Photo by Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
Incase you haven’t heard, Heather Hardy vs. Noemi Bosques is a big deal. Not just because Hardy is a well-known, ticket-selling Brooklyn native, but because a women’s bout is being featured on a huge Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) headliner, Amir Khan vs. Chris Algieri.
I am honored to write a preview and prediction for Hardy vs. Bosques, my first for a women’s boxing match. Last fall I wrote a piece titled “Boobs, Beasts, and Boxing,” which discussed the difficulties women boxers face getting the recognition, exposure and pay they deserve. In the ring they fight each other; outside the ring they combat society’s deep-rooted beliefs about their gender roles and sexualities.
The fight will not be part of the televised broadcast, but it will be streamed live on SpikeTV.com. I think the sport can do a lot better for them in this regard, but I do acknowledge that this is a big step for women’s boxing. If you’re in the know, you’ve already heard of Hardy who’s quite the attraction in the Brooklyn area. If you haven’t, know this: she’s tough, relentless and a gruesome pleasure to watch work in the ring.
Bosques is coming up north from St. Petersburg, Florida to face Hardy at the Barclays Center, a new hub for boxing showdowns. Bosques knows she’s the underdog, and she’s ready to prove herself. Let’s see if her slick style can give her the edge over Hardy, the undefeated fan-favorite.
Tale of the Tape
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There are some important differences that set these women apart. Notice that Noemi Bosques is three inches shorter than Hardy, which can play out in a couple of ways.
Bosques, being shorter, can have an easier time finding Heather Hardy’s body and moving out the way. Moving after throwing a punch or combination compliments Bosques’ style that relies heavily on slick footwork. Also Hardy, being taller, may find she can frustrate Bosques easily by coming over top her punches, especially the jab, when she needs to.
Hardy has slightly more experience than Bosques, a potentially important factor in the fight. Though Hardy only has been in two more fights than Bosques, she has boxed nearly 20 more rounds than her counterpart.
Hardy boasts an undefeated record; Bosques’ two losses have only been by decision. The tape doesn’t show us that the outcome of this fight is all about styles. The woman who can impose her style the best and fight smart will come out with the victory.
Main Storylines
Photo by Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
Noemi Bosques knows Heather Hardy is the favorite going into the fight, and she’s okay with that. She told me in an exchange over e-mail that the fight is huge for her career and that she’s knows she’s a big underdog, “In size, in record, [and] coming into [Hardy’s] hometown.”
As far as what to anticipate Friday, Bosques says, “Fans should expect to see sweet foot movement, maybe some salsa dancing?” Most who don’t know Bosques, or even those who have heard of her, don’t know that outside the ring she has a great sense of humor. “I’m a jokester, love to laugh and have a great time. I work just as hard as I play though, especially inside the ring.”
It’s a relief that despite her joking tendencies, Bosques is taking the fight seriously. “Heather always comes in tremendous shape, and has a record of 12-0, which speaks for itself. I have prepared by also coming in the greatest shape of my life,” said Bosques.
Both Bosques and Hardy recognize that their fight on the PBC card means a great deal to women fighters. Bosques calls it “huge exposure for two great women warriors with big stories behind them,” while Hardy says for female boxers, “We’re taking little steps” (via Ring News 24).
Getting to be on the PBC card has been a long time coming for Hardy, who isn’t afraid to call out the structural inequities women deal with as professional fighters. In an interview with RingNews24, she says, “ESPN, Showtime, HBO, Pay-Per-View all have anti-female boxing policies where they won’t let females fight. When a promoter looks at a woman, they see a dead end.”
She admits though, that there has been progress.
[otw_shortcode_quote border=”bordered” border_style=”bordered”]“This fight is going to be streamed live on SpikeTV.com. It’s not the first female fight that’s been streamed live, but it’s a pretty recognizable station. And it’s PBC, it’s Al Haymon. And I’ve already gotten the attention of Al, not to say anything other than my promoter has told him about me… Having that door opened where networks will consider females fighting, so she’s given a shot…I think we have a real chance riding on what Ronda Rousey is doing.”[/otw_shortcode_quote]
Aside from all the drama, Hardy is looking forward to her bout with Bosques, and had nothing but positive things to say about her opponent. “I think she’s really great for women’s boxing. She’s an exciting fighter. She does a really nice job promoting herself, and I think her and I are on the same page as far as what it’s going to take to get this game for women advanced.”
Even though she’s the favorite, Hardy still feels she has something to prove after her last fight against Renata Domsodi, which resulted in a no-contest due to an accidental headbutt in round two. At the final press conference, Hardy explained, “There was a really unfinished feeling after my last fight, I was disappointed. I expected more from my opponent. I wanted to put on a show for fans to remember.”
Strengths for Each Woman
Heather Hardy
Photo by Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
Heather Hardy certainly has boxing skill, though one of her biggest strengths is her aggression. She isn’t afraid to come forward—something that can be off-putting and downright scary for anyone that faces her in the ring. With Hardy, there’s no place to run because she will find you, and attack.
Another boost for Hardy is her ability to let her hands go. Combinations are super-important to deter her opponent’s will and get ahead on the scorecards. Hardy has to remember to stick behind the jab to set-up opportunities to back Noemi Bosques up and to get her combinations off.
Noemi Bosques
Noemi Bosques does her best work on the outside when she stays behind her jab and uses footwork to make her opponent guess what she’ll do next. Bosques’ best punch is arguably her right cross, which she likes to throw as a lead punch on occasion. This may work well against Heather Hