Backhanded Compliments For Mia St. John

[jr]

www.womenboxing.com/NEWS2006/news062706mrdjenovich.htm

Backhanded Compliments For Mia St. John

In my opinion:

Response to Mia
St. John
Source- Glen F. Carriere
KO Boxing Promotions
June 27, 2006

“Mia St. John is a true professional and a credit to female boxing. When we initially contemplated putting Mia on the show to fight Jelena, several sources warned us that Mia would be very difficult to deal with. Let me say this: Mia St. John did everything that we asked her to do. She did radio interviews, TV interviews, newspaper interviews at 8am. She understands what it takes to promote an event and she completely supported Team Mrdjenovich in putting this card together.”

First, the compliment…

”She came to fight. True, Jelena was stronger and no doubt a harder puncher, Mia was there as always to win the fight. Jelena and Mia gave Edmonton boxing fans their total money’s worth.”

Mia St. John stated she was the stronger opponent but not as fast as Mrdjenovich. She was willing to fight toe-to-toe with an opponent known for her stoppages.

”As an astute business person, Mia put certain things into the contract that were included to protect her own interests. No one can blame Mia for taking care of her own interests in a sport where, often times, managers and promoters etc. take advantage of boxers. We would have preferred to use 8 oz. gloves, rather than the 10 oz. she requested. However, good for Mia that she negotiated the use of the 10 oz. gloves.”

…and now the backhanded compliment. Rock and Sock/KO Boxing Promotions did not get the expected flashy knockout of the high-profile St. John, so they claim the 10-ounce gloves were the reason. St. John has been hit by harder punchers than Mrdjenovich, namely Christy Martin and Jenifer Alcorn, and was not stopped by them either. St. John was hit by Mrdjenovich’s best punch (a left hook to the chin in round 6) and was unmarked and uninjured. Bottom line, St. John is physically and mentally tougher than Mrdjenovich.

”A professional all the way, I would recommend to any promoter using Mia St. John on their fight cards. On behalf of Team Mrdjenovich, and KO Boxing Promotions, we would welcome Mia back into Edmonton at any time in the future.”

I believe Mia St. John is intelligent enough to not return to Edmonton where no one can win by decision over Mrdjenovich. Maybe these promoters should try to secure a rematch outside of Canada. Try convincing Team Mrdjenovich to leave behind the hometown advantage. Good luck.

”PS. The belt cost a LOT more than 10 cents.”

Mia St. John is understandably upset over the Edmonton media coverage and the scoring of this fight. The contest was probably much closer than the Edmonton scoring indicates, but I’ll wait for the PPV broadcast to judge for myself.


The “Women of Mass Destruction” card, while showcasing very good athletes, did not produce the product that sells well to the broadcast media. No knockout of St. John and two angry opponents, Jeannine Garside and Lisa Brown, over judging do not make good TV.

[Bernie McCoy]

I think your categorizing Mr. Carriere's statement as "backhanded" is on target.

While, on the surface, effusive in his praise, he does manage to get in a couple of digs, most notably her past reputation on boxing cards and her use of ten ounce gloves.

The latter begs an interesting (at least to me) question. Does St. John request 10 oz gloves when she steps down, in class and rounds, to the fight four round "walkovers" that have, in the main, characterized her career? One might expect a "spin" answer, correlating fight length and glove size, although, as I said, St. John was particularly forthcoming when I spoke with her prior to the Edmonton bout.

However, much to my discredit, while I did know about the 10 oz gloves prior to speaking with St. John (it was an issue at the Holm fight), I neglected to ask her about it. She may not be the only one on the "back nine" of her career.

Bernie

[Dee Hamaguchi]

Bernie,

I beg to differ. Please don't go running off to the glue factory just yet!!

Can you please explain the whole 8 oz. /10 oz. glove issue? I thought that the glove size is non-negotiable.

Do the state commissions and sanctioning bodies make exceptions, or consider special requests? I thought the only room for choice is the brand and color if the promoter is willing to be so accommodating to both fighters; but not the size.

Dee H

[jr]

berniemccoy said:

I think your categorizing Mr. Carriere's statement as "backhanded" is on target.

While, on the surface, effusive in his praise, he does manage to get in a couple of digs, most notably her past reputation on boxing cards and her use of ten ounce gloves.

The latter begs an interesting (at least to me) question. Does St. John request 10 oz gloves when she steps down, in class and rounds, to the fight four round "walkovers" that have, in the main, characterized her career? One might expect a "spin" answer, correlating fight length and glove size, although, as I said, St. John was particularly forthcoming when I spoke with her prior to the Edmonton bout.

However, much to my discredit, while I did know about the 10 oz gloves prior to speaking with St. John (it was an issue at the Holm fight), I neglected to ask her about it. She may not be the only one on the "back nine" of her career.

Bernie

Bernie,

According to Boxrec, Mia St. John has fought 37 four-rounders, 23 before she became her own manager in 2001. According to her, these 23 bouts were chosen by Top Rank Boxing to which she had no input. Since her emancipation, St. John has fought 14 four-rounders, 7 six-rounders, 2 eight-rounders, and 6 ten-rounders including 4 title bouts. Of her last eighth fights, one was a four-rounder (2/2005).

I read an article that stated she brings her own contract to promoters interested in booking her for a card and tells them to agree to its terms or she will not participate. She is such a big draw that she has the power to dictate terms. I suspect the only real discussion is the size of the purse.

If you do talk to her again, ask her about a possible rematch with Mrdjenovich in the U.S. This contest would serve two purposes- the suspect Edmonton judging would be bypassed and Mrdjenovich would be fighting at a venue with all the pressures of a hostile audience and prejudiced press. This scenario could prove whether Mrdjenovich is a world-class or regional-class fighter.

[Bernie McCoy]

Dee:

Explain the reasoning (I use that word advisedly) of commissions and sanctioning bodies? I would better attempt a treatise on the string theory!

I can only assume it is an "equal among equals" situation wherein those self same commissions and bodies, for reasons unapparent to the naked eye, decide to permit a fighter to dictate conditions of a bout in order to assure that fighter's appearance (in this particular case, refer to first graph).

Bernie

[Rick Scharmberg]

I like when boxers wear the same color gloves. It is more pleasing to the eye. Like when Klitschko fought Peter. Sam always wears powder blue gloves to match his trunks, but Wladimir wore the standard red gloves.

[Bernie McCoy]

J R

Thank you for "second sourcing" my contention that the majority of St. John's bouts have been four round walkovers (over 70% certainly constitutes a majority and the winning percentage of those opponents, hovering below 40%, likewise constitutes walkovers).

As far as Top Rank and St. John's Lincoln-like emancipation (nicely phrased) from that organization, it is, yet, a debatable issue, whether she left or Arum dropped her when, as he famously stated, he ran out of opponents who were "bad enough".

As far as a biased press (a possible redundancy in the case of the Edmonton Sun and boxing coverage of local fighters), while I think the Sun did go overboard in it's account of the margin of Mrdjenovich's win, I sincerely doubt that such a win was ever in question. Mrdjenovich clearly won the bout and I would question the reasonableness or the attraction of a return bout.

None of these issues, however, were the focus of my previous screed. Rather, I wonder whether St. John only opts for heavier gloves when she is in a clearly underdog position or whether the 10 oz gloves follow her down to the four rounders. It is on such philosophical quandaries that I seem to spend much too much time! The phrase, "Ya gotta get out more" springs to mind.

Bernie