Ann Marie Saccurato vs Emiko Rakia

[femaleboxingfan]

One thing this forum loves to do is polls and helps everyone participate. I also brought this particular fight up because Ann Marie Saccurato last fight she won and Knocked Out Jessica Rackocy but she lost against Fujin last year in 2007 and HOlly HOlm. However this 2008 Fujin won a close and controversial fight (home cooked) versus Natalie Brown here is more info on that fight www.womenboxing.com/NEWS20082/news051508brown.htm
I want to really want some predictions and some support for Ann as she goes to TOkyo and lets here some conversations about this fight. ;D ;DPlease ;D ;D

[femaleboxingfan]

PLEASE vOTE ;D
Well thank you for all voting ;D ;D

[femaleboxingfan]

WELL I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FROM TEAM SACCURATO
[glow=red,2,300]ANN SACCURATO WON AGAINST EMIKO RAIKA FUJIN[/glow]
________________________________________________________
---For immediate release August 11, 2008

Westchester's own Ann-Marie Saccurato becomes THREE TIME WBC World Lightweight Champion!

In the Main Event last night at the Tokyo Dome in Toyko, Japan, Ann-Marie defeated World Champion Emiko Fujin Raika to become a three-time WBC Lightweight World Champion!

The scores were 98-92, 97-92, 97-93 all in favor of Saccurato. Last November, Ann-Marie fought Raika in Toyko and received a very questionable and head scratching loss for the WIBA title in which Emiko Fujin Rakia was also the promoter of the fight.

To quiet the skeptics, Ann-Marie came out strong in the first round and landed several powerful right hands, breaking Raika's nose. The battle continued with Ann-Marie boxing on the outside and Raika having a hard time finding her with her punches.

In the sixth round, Raika landed a head butt, which cost her a point on the judges scorecards. Ann-Marie suffered a cut from the head butt which required stitches after the fight, but her corner was able to control the bleeding and Ann-Marie continued to out-box Raika with her skill and incredible punching power.

Ann-Marie has now fought for, and won, the WBC Lightweight World Championship belt three times- having the distinct honor of beating World Champions Jelena Mrdjenovich, Jessica Rakoczy and Emiko Fujin Raika-all in their own hometowns.

Saccurato states, "Now that I have proven myself three times in other boxer's hometowns, I would love to come back home and have a fight in my backyard where all my friends and family who support me could come out and watch."

Saccurato has always been known as a staunch supporter and advocate for women's boxing. She works hard to promote the sport in attempts to raise the bar in regards to skill level, marketability, spectator support, promoter interest, and competition opportunities for both professional and Olympic-style boxers. In a recent report from ESPN, ranking the world’s toughest 60 sports based on athleticism, strength, agility, coordination and 6 other criteria, boxing came out as the #1 most demanding sport.

Saccurato stated, "I hold myself up to the highest level of training standards to show the promoters, fans and the world that women's boxing is a great skillful sport, very marketable, and here to stay. It is amazing the skill level that exists out there considering 99% of the women boxers do not get the financial support to train full-time without also working full time to support themselves and their families. Women make less than 5% of what the men make for similar title bouts. In most cases it doesn't cover the training expenses involved, so right now the women you see are doing it for the pure love of the sport. While that makes for amazing fights, I hope in my lifetime successful women boxers will also be able to start making a living in the sport and warrant the type of pay-days they deserve."


"I am extremely proud to be a three-time WBC World Champion. They are a very professional and fair organization. I also enjoy taking part in the WBC Cares events with other champions, which helps disadvantaged kids all across the country. It gives them such a positive view of the sport, which I think boxing so desperately needs.”

[Natalie Brown-Johnson]

CONGRATULATIONS ANN-MARIE! I'm glad you shut it down over there and made Emiko's A$$ pay the piper! LOL All the best and tell Angel I said Hello!!

