(SEPT 27) On December 3, 2004,
Stephanie Jaramillo did what few female boxers had done during
the first eleven months of that year, she stepped into the ring
with Sumya Anani. At the time, Anani was considered, by many, to
be the best female fighter in the sport and judging by the
dearth of opponents that were able to be coaxed into fighting
her, that seemed a valid premise. The previous week, another
ranked female boxer had withdrawn from a scheduled bout in
Anani's hometown in Kansas City. On Thanksgiving Day, November
25, a frantic Kansas City promoter placed a call to Albuquerque,
NM. Stephanie Jaramillo answered that call, literally and
figuratively, and eight days later Jaramillo stepped into a
hometown ring with Sumya Anani.
On August 14, 2010, Stephanie Jaramillo stepped into the boxing
promotion arena in New Mexico, a hometown territory, dominated
by Albuquerque boxing impresario, Lenny Fresquez, considered by
many to be the best promoter in the sport of Women's boxing.
Jaramillo, under the banner of Golden Girl Promotions, presented
a seven bout card, featuring two female bouts at the Santa Ana
Star Casino in nearby Bernalillo. Featured on the program was
Melissa Hernandez, who brought to New Mexico memories of last
December's aborted bout with Holly Holm, the crown jewel of
Fresquez Promotions. In August, Hernandez overwhelmed local
fighter, Victoria Cisneros, winning 23 of 24 rounds on the three
judges scorecards and her (Hernandez) ring skills also served to
win over much of the crowd, many of whom had arrived hoping to
see the New York fighter go down to defeat.
"The entire card was a success, " Jaramillo states,
emphatically, by phone, recently, from Albuqueque. "Everyone,
from the sponsors, vendors to the casino personnel were very
happy with the sellout crowd, which topped 2,000 fans. We
received fantastic support from the local press, print and
broadcast, but the best proof is that we're coming right back
with another show on October 16 and this time it's all about the
women.
The upcoming card might reflect something Jaramillo learned in
her two and half year career as a professional boxer: stick with
what's working. The promoter notes, "The main event is Melissa
Hernandez fighting Lindsay Garbatt in a return of a memorable
bout these two lightweights staged in June (a majority decision
for Garbatt). We will also feature five supporting bouts, all
female fights and it will be the first all-female card in New
Mexico history." Jaramillo is quick to add, "There was a
previous card, in which all the televised bouts were female
fights, but there was a male bout, which was not televised on
the under-card, so I think we're safe in claiming this as the
first all female card in the state."
All such claims aside, the fact is that the Hernandez/Garbatt
bout, which is for the GBU jr. lightweight title, has also
received the added heavyweight imprimatur of being fought for
the WBAN belt, the fourth time a title bout has been so chosen.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of the WBAN
belt selection committee, but, at the same time, as an observer
of the sport, I feel secure in suggesting that Hernandez/Garbatt
could very well be the best female title fight in the US this
year (although that could be construed, by certain cynics, as
faint praise, given the year's past and upcoming female title
fight competition).
The first Hernandez/Garbatt bout was eight rounds of bell/bell
action and Jaramillo expects a continuation on October 16,
"Styles make fights and this is a classic example of a puncher (Garbatt)
and a boxer (Hernandez), who has some of the best ring movement
in the sport. I was told by some ringsiders at the first fight
(Hernandez/Cisneros) that Johnny Tapia was overheard praising
Melissa's movement in the ring. It'll be a great bout." The
remainder of the card includes three veteran fighters: Belinda
Laracuente, Monica Lovato and Mia St. John along with two bouts
featuring local female fighters from Arizona and New Mexico at
the outset of their careers.
The sport, particularly in the US, has, for far too long been
absent compelling, competitive female bouts. Those bouts, have,
for the most part, been staged, when staged, outside the US, in
Europe, Mexico and Japan where, it seems, more attention is
given, by promoters, to the match-ups of female fighters and
where it is all too obvious, knowledge of the sport of Women's
boxing and the fighters exists at a much higher level on the
part of both the promoters and the fans. One of the best
elements about the emergence of a Stephanie Jaramillo into the
ranks of fight promotion is that she becomes one of the few
promoters who understand the sport of Women's boxing from both
inside and outside the ropes and whose focus is not driven by
association with only one fighter.
Stephanie Jaramillo's focus is clearly on moving the sport of
Women's boxing ahead and making a match like Hernandez/Garbatt,
on October 16, she takes a big step in that direction. In fact,
along with the estimable Lenny Fresquez, Stephanie Jaramillo
could be heading toward making Albuquerque the epicenter of the
sport, at least from the standpoint of a concentration of a
couple boxing promoters who "get" what it takes to reenergize
the sport of Women's boxing in this country. Let's hope so.
Bernie McCoy
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