Boxer's footwork leads her back home

WORCESTER -- Yvonne Reis knew the outcome of her 10-round fight against the International Women's Boxing Federation middleweight champion Leatitia ''Baby Girl" Robinson well before the final bell sounded. But not even the steady diet of left hooks and right jabs Reis endured could wipe the broad smile from the Marlborough native's face.

Reis, a martial artist turned professional women's boxer who now resides in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., returned to the Bay State last weekend under the guise of business -- namely a bout with Robinson at the ''Return of Friday Night Fights: The Showdown Part 2," held Jan. 30 at Worcester's National Guard Armory. But her trip home allowed her to indulge in the pleasure of good company.

No sooner had the ring announcer confirmed the fight's result -- a unanimous decision in favor of Robinson -- than Reis found herself swimming in a sea of supporters outside the ring: friends, family, and a handful of people Reis hasn't seen since high school.

Reis disappeared to her makeshift locker-room and talked briefly with reporters before politely excusing herself. She undoubtedly had more interesting stories to tell the group waiting for her at ringside.

''I knew coming in this was going to be fun -- win, lose or draw," she said.

Those who haven't seen Reis since she patroled the hardwood as part of the Marlborough girls' basketball team nearly two decades ago are surprised to see how different she looks. Reis freely admits that she used to be a ''fat brunette," weighing as much as 215 pounds during her high school days. Since then, she's shed roughly 50 pounds and much of her hair, which is closely cropped and dyed bleach blonde.

Part of the thrill of returning home was the chance to show off her new look and newfound boxing talent.

''I had a lot of friends in the crowd, and I think I fought a good fight," she said.

Reis is being a bit modest. Her fight, the only competitive one on the card that night, single-handedly salvaged an otherwise snooze-worthy event, energizing a restless crowd of about 350 boxing fans.

It's not likely that Reis ever envisioned a night like this. She began studying martial arts in Marlborough at age 8 to learn about self-defense. She attended Emerson College and later got involved with full-contact kickboxing. That blossomed into a boxing career three years ago.

It didn't take Reis long to compile a solid resume. She won the national Golden Gloves in her first year of amateur boxing competition, placed first at USA Boxing's women nationals, and earned a silver medal at the World Games in Turkey last year. In just two crash-course years between the ropes, Reis had amassed a 14-3 record.

A late entry into the boxing world, Reis, who will only admit she's in her late 30s, enlisted the help of former women's world champion Bonnie Canino as she ventured into professional competition.

Reis made her debut on Dec. 21, 2002, earning a four-round decision over Bonnie Mann. She carried a 3-1-1 record into the fight against Robinson and was ranked fourth by the Women's International Boxing Association. The mere fact that Reis was fighting for a world championship just over a year after turning pro is quite an accomplishment.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Reis was still battling the flu when she met Robinson, who is 14 years younger and ranked one of the top female middleweight boxers in the world. Reis refused to let her illness stop her, admitting there was no way she was canceling her homecoming.

''She was able to get her combos off, and I wasn't; it's that simple," Reis said. ''Give her credit; she's the champion for a reason. This will make me work harder to get back to that level."

That's exactly what Canino likes to hear.

''Yvonne trains very hard, and she's very skilled. All she needs right now is experience in the ring to become a top-notch fighter," Canino said. ''We'll go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to get her back to the top of the ladder."

But the drawing board could wait last weekend, as there were plenty of local activities to keep Reis and Canino busy.

"I got to watch my New England Patriots win the Super Bowl!" Reis said. ''We opened the hotel windows afterwards, and all you could hear was car horns and people celebrating. The atmosphere was amazing."

Before departing for Florida, Reis took time to join the estimated crowd of 1.5 million fans that converged on downtown Boston as part of the Patriots' victory parade Tuesday afternoon.

''I couldn't have picked a better time to come home," Reis said.

Boxing is only a part-time job for Reis, who works as an office manager and does physical therapy work to pay her bills. She finds time to train for fights and enjoys the fringe benefits of boxing, which has given her the opportunity to see the world. Reis has been a trailblazer for her gender, which is rapidly developing a niche in the boxing industry.

Reis is hoping for a rematch with Robinson in the future. She's scheduled to fight again in Florida next month, but wouldn't mind a return trip to the Commonwealth after that.

''Yvonne really likes boxing in this area," Canino said. ''You could see her smiling in the ring and having fun."

And judging by the turnout, Marlborough wouldn't mind seeing Reis box here again. Win, lose, or draw -- for business or just for pleasure.