBC champion in a higher weight division.
'IMPORTANT TO STAY BUSY'
"I've been having a pretty hard time trying to get a fight at 135, but I think it's important to stay busy," said Olson, who'll trim down to 130 to challenge for Mrdjenovich's title. "I didn't want to go up in a weight class again. I fought the top contenders up at 140 and lost. I was thinking I'm going to go down this time because I feel stronger going down than going up. I'm a pretty strong, stout girl so I know I'll come in a little stronger in the ring."
On top of fighting someone who's moving down a class, usually a tall order in itself, Mrdjenovich is also going up against a highly-motivated opponent.
"My sparring partner passed away this year, my brother passed away this year, so I have a lot of fire that I need to get out," said Olson, who, like all of the women on the card, will be wearing pink gloves in support of breast cancer research. "They say she's a puncher, we'll see. I'm a puncher also, a pretty tough girl, we'll see what happens."
Mrdjenovich doesn't seem too concerned about putting her 130-pound title on the line against the 135-pound champion.
'ALWAYS FIT'
"I'm always fit, and with girls coming down and fluctuating a bit, you don't know what their true weight is," she said. "She's 5-foot-5, I'm about 5-7. I'm naturally the bigger girl. Her having that experience at a higher weight level might help a little bit, but I'm a puncher as well as a boxer, so if I find she is a little stronger I can out-box her."
She knows nothing about Olson, hasn't even seen her on film, but that doesn't seem to worry Mrdjenovich (18-1) either.
"That's kind of the approach we've taken. I like to focus on what I need to do to be a better boxer. With the way we're working and sparring it doesn't matter what the opponent brings to the table - I'm ready to out dog and out smart anyone who comes in. And I'm stubborn to the end; she's going to have to knock me out to beat me."
There are easier fights out there for Mrdjenovich, who's on the cusp of getting a foot in the Vegas door, but they wouldn't be as good, she says, so what's the point?
"The promoters are doing everything they can to make good fights and the women are willing to step up to make good fights for the fans," she said. "That's what everyone wants to see. In Edmonton we've done a good job of that; every fight is challenging in one way or another. We don't want to stop doing that now."
There are three female and four male fights on the Shaw Conference Centre card, including former world champion Lisa "Bad News" Brown of Toronto against Melissa Hernandez of The Bronx, N.Y.
By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI -- Edmonton Sun
What wears big leather and gold belts, pink gloves and will almost certainly turn into a punch-up?
If you guessed backstage at the Girls of Harley Davidson fashion show, you're wrong.
But the The Border War, a Nov. 4 title fight between Edmonton's Jelena Mrdjenovich and California's Eliza Olson, could be every bit as compelling.
The hometown favourite and WBC champion, who always has to search high and low for a good fight, will definitely get one when she tangles with Olson, the WBC champion in a higher weight division.
'IMPORTANT TO STAY BUSY'
"I've been having a pretty hard time trying to get a fight at 135, but I think it's important to stay busy," said Olson, who'll trim down to 130 to challenge for Mrdjenovich's title. "I didn't want to go up in a weight class again. I fought the top contenders up at 140 and lost. I was thinking I'm going to go down this time because I feel stronger going down than going up. I'm a pretty strong, stout girl so I know I'll come in a little stronger in the ring."
On top of fighting someone who's moving down a class, usually a tall order in itself, Mrdjenovich is also going up against a highly-motivated opponent.
"My sparring partner passed away this year, my brother passed away this year, so I have a lot of fire that I need to get out," said Olson, who, like all of the women on the card, will be wearing pink gloves in support of breast cancer research. "They say she's a puncher, we'll see. I'm a puncher also, a pretty tough girl, we'll see what happens."
Mrdjenovich doesn't seem too concerned about putting her 130-pound title on the line against the 135-pound champion.
'ALWAYS FIT'
"I'm always fit, and with girls coming down and fluctuating a bit, you don't know what their true weight is," she said. "She's 5-foot-5, I'm about 5-7. I'm naturally the bigger girl. Her having that experience at a higher weight level might help a little bit, but I'm a puncher as well as a boxer, so if I find she is a little stronger I can out-box her."
She knows nothing about Olson, hasn't even seen her on film, but that doesn't seem to worry Mrdjenovich (18-1) either.
"That's kind of the approach we've taken. I like to focus on what I need to do to be a better boxer. With the way we're working and sparring it doesn't matter what the opponent brings to the table - I'm ready to out dog and out smart anyone who comes in. And I'm stubborn to the end; she's going to have to knock me out to beat me."
There are easier fights out there for Mrdjenovich, who's on the cusp of getting a foot in the Vegas door, but they wouldn't be as good, she says, so what's the point?
"The promoters are doing everything they can to make good fights and the women are willing to step up to make good fights for the fans," she said. "That's what everyone wants to see. In Edmonton we've done a good job of that; every fight is challenging in one way or another. We don't want to stop doing that now."
There are three female and four male fights on the Shaw Conference Centre card, including former world champion Lisa "Bad News" Brown of Toronto against Melissa Hernandez of The Bronx, N.Y.