(NOV 26) One of the good things about
sports, particularly the sport of boxing, is that it's a source of
drama, drama without a script. Generally, the story of most boxing
bouts is that the more skilled, experienced fighter prevails,
particularly when matched against an opponent lacking comparable
ring tools. Such bouts recall an old wagering adage: "the race is
not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that's
the way to bet."
On December 7, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Jelena Mrdjenovich will
defend her WBC super featherweight title against Dominga Olivo.
Mrdjenovich has had 23 bouts, winning 21, against some of the best
fighters in the sport. Olivo, who has been fighting professionally
for less than two years, has had seven bouts, winning five against
what can be, charitably, termed modest opposition. It's not
difficult to discern, in this particular match-up, who's playing the
"swift and strong" role. Olivio's lone foray against quality
competition was a losing eight round majority decision against Layla
McCarter in June. The fact that the December 7 bout is being
contested for the WBC belt has raised questions in the boxing
community, seemingly, with cause: Missy Fiorentino is the mandatory
challenger for the WBC super featherweight title, a weight class
that is one of the deepest and most competitive in the sport. Those
questions seem to have extended beyond the fan base.
Listen to Ed Pearson, WBC, Canada: "I too had concerns (about the
bout). Essentially, what I did was contact Layla McCarter's people.
Layla had a win and a loss against Jelena and my conversation
(concerned) the quality of Olivo as an opponent. (While) I decided
that this was not the best match we could make (for the title), it
was, in my view, an acceptable one. In addition, I know that
Jelena's people contacted several other fighters, including her
mandatory, and in all cases, a match could not be made, for various
reasons. Following this (bout), the winner will have to defend
against the mandatory challenger (who) is Missy Fiorentino. Missy
turned down the fight at this time (since) she already had a fight
booked for around the same time." Pearson, later added, "I
understand that Olivo has had a successful amateur career and I took
that into consideration (in sanctioning the Mrdjenovich bout). In
addition, I considered a bout in Edmonton a couple of years ago
(2005) when we (the local commission) approved Lisa Brown against a
3-0 fighter named Jeannine Garside and Garside won that one.
Sometimes, records can be deceiving."
I asked Layla McCarter how she viewed the match-up and she told me
that Olivo was "a gutsy fighter, but (she) lacks the experience or
skill to beat most top fighters." However, McCarter, speaking from
the experience of that majority decision win in June, added "she (Olivo)
does have a one punch chance in the form of a quick overhand right
hand. (She) surprised me with a couple (right hands)." McCarter is
one of the fighters who makes the super featherweight division as
competitive and deep in talent as any weight division in the sport
of Women's boxing. Jeaninne Garside is another. I'll venture a guess
that McCarter and Garside were not among the "several other
fighters" contacted regarding the December bout in Edmonton.
As has been noted, Jelena Mrdjenovich already has a tough title
defense in her future in the person of Missy Fiorentino, with a
WBC-imposed deadline of April 2008. Additionally, Mrdjenovich has,
over her nearly four year professional career, fought and beaten a
number of the top fighters in the sport. While she has not strayed
far from her "home court" in Edmonton, it should, likewise, be
stipulated that the ringside judging in Edmonton has been,
mercifully, free of the "home cooking" scoring all too often seen in
other "friendly" venues favored by some of the top fighters in the
sport. The most recent example of fair and balanced boxing scoring
in Edmonton was the properly rendered split decision for Ann Marie
Saccuarato over Mrdjenovich in November 2006. Finally, and
definitively, as with all fighters and all fights, the decision
regarding whom Jelena Mrdjenovich defends her title on December 7 is
solely within the purview of the Mrdjenovich management team in
conjunction with the sanctioning body, the WBC. The decision was
made to fight Dominga Olivo.
A very smart woman in the boxing business told me, regarding the
December 7 bout, "it's not that great a match, but I've seen a lot
worse." She's right, there have been a lot worse and everyone in the
sport has seen at least a couple of those bouts. Add the fact that a
very good boxer, who has been in the ring with both fighters, gives
Dominga Olivo a "punchers chance" and, it's not too far to the
realization that on some nights, on some fight cards, male or
female, that's as good as it's going to get. It can be fairly
debated whether Mrdjenovich/Olivo achieves the status of a WBC title
bout; but, in point of fact, that decision has been made by the WBC
people charged with that call.
A very good rock and roll band once told us, "you can't always get
what you want, but, you find, sometimes, you get what you need."
Mrdjenovich/Olivo may not be exactly what the sport of Women's
boxing wants, but, in the future, the sport may, indeed, get what it
needs. The winner of the December 7 bout in Edmonton will step in
with Missy Fiorentino and, following that bout, if some smart people
make some smart decisions, the boxing fans may get to see Layla
McCarter and Jeannine Garside in the WBC super featherweight mix.
So, as boxing fans, let's, for now, take what we get and hope that,
in the future, we get what we need. Bernie McCoy
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