Ms.TOO BAD

[femaleboxingfan]

Here is my interview with Ann Marie Saccurato

These are the questions I asked her:
Question1: Do you really feel confident about this fight especially
>> after last year you lost to Rakia even though it was very close?
>>
>> Question2: You dazzled audiences by knocking out Rackocy but some how
>> you couldn't find any proper footing against Holly Holm, could you
>> talk to us about that fight, what happen and your feelings about Holly
>> Holm plus HOlm vs Sanders?
>>
>> Question3: Did you see Emiko Fujin's last fight and what happen with
>> Natalie Brown
>> (here is a link it should have the video if you didn't see it?)
>>
>> Question4: What do you plan on doing next in the lightweight division
>> of women's boxing?
>>
>> Question5: As you watch the olympics with friends, family and others,
>> what do you believe it will take to get female boxing as an olympic
>> sport for 2010 in london??
>>
>> Question6: With some many female competitors going to certain sports
>> like MMA and UFC, what keeps you driving strong in women's boxing?
>>
>> Question7:(This is only if you have already fought Fujin) What is your
>> opinon of this fight?
>>
>> Question8: Is fighting out of country really worth it?

-These are her answers

1) I am always confident when I get into the ring no matter who I am facing or where the fight is. As far as the last fight with Raika, I was not looking back, only to the future and what needed to be done on Aug. 11th. It's just what I do, I go into other fighters homes and take what's mine. I have lived my life doing what I was told couldn't be done, and doing it. Like I said, it's just what I do. I am here to prove to the world that "impossible is nothing". I believe in myself, my dreams, and my team. Outside of that I am blessed to have fans, friends, and family that believe in me and keep me going strong.

2) I grew a lot as a fighter from the Holm fight to the Rackoczy fight. I also switched up the trainers that I was working with. I was not completely happy with my performance against Holm, despite the fact that numerous people thought I beat Holly or that it was a much closer fight than was scored. However, I should have made some adjustments that I did not, and I should have boxed her more. But, you cannot change the past, you can only learn and grow from it, and that is what I'm doing to the best of my ability, and with the help of the great team I have around me.

3) I'm sorry I didn't get to see the fight with Emiko and Natalie, but from what I understand it wasn't a fair decision.

4) In the lightweight division, as far as the future goes, I'm gonna just take some time to enjoy this victory and then we will see what comes my way. As a female in the sport though I hope that I can help to increase the pay scale and marketability of females in the sport, and help to do whatever I can to push for the sports inclusion in the 2012 Olympics.

5) Women's boxing has met all the requirements for inclusion into the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Boxing is the only sport without a female counterpart. It is now up to the IOC to make the decision to allow us in. For updated information on this feel free to go to letthembox.org

6) I am staying strong with women's boxing and not switching over to MMA for may reasons. I have put too much blood, sweat, tears, and sacrafice into this sport to leave it now and start over. Boxing has become a part of me and who I am, it drives me, and I have a passion for it that lives inside of me. As a world champion I also want to help do my part to help the sport grow as well as gain respect, marketability, and to help increase the fighters purse to what they deserve. We bleed the same as the guys and work and train just as hard, it's not fair that we are paid significantly less. That has to change, and people's eyes need to be opened to the incredible talent that is coming up in the sport.

7) I was very happy with my overall performance in the fight against Raika this time out. I felt strong going in, and came out banging hard from the first. I broke her nose in the first round, and had her practically out on her feet. I wasn't going to let there be any questions after this fight. That belt was mine and I was determined and confident to bring it back home with me to the states where it belongs. I'm just really happy that there was neutral judging this time, a great ref, and a fair decision. I'm still flying high off of that win, and probably will be for a while.

8) To ask if a fight is worth it, in or out of the country is really a question that has to be answered fight by fight, and by each fighter I'm sure there will be a different answer. To me it really depends on what is at stake, and what do I have to gain personally or for my career. I guess it all depends on what you want, and how bad you want it.