(JAN 6)  This week I had an opportunity to speak with Erin Toughill, who boxed professionally from 2000 to 2006.   She is set to come back into the ring when she fights on January 27, 2019, at the Avalon, in Hollywood, California.  She is set to fight Maricela Cornejo, in a scheduled eight round bout in the super middleweight division.  

Erin, what made you decide to come back into the sport since being out of boxing for the last 12 plus years?

Erin:  When I retired from boxing in 2006, I was doing two sports. MMA and boxing. I was having success in both, but I knew eventually, I’d have to pick one. From 2004-2006, I had major moments of impact that changed my life. 2004 my sister died in a car accident. I kept fighting. I fought three weeks later and won the GBU title in a 10 rounder.

A month later, I fought MMA in Japan. I fought three times in one night. I knocked two girls out and got disqualified in the third fight.

In 2005, I took on Laila Ali and lost. Still a huge accomplishment and something I’m proud of.

In January 2006, I fought Laura Ramsey and outboxed her and won a unanimous decision.   A few months later, I married someone; someone who was not a good person. If you knew me back then, you know what I’m talking about. A year after my sister died, my dad was diagnosed with mesothelioma and died soon after that. He actually died 3 days before I rematched Ramsey where she knocked me out of the ring.

I was out of my mind during those three years. I was in an abusive marriage and my sister and my dad (who were my life) had died. You could have sold me ice during this period. My point is, I had no business rematching Ramsey, but I did and lost by TKO.

After that (in late 2006) I took a small break from training. At the end of 2006, I was injured in wrestling practice. I had a horrible neck injury from being slammed on my neck. I was prescribed the pain killer, Norco....and it all went downhill from there. I went thru a divorce in 2007 and was at this place in my life where I was still fighting, but I was in an unbelievable amount of emotional pain from all the trauma and loss I went thru the last few years.

Within several months, I was completely hooked on pain killers. I wasn’t even injured anymore. I just didn’t want to feel anything. The following years, I fought, but only if I knew I could get away with beating the drug tests. In 2009, I was signed to Strikeforce. I moved to Las Vegas and got married a second time to an amazing man.

We are still friends and he helped me tremendously. I was training at Extreme Couture and had the opportunity to really make the impact I wanted in this sport, but I couldn’t because I was a drug addict. I pulled out of 6-8 fights (maybe more) between 2009-2011. I made up every injury in the book. I was running out of injuries to feign. My drug addiction got so bad, I was taking 25-30 Norco a day for the last couple years. I started at 2 a day. You take 6 a day if you’re dying from cancer.

The doctors are still not sure how I lived, but I did. So...after I completely wrecked my marriage and my life and lost everything, I left Vegas and came back to Orange County, California,  beginning of 2011.

 I was then offered a MMA fight. I said, “Omg if I turn this fight down...my career will be over!” Lol it was over years before that, but I was so out of my mind I couldn’t see it. I lost that fight by a decision.

They weren’t drug testing because it was on an Indian Reservation. I had a kidney infection, I was going throught a second divorce and was on enough drugs to kill an elephant. Fast forward to mid 2011, I guess losing everything wasn’t enough because I was still not ready to stop my addiction and seek help.

I was doctor-shopping and tried to get pills from a walk in clinic. My addiction was so bad I was also going to the ER and faking injuries so I could get an IV of dilaudid. I’d do that often. So this doctor pulled my DEA record and walked back in the room and she said, “I think you have a problem.”

She could have called the police because I had so many doctors giving me drugs...it’s a federal offense to do that. I completely broke down and cried for the first time in a long time. At that time, Septempter 2011, I decided to get help because I was dying.

I also knew the next step was heroin and I knew if I took that step...I knew I’d die. I wanted to live. I took off to the desert to stay with someone I knew to get clean. No one knew where I was and I was so humiliated and ashamed and embarrassed. I was basically homeless at that point. I lost my condo, my car, all my money (drug habits are expensive) and basically everything else I had to my name except my dog, Sadie Luv.

