Televised Grudge Fight in NYC: Heather Hardy vs Shelly Vincent and Fight Notes

Undefeated super bantamweights collide when New York’s Heather “The Heat” Hardy meets Providence’s Shelly “Shelitos Way” Vincent on a televised fight card.

It’s a grudge fight.

Hardy (17-0, 4 KOs) looks forward to proving her worth against hard charging Vincent (18-0. 1 KO) when they meet on Sunday Aug. 21 at the Ford Amphitheater in Coney Island for the WBC International title. NBC Sports Network will televise the battle of the East Coast on the DiBella Entertainment card.

No one argues that Brooklyn’s Hardy can attract a large fan base. On seven fight cards held at Barclays Center the feisty super bantamweight sold far more tickets than the men on the same cards. If Hardy fights, the fans arrive in droves.

The big question for those unfamiliar with Hardy’s opposition, have been the quality of her opponents. Though none of those on the other side of the ring bore undefeated records, they were no pushovers. Wins over Nydia Feliciano, Noemi Bosques, and Kirstie Simmons were hard-earned victories over veteran competition.

Vincent doesn’t think so.

“She’s clearly been beaten before,” said Vincent, 37, a veteran of 18 pro fights. “Check the (Jackie) Trivilino and Fuentes bouts.”

Vincent has plowed through all competitors on her Rhode Island turf. Like Hardy, she hasn’t fought opponents with spotless records, but this is women’s boxing. Very few female fighters are undefeated. The Rhode Island fighter defeated Feliciano, Christina Ruiz and Jackie Trivilino. All are known for their toughness too.

Hardy doesn’t deny her talent, but criticizes Vincent’s tactics.

“This girl has been calling me out, making fun of how I look, how I speak, real petty high school crap,” said Hardy, 34, of her opponent Vincent. “Making stupid videos of me. I stayed quiet. I never wanted to make any publicity for her. But now she is going to face the music.”

Both Vincent and Hardy are in their 30s. Both are aggressive but not necessarily knockout punchers. Just don’t stand right in front of them. Neither is frugal with the punch output. They are swingers not posers.

Hardy and Vincent know this fight is important not just for individual reasons but for the sport of female prizefighting. When both received the call to face each other with less than a month to prepare, both jumped at the opportunity.

“Lou (DiBella) called me at midnight while I was eating pizza,” said Hardy. “Well, the opportunity was right. He told me there’s a good chance to be on NBC sports. I didn’t want to pass it up.”

Vincent was equally enthusiastic.

“I feel like it’s the break women boxing needed. A chance and opportunity we needed to showcase that we can fight, that we can draw a crowd,” said Vincent who was planning to go to Bolivia when she got the call and decided to cancel the trip. “And people do want to see us.”

It’s a grudge match for both. But it’s also a door opening and both want to crash the door wide open.

“It’s a foot in the door that me and Heather plan to kick all the way down,” Vincent said.

Hardy feels a duty to show the force of women’s boxing and “to inspire people to look further into female boxing.”

It will be televised on Sunday afternoon by NBC Sports Network. 6 p.m. PT.

 

International Female Fight Notes

 

Argentina

In Dos Arroyos, a bantamweight bout saw Natalia Alderete (1-0) defeat Daniela Uruena (0-1) by decision to win the battle of debuting fighters on Saturday Aug. 13.

In San Luis, a super bantamweight clash saw Soledad Frias (9-8-4) defeat Marta Juncos (5-22-4) by unanimous decision after eight rounds on Friday Aug. 12. Frias, 32, lives in San Luis.

In Rosario, a battle of bantamweights saw Alejandra Rios (8-7-2) defeat Adriana Maldonado (1-4-1) by decision after six rounds. The bout took place on Friday Aug. 12. Rios, 29, lives in Rosario, Argentina.

In Villa Carlos Paz, a super featherweight fight saw Maria Capriolo (6-5-4) win by unanimous decision over Gloria Yancaqueo (3-6-2) after four rounds on Friday Aug. 12. Capriolo, 34, fights out of Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina.

 

Australia

In Melbourne Park, WBC silver super bantamweight titlist Shannon O’Connell (13-4-1) defeated Japan’s Kimika Miyoshi (13-9-1) by unanimous decision to retain the belt on Saturday Aug. 13. O’Connell, 33, was making the first defense of the title she won in April. Also, Cherneka Johnson (3-0) remained undefeated with a decision win over Daorueng Saknarong (1-3) in a four round bantamweight clash.

 

Costa Rica

Yokasta Valle (10-0) meets Linda Vazquez (2-3) in a minimum weight contest set for eight rounds on Friday Aug. 19. The fight will be held in Moravia. Valle, 23, fights out of San Jose, Costa Rica. Vazquez fights out of Chiapas, Mexico.

 

Finland

In Savonlinna, a battle between super featherweights saw Eva Wahlstrom (18-0-1) defeat Jasmina Nadj (5-14-3) by unanimous decision after eight rounds. The fight took place on Saturday Aug. 13. Wahlstrom, 35, fights out of Helsinki, Finland and holds the WBC super featherweight world title. Nadj, 31, is from Serbia.

 

Georgia

In Variani, a super lightweight match saw Lela Terashvili (7-3-1) defeat Tako Tsariashvili (0-4) by knockout in the sixth and final round on Monday Aug. 8. Both women fight out of Gori, Georgia.

 

Ghana

Mavis Seweey (0-0) faces Lydia Annan (0-0) in a cruiserweight fight set for six rounds on Saturday Aug. 20, in Accra.

Hungary

In Budapest, a battle of bantamweights saw Kleopatra Tolnai (7-7) upset formerly undefeated Tia Sandorfi (3-1) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Wednesday Aug. 10. Tolnai, 19, fights out of Budapest and snapped a three-fight losing streak with the dominating win. Sandorfi, 22, also fights out of Hungary but had not fought the same high quality competition as Tolnai which included several title fights.

In Budapest, a super bantamweight contest saw Edina Kiss (9-1) defeat Nora Kiss (0-2) after six rounds on Tuesday Aug. 9.

 

Japan

In Soka, a battle for the IBF light flyweight world title saw champion Naoko Shibata (16-3-1) win by close majority decision over  Maria Salinas (11-5-3) after 10 rounds on Saturday Aug. 13. It was the second encounter between the two female boxers. In a previous fight Shibata and Salinas fought to a draw. Salinas, 27, is a southpaw from Coahuila, Mexico. Shibata, 35, lives in Tokyo, Japan. In a strawweight bout, Yunoka Furukawa (8-1-2) won by technical knockout over Satomi Nishimura (9-3) in the third round. A light flyweight bout saw Momo Koseki (22-2-1) defeat Rungnapa Keawkrachang (13-8-1) by knockout in the first round.

In Toyonaka, a battle between minimumweights saw Masae Akitaya (11-6-2) win by technical knockout of Sornsawan Khunmar (0-3) in the third round. Their fight took place on Saturday Aug. 13. Also, a light flyweight bout saw Shione Ogata (7-5) win by technical knockout of Kanittha Ninthim (1-9) in the fourth round.

Kei Takenaka (11-0) meets Louisa Hawton (6-0) for the vacant WBO light flyweight world title on Saturday Aug. 20, in Sanda, Japan. The bout is set for 10 rounds. Takenaka, 30, fights out of Takasago, Japan. Hawton fights out of Australia. Also, Mika Iwakawa (5-4-1) fights Nonggig Sithjaanart (0-0) for the vacant OPBF light flyweight title.

 

Mexico

In Rosarito Beach,  a light flyweight battle saw Sandra Robles (15-2) win by decision over Maria Martinez (0-3-2) after six rounds. The fight took place on Saturday Aug. 13, on the under card of the Antonio Margarito win over Ramon Alvarez. Robles, 22, is a southpaw who fights out of nearby Tijuana, Mexico.

In Vera Cruz, a light flyweight contest saw Lourdes “Lulu” Juarez (17-2) defeat Lupe Bautista (6-10-2) by unanimous decision after eight rounds. The fight took place on Saturday Aug. 13. Juarez, 29, is the younger sister of Mexico’s great Mariana “Barbie” Juarez. Both fight out of Mexico City.

 

Panama

In Panama City, a lightweight match saw Lourdes Borbua (7-0) remain undefeated by stoppage over Rita Luzardo (0-2) in round three on Tuesday Aug. 9. Borbua, 27, fights out of Felipillo, Panama. Luzardo, 28, fights out of Venezuela. Also, a featherweight battle saw Laura Ledezma (8-0) beat Marlene Aguilar (0-1) by decision after four rounds.

 

Singapore

Nurshahidah Roslie (3-0) battles Krisna Limbaga (0-0) in a six round super featherweight bout set for six rounds. The match takes place in Singapore on Sunday Aug. 21.

 

USA

In Denver, Colorado,  a super bantamweight battle saw Elizabeth Anderson (5-8) defeat hometown favorite Brittany Cruz (10-8-2) by unanimous decision after six rounds. The bout took place on Saturday Aug. 13. Anderson, 30, fights out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Cruz, 26, fights out of nearby Thornton, Colorado.

In Hays, Montana, a contest between lightweights saw Wamnee Ereaux (0-0-1) and Megan Martin (0-0-1) fight to a split draw after four rounds on Thursday Aug. 11. Ereaux and Martin both fight out of Hays, Montana.

Heather Hardy (17-0) fights Shelly Vincent (18-0) in a battle of undefeated for the vacant WBC International featherweight title on Sunday Aug. 21. The title match takes place in Coney Island, New York. The fight will be shown on NBC Sports Network. Hardy, 34, fights out of Brooklyn, New York. Vincent, 37, fights out of Providence, Rhode Island.