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Harding loses Pro Debut: But...Showtime
is also big loser
Copyrighted Photos and Story
by Sue TL Fox / WBAN™
February 23, 2003 xx
(FEB 23, 2003) Last night on a
high profile card that featured mainliner Mike Tyson, in Memphis,
Tennessee, Showtime, and the promoter of the event put on an untelevised “beginner's bout” four-round boxing match on the
undercard that featured former ice-skating princess Tonya Harding,
and her opponent, Samantha Browning. Browning trained for
this match with Harding for about a month or so.
Unknown photographer,
please contact WBAN if this is your photo
Harding trained for
a few months---neither one of them could have beaten most of the amateurs
in the sport, much less the pros that are in the sport today. This match
was no more than a slap on the face of women’s boxing, in the struggle
for women in the sport to become more recognized and legitimized.
Unknown photographer,
please contact WBAN if this is your photo
On
this Showtime card, it
allowed two beginners, with very limited time training, with absolutely no
amateur experience or background (bar room fights and celebrity matches
excluded), to flail and wildly punch at each other for four
rounds---instead of putting experienced and well-trained women boxers in
the ring. When the news media covered this match, they made
such comments that included in their description of Harding and Browning:
“more stumbling than punching” “more wrestling than boxing” “inept”
“wild bout” “they slugged it out - sort of - for the entire fight”
“Browning and Harding hugged their way through much of the fight, flailing
ineffective blows to the sides and backs of each other's heads.” “The two
hugged so much that referee Alan Lovell reminded them this is a boxing
match”. Harding was not the only loser last night---WBAN will add
“Showtime” in the losers circle. Sue TL Fox
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