It took me TWO YEARS to get all of those drugs out of my system and to feel “normal” again. Opioids are the devil and it’s why everyone is dying from them. This is an epidemic. They literally change the chemical makeup in your brain, they reprogram your DNA...and it gets into your bone marrow which is why it’s so unbelievably horrific trying to kick the habit.

 The side effects of this drug is absolutely horrifying. About five years ago is when I started to be able to rebuild my life again.

I rebuilt my business and, most importantly, myself. I have hit rock bottom twice in my life. One at 17 and one at 34.

This time around was much harder. I don’t know how I got throught a lot of stuff I went through early on in my life, but I always remember my dad said: Tough times don’t last. Tough people do. I believe my sister and dad were with me along the way guiding me, too.

 I’m just happy I’m alive and can share my story and hopefully inspire or encourage someone else who is struggling with addiction to seek help. There is hope and there is help.

So five years ago is when I started training again to help get control of my life and to feel better about myself. Boxing saved my life at 17 and saved it again at 36.

I was complete with retirement back then because my situation was due to the choices I made and I had to accept that I destroyed my life and my career lol.  That didn’t happen overnight btw lol Pride cometh before the fall! I retired from boxing in 2006 and retired from mma in 2011. I was FORCED to retire. I am stronger mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I’m a better fighter than I ever was at any point in my life. So why not? Here I am. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I have no pressure. This is fun for me and I’m doing it for me. I don’t care what anyone thinks about me.

How did it come about that you were offered the fight against Maricela Cornejo? Did your representative/manager contact Team Cornejo, or were you contacted to see if you wanted to come out of retirement to fight her?

Erin:  I was connected with Charles Bosecker several years ago thru mutual friends. Three years ago he asked me if I’d fight Cornejo at Morongo or somewhere in the desert. I said yes. They declined the fight. That’s all I know. Chuck asked me again if I’d fight her on this January card. I said yes. And here we are.

How long have you been preparing in the gym to come back into the sport to fight a professional fight?

Erin:  I’ve been consistently sparring, training, coaching, cornering fighters and teaching boxing to other clients and fighters the last five years. It’s not like I got this call a month ago and was some fat out of shape ex fighter and said, “Wow! Better get back in the gym!” I live in the gym. Boxing is my life. Boxing is life. I’m not taking this fight for the money, trust me.

Now that you are re-entering into the sport what is your ultimate goal, your wishlist of boxers you would like to fight?

Erin: I have no wishlist. I don’t know what I’m doing after this, if anything. I have nothing negative to say on her. May the best woman win. I’m focusing on this fight. “I hate nothing negative to say on her. I am very thankful for this opportunity to fight Maricela.

When you were boxing professionally, did you have amateur boxing experience or another contact sport beforehand to fighting as a pro in boxing?

Erin:  I started training jiu jitsu at 17, kickboxing at 18 and boxing at 20. Prior, I played soccer my whole life. I had scholarship opportunities, but opted to go have fun instead. I grew up in Los Angeles. My moms family is from Torrance and Wilmington. My dad was from Philly. I had a crazy life there and moved to Orange County on my own when I was 17. I found a kickboxing gym and the rest is history.

I was pushed into boxing because I was fighting MMA and going overseas. My coach at the time asked if I wanted to box lol I’m 20 years old...I say, “Sure!” I never knew I would box professionally. It was just to stay busy in between mma fights. I WISH I did amateur boxing! Omg if I knew then what I know now lol I had a kickboxing coach training me in boxing. We were successful lol I was beating girls with way more experience in boxing than me. I chalk it up to being mentally very tough and being athletic...and maybe some luck lol who knows!

Do you feel that women's boxing has finally made it to the mainstream since we have seen some very high-profile fights on Showtime, and other sports networks?

Erin: Yes! It’s so awesome. I’m a huge fan of Mikaela Mayer, Katie Taylor and a few other girls. I like a lot of the MMA girls, too. it’s awesome watching the evolution.

Erin, what would you like to say to all the boxing fans that followed you in the past, that they will get a great opportunity to see you re-enter the sport after being out of the ring for many years?

For those who don’t know me: Don’t sleep on me. And for those who do and who’ve followed my career and loved and supported me...us athletes couldn’t do it without you. Fans = Sports

Erin, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with WBAN!