By Sabrina Orlov
At the MCI Center in Washington, Erin Toughill landed some effective punches in the beginning, mostly left hooks. But her opponent's speed and power were too much, and she began taking a beating in the second round. At 1.59 in the third round Toughill took about 20 consecutive punches in her corner before referee Joseph Cooper stepped in to end the fight.
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali entered the ring under the eyes of the cheering crowd and hugged and kissed Laila Ali, his youngest daughter, who holds an impressive record with 21 wins and 0 losses, with 16 wins by knockout.
Making the MoveLaila Ali lived a simple life – as simple as it gets for the daughter of Muhammad Ali. At age 18, she was seemingly as far from the sport as she could get, as the owner of a beauty salon and a full-time student. But after watching one of women's boxing's pioneers, Christy Martin, on the undercard of a 1996 Mike Tyson fight, Ali's bloodline began to kick in.
Her pro debut was October 8, 1999, against April Fowler, an out-of-shape novice, who was defeated by the young Ali in 31 seconds. The fight didn't earn Ali any boxing credentials. However, it did create a powerful image.
For the first time the world saw her standing over the fallen Fowler with her fist cocked and a scowl on her face, a striking pose reminiscent of her father. Like Muhammad, the 5'10" Ali has quick feet, a stiff jab and a natural self-confidence. The media went crazy for her.
The prospect of having a daughter of one of the most famous boxer's in the world fight, was something many thought would give women's boxing the punch it needed to get in the main stream. How perfect that the void would be filled by a charismatic, strong and beautiful female fighter, who could symbolize women's pro boxing the way the senior Ali did for men's boxing.
Indeed, Laila's last name brought a spotlight to the sport, but that attention would not have lasted without the boxer's attitude and razor tongue towards her opponents: “People always like to hear some s**t-talking. For me, I say what I feel and I mean what I say. And people expect it because it's natural of me.”
In May 2001, during one of her most memorable fights, Ali faced Joe Frazier's daughter, Jackie Frazier, in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 8000, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their father's' first fight. This event attracted major media coverage, including being featured as the cover story in the week's TV Guide (a first for women's boxing).
Ali won by an eight-round majority decision, and then took off almost one year, returning 364 days later to beat Shirvelle Williams, and then Suzzette Taylor, and Valerie Mahfood, and Christy Martin; and the list goes on and on.
"I underestimated her," Crystal Arcand once said after losing to Ali. "She's got the power and she can back it up. I've never experienced a woman with the amount of power she has. It's an experience and lesson for me."
What's in a Name?Under her father's apprehensive and excited eyes, Ali won titles and brought extra attention for the women's boxing. She said he never told her not to do it, but she could tell he was concerned.
Ali thinks her dad was worried about her well-being, as any father would be. However, he was also considering his reputation; as the greatest fighter of all times, he didn't want to see his daughter in the ring being horribly beat up. “Now my father isn't involved in my boxing career. He pretty much comes to the fights like any other fan and doesn't know what he's about to see.”
What he sees is a fast fighter with the same build, but with a total different style than his. “He's more of a showman. You know, carrying someone even though he knew he could finish him, just to excite the crowd. Me, I'm trying to get home early.”
When asked if she would encourage women to start boxing she says no. “I know it sounds crazy because I do it, but I do it because it's in my blood, in my heart. It's bad for your body but if like me, that's what you want, just make sure you get a trainer that takes women's boxing seriously”.
Celebrating our DifferencesWith the big buzz over the multiple Oscar nominations for “Million Dollar Baby,” an emotional drama set in the little known world of women's boxing, the sport has taken another step towards its acceptance and popularity.
Despite women's fights usually being second or third on the card, some networks have opened its doors to allow women's boxing to air. ESPN and USA Network were the first television networks to give women's boxing a real chance with all-women's cards. And despite the surprising ratings, the sport never really got a fair chance to show what it could do with a regular time slot.
“I don't think we get the same media coverage, but I don't think it's necessary. What's in the media, it's what people want to see, and most of the people want to see big, strong men, and we can never measure up to that. You have to accept women for who we are,” said Ali.
At first Ali's interest in boxing was treated as a publicity stunt, always being referred as Muhammad Ali's daughter. “Nowadays I read articles that treat me like an athlete. You have to earn the respect, keep being the best in what we do and not focusing on being a woman, then people won't focus either.”
But the focus is inevitable when carrying the Ali name, which evokes memories of a remarkable fighter whose skills and personality captivated millions of boxing fans. Having your life compared to your father's requires extra skills on measuring up to all kinds of comparisons.
“Some men think that if they start looking at us like equals, they will start feeling inferior. They have to keep us in certain levels to feel comfortable.”
We still have yet to take some steps towards equity in sports; women's fights only last 10 rounds while man boxes for 12. “It's just a way to suppress our athleticism, for them to be able to say ‘Oh, you don't fight as many rounds, so you are not as much as an athlete.' We've got to make noise about it,” said Ali.
“My approach is to be the best that I can be. I think when people come to see my fight they see a good fighter, they enjoy the fight, they don't see just a woman.”
Laila Ali's Official Web SiteEditor's Note: Since the time this article was published, Laila Ali has joined the Women's Sports Foundation's Board of Trustees.