Top Four Female Heavyweights Come To Life in WBC and IBO World Title Bouts
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Photo Credit: Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media
New York, NY (November 8th, 2014)– The BoxRec’s number one worldwide female heavyweight, Greek American Sonya Lamonakis of New York City, 40, 9-1-2, goes up against Carlette Ewell, 43, of WInston-Salem, Carolina, 15-7-1, for the vacant IBO World Female Heavyweight title at L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, on December 6, 2014 (10 rounds, 2 minute rounds). Lamonakis has only one career knockout, while Ewell has nine. Their previous match in January 2012 ended in a six round draw at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
Martha Salazar, 44, of San Francisco, California, 12-4 with three knockouts, will face Tanzee Daniel, 4-3-1, a Trinidad and Tobago fighter now out of Queens, New York, 4-3-1, for the vacant WBC World Female Heavyweight title, at Longshoremen’s Hall, San Francisco, California, on November 8, 2012 (10 rounds, 2 minute rounds).
Most other female titles, such as the WBO, the IBF and the IBA, remain forever unclaimed. Only 18 professional female heavyweights exist by this reporter’s count, with the majority located in the United States. Female boxing is not of high interest. Amanda Serrano (perhaps the best all-around female fighter in the world, as yet unrecognized for the level of her ability), Cindy Serrano, Heather Hardy, Ronica Jeffrey and Sonya Lamonakis are among the better known New York City area female fighters. It could be argued female fighters in the New York City area get abit more exposure than other parts of the United States. In Europe female fighters are extremely popular. Nonetheless, in the United States where female boxing is held, females are mostly designated low on the totem pole, sometimes getting preliminary exposure at the start of club fight cards.
Promoters Jimmy Burchfield (Shelito Vincent), Lou DiBella (Heather Hardy and Sonya Lamonakis, Felipe Gomez and Kevin O’Sullivan (Amanda Serrano) at least seem open to female fighters in the USA Northeast. It is nice these kind promoters are giving women a chance to appear on their male dominated pro boxing club cards.
In the sake of fairness, females should be given the same opportunities as men in athletics, as in other professions. Unfortunately, female boxing in the Americas lacks interest and sponsorship. Professional female boxers who have promoters and sponsors should consider themselves very lucky. In the higher weights, particularly at heavyweight, female boxers do not resemble male boxers in physique and style. It is not exactly like the traditional male boxing we know. With greater interest, female professional boxing could be taken to a higher level of performance and caliber in the United States, as it has realized in Europe.
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