Ringside Excitement... Saturday, July 9

Headed to Anyong for a lot of blood, sweat and tears – live boxing.

I’ll never get sick of watching live boxing...

I’ll never get sick of standing for hours on end because of the anticipation and heighted interest in a good fight…

I’ll never get sick of running into fellow Korean boxers and all the coaches…

I’ll never get sick of being recognized by fellow Korean boxers and spectators…

I’ll never get sick of the camera action though I must say it’d be nice to not have them follow me around and monitor me. Slipping out into the bathroom for privacy and to eat a mini-meal is not cool.

I didn’t get to meet up with the IFBA President today so I didn’t get my couple-of-times-a-year hug which she always gives me. She had sent someone to fill in for her, a lady by the name of Kim Messer. I anticipated meeting her and it was interesting to hear her story. She’s a former IFBA champion boxer who was actually born in the very city today’s bouts were being held in. She lived in an orphanage here until she was then adopted by an American family, then she moved to America. Today was kind of like a homecoming for her so I’m sure it was a great day for her though I felt a bit bad for her because I spoke way more Korean than she did. None the less, the Korean crowd loved her and it was pretty cool to meet her.

One of the main fights for the day was between Korea’s very own and long time standing champion Kim Dan Be and a female boxer from China. I’ve seen Dan Be fight numerous times but today was the first time I saw Liu Jian Li from China fight. Liu Jian Li was fighting to uphold her undefeated status and Dan Bi was fighting as the current Mini Fly Champion. When Liu walked out of the change room my jaw just about dropped… wow. She was ripped! I’m talking about V-cut shoulders, a 6-pak and horseshoe calves! Her body looked intimidating as hell but she sported a huge smile that I thought totally clashed with her image but was very cute and sweet. Dan Be on the other hand dropped my jaw too but not in a good way. The weigh-in requirements had been set for mini flyweight – 47kgs – but Dan Be didn’t look up to par with her opponent and she appeared somewhat nervous.

Looks can be deceiving, I told myself… a lesson I learned three years ago. And who should be there also but the very woman who gave me a brutal testimonial lesson about this – Park Mi Ran, my very first opponent here in Korea.

Dan Bi’s fight ended in a draw, a pretty disappointing conclusion, but my interest in the day’s boxing matches quickly turned to Mi Ran when I got word that she was fighting today. It was during Dan Bi’s fight that I noticed Mi Ran. She was standing but just a few feet away from me, wearing the same t-shirt she fought me in and standing with her coach. I gasped when I saw her but she responded with a huge hi and a huge smile.

I wanted to tell her how devastated I was when I lost my debut professional fight to her three years ago, how she broke my heart, shattered it actually, and how it took me so long to pick myself up from those four short 2 minute rounds we spent together.

Those four rounds changed my life.

It felt rather ironically humorous to be standing in her corner, posing as the loudest fan cheerer and offering her advice on what combos to pull out in the ring but it was good. She lost her fight but when I told her she fought hard and strong she thanked me and looked honestly happy to have me be there with her.
No big knock-outs today and there was only one match where the blood was freely flowing. Both Dan Bi and a male fighter scored bad cuts on their upper eye from head butting but there certainly was a lot of skill and talent played out today in the ring.

On a side note, turns out Snickers and I got quite the commentary during the fights. I can never sit when I watch a fight, I'm too busy standing on my toes with anticipation, well that and I like to yell out calls and throw random shadow punches. Turns out the KBS TV broadcasters had a field day on the fact that I was standing while Snickers was sitting. They refered to as being "opposite of norm", claiming that the girl should be sitting and the guy should be standing.

Hahaha, "opposite of norm"... if only they knew just how true that is.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Did you catch the action?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Opposite of norm.
-- KBS sports broadcasters