Women's Boxing: Latest News in Women's Boxing

(MAY 10) WBAN has received a retirement letter from Terri Moss. The sport will miss Terri in the ring, and she has brought much entertainment with many of the fights she has on many boxing events. Terri will remain very busy in boxing though outside the ring! Moss said the following:

From: Terri Moss
WIBF Strawweight World Champion
WIBA Mini Flyweight Intercontinental Champion
WBAN # 2 Strawweight

Re: Retirement Notification

Greetings to All,

Regrettably, the time has come for me to send this notice to you; a letter notifying you of my retirement. I say regrettably, because though I am now 42 years old, neither do I feel or perform like a fighter ready to retire, nor is my heart ready for retirement. I had every intention to defend my titles, and at least have a retirement fight, but I have not had the opportunity to do any of these things, so it is more appropriate for me to retire as Champion rather than just fade my career out, and to vacate the titles so that someone may fight for them.

I knew when I got into boxing that my time would be short. I made my pro debut at 36 and won the prestigious WIBF World Title and WIBA Intercontinental Titles at 41 years old. I�ve fought for five World Titles and been all over the world in different aspects of the sport. Hardly anyone I know would have expected me to go as far as I have coming in so late, but I had my mind made up I would never - ever - consider retirement until I had what I came for, a World Title. I am very grateful to Barbara Buttrick and Ryan Wissow for sanctioning the fight that earned me these titles. They are one of my highest life accomplishments.

My retirement comes because it is just getting too difficult and too expensive to fight at my age. The medical requirements make it impossible for me to take a fight that without the right kind of purse, and even with the medicals, most state commissions will not approve me to fight more than four rounds. Some of the worst difficulties come from my own home state, where the Commissioner has all but vowed not to approve fights for me and even refuses to discuss it. I believe that if a fighter can show with merit their agility, ability, and excellent health, they should be granted the opportunity to perform in anything the desire to do. I also believe that a fighter�s age is better determined by the length of their career and what kinds of fights they have had. Today with advances in science, fitness, food, and nutrition, I believe that a lot of fighters will be fighting well beyond what in the past has been determined to be a prime age. We are seeing it already. I congratulate anyone brave enough to fight beyond the skeptics.

I�m looking at this as a beginning rather then an end. I have a stable of my own fighters that need my full attention, and I have a growing fitness program that keeps my extremely busy. My trainer and I, Xavier Biggs, have our own gym to run, and I feel good about closing my career in this positive way. Be on the look out for me, because I�ll be back! (In the corner!) Thank you so much Sue Fox for keeping women�s boxing alive through WBAN!

Terri Moss
WIBF World Champion
WIBA Intercontinental Champion
Decatur Boxing Club
Decatur, GA.
www.decaturboxing.com
www.terrimoss.com