In all fairness, pick another fight
From Ann Wolfe's perspective, you can understand her thinking. She's a prizefighter, after all, so she seeks the biggest prize. But what on earth are the members of the august body known as the Mississippi Athletic Commission thinking?
That commission has approved an Aug. 20 bout between Wolfe, a 34-year-old female fighter of some distinction, and ''Gentleman" James Johnson, a male fighter from Louisiana of no distinction. Johnson will step into the ring against Wolfe with the full approval of the men appointed by the governor of Mississippi to look after boxing affairs in the state.
Last Saturday in Memphis, Wolfe, a once-defeated light heavyweight with biceps bigger than many of her male counterparts, pounded Marsha Valley (10-11-4) for the third time, stopping her in the sixth round with two nasty body shots. This is nothing new for Wolfe, who is 20-1 with 13 KOs, including a stunning, one-round knockout of former University of Tennessee basketball player Vonda White, who was out cold for so long Memphis promoter Brian Young admits he was petrified she might never wake up.
White did, and Young soon after offered reigning women's light heavyweight champion Laila Ali, daughter of The Greatest Ali of all-time, $500,000 to face Wolfe. He says he's still waiting to hear back from her.
This will not be a first in the American ring. A woman beat a man a few years back on the West Coast but her opponent had seldom been in the ring so it was more circus than serious. Johnson, although far from a household name, has more serious credentials, having knocked out 12 opponents on the way to a lackluster 20-14-2 record, according to Fight Fax.
Speaking in Memphis last weekend, Wolfe said she is unafraid and doing this for the money. Frankly, she'd rather fight Ali for the International Boxing Association of Women and World Boxing Council women's light heavyweight championships.
From Wolfe's point of view, fighting a man in Mississippi beats living under a boat in the back of a parking lot in Waco, Texas, which is what she was doing not so many years ago before boxing gave her family a second chance.
''Nobody cared about me when they were stepping over me and my kids on the street, so why do they care now?" she said last week when asked about the controversial match. She said those words in the kind of sad, matter-of-fact manner of a person who has seen too much of the hard end of life.
Wolfe is willing to accept the risks. All she wants the world to know is she isn't doing this as a publicity stunt. She's not trying to be a pioneer or test herself against male boxers. She's just trying, honestly, in this case, to feed her family.
No one can blame her for that, which is why the men who make up the Mississippi Athletic Commission exist. They are supposed to protect people from themselves. But this commission has, thus far, abrogated its responsibility.
Several days ago, Tim Lueckenhoff, president of the Association of Boxing Commissions, sent a letter of protest to Jon Lewis, who heads the Mississippi commission, asking him to reconsider the Aug. 20 bout in Biloxi. Lueckenhoff pointed out many states ban mixed-gender matches and added that the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians has expressed similar reservations.
That letter was sent June 17. The MAC has yet to respond.
This leads to one possible conclusion. Are you kidding me?
This is not about whether Wolfe can win. I've seen her fight and can testify to her skills and punching power. I know nothing of Johnson's skills, but that is not the point.
Boxing is a concussive trade. It's sad enough, frankly, that anyone has to choose to do this for a living, but the sport has been a way up for many people, including Wolfe, who now lives in her own apartment and makes enough money to care for her kids because of boxing.
It's not about any of that, though. It's about a simple question: Do they not have one shred of human decency left in the state of Mississippi?
If they do, Ann Wolfe will not be allowed to get into the ring vs. James Johnson. This is not about civil rights. It's about doing what's right.
Short jabs
Trainer Buddy McGirt (who handles Arturo Gatti and Antonio Tarver) took an amusing slap at the excuses of former World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who is trying to appeal his way into the mandatory spot in the International Boxing Federation rather than fight his way there. ''I love one thing about that Klitschko," McGirt said. ''You rub Vaseline on their body and they get tired." That was a reference to the absurd excuses Klitschko and his handlers made after he was knocked out by WBO champion Lamon Brewster. After being stopped, Klitschko fired ace cut man Joe Souza, claiming the Vaseline Souza rubbed on his legs before the fight caused him to overheat and grow exhausted. ''It wasn't those left hooks Lamon Brewster was hitting him with," McGirt said, mockingly. ''It was Vaseline." . . . McGirt also said he doubted undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins's interest in moving up to light heavyweight to challenge Tarver was real. ''Antonio is too big for Bernard Hopkins," McGirt said. ''Bernard started off [his career] as a light heavyweight and went down [to middleweight] so he knows he's too small." . . . The last American fighter to win an Olympic gold medal, Andre Ward, sounded mature beyond his years last week when he was asked if it bothered him that he had not received the instant endorsement deals and big purses Oscar De La Hoya was showered with after his 1992 gold medal performance in Barcelona. ''Naturally, at 20 years old, you think about it," said the undefeated (4-0) Athens gold medalist. ''I thought about it until I went to St. Jude Hospital [before he fought in Memphis last weekend] and saw those kids fighting every day for their lives. I saw how their parents fight every day for their lives." Ward won the Olympic gold as a light heavyweight but has returned to his natural weight of 160 (middleweight) as a professional. ''For once, I'm fighting guys my size," Ward said. ''In the amateurs, I had a cousin who weighed 165 and I wouldn't fight him except for major money. You don't get that in the amateurs, so I went up. These guys look at my [thin] physique and feel if they bull me, I'll come out of my game but I'm able to fight at my natural weight now and I feel strong." . . . Mike Tyson's former promoter, Don King, whom Tyson sued for $100 million before settling out of court for $14 million, said he was ''sickened" by the sight of the former heavyweight champion quitting on his stool against Dorchester resident Kevin McBride two weeks ago. ''I cried, man," King said. ''They took an asset worth millions and left it bankrupt of hope and aspiration. They tried to turn him into a gentleman. He ain't never going to be no gentleman and be a fighter. His whole M.O. was ferocity." King also claimed Tyson's manager, Shelly Finkel, failed to act in Tyson's best interest when he brought him back against the 6-foot-6-inch McBride. ''Why give him that kind of size?" King thundered. ''The guy can't beat those big guys. The guy always had trouble against those kind of guys."
Local bleatings
The pace of negotiations has slowed concerning a fall fight between World Boxing Association heavyweight champion John Ruiz and McBride. King said he has to work out a deal with Raging Promotions' Marty Wynn and Darrell Stuckey, who bankrolled the Tyson-McBride fight in Memphis and own an option on McBride because of his upset victory. However, that option outlines no set purse fee or any other terms, and it could be challenged in court and found wanting. King has no interest in returning to court, where he has not fared well lately. The other, and lesser, problem is that to make a title fight, the WBA would have to agree to rate McBride in its top 15. This is more difficult than usual because McBride was not rated by most organizations when he faced Tyson and Tyson was rated only by the WBC, which had him 12th. However, Ruiz's attorney, Tony Cardinale, said, ''Look at some of the guys in the top 15 or 20. People may moan if Kevin gets rated next month, but someone from Uzbekistan is rated 15th [by the WBA]. Would he beat Tyson? Are you kidding me? Oleg Maskaev is 11th and he's lost every major fight he's ever been in. McBride's problem in the ratings is he didn't have anyone behind him pushing." He does now because King said he's interested in bringing the fight to Boston and Ruiz's camp has already told McBride's people he's willing to go to Ireland to fight if they can find a big enough venue . . . King believes Ruiz needs to get back into the ring soon. ''He needs to wipe out all memory of that fight with [James] Toney," King said . . . Things will be hopping on the local boxing scene next month for fans and ESPN broadcasters. On July 1, New England Ringside promotions has a US Boxing Association light heavyweight title fight between Khalid Jones (22-2-1, 13 KOs) and Freddy Moore (30-3, 27 KOs) at Memorial Hall in Plymouth that will be televised on ESPN2's ''Friday Night Fights." The following Friday night, promoter Sal LoNano puts on his annual ESPN2 show at Hampton Beach Casino with Emanuel Augustus vs. Ray Oliveira . . . Micky Ward fans can watch a replay of Ward-Gatti II tonight at 10:45 p.m. and tomorrow at 11 a.m. on HBO2. The bouts are being aired to boost interest in tomorrow night's Gatti-Floyd Mayweather fight. Ward will not only lead Gatti into the ring, as he's done in the past, but will help work his corner. Gatti said Ward's presence will be an inspiration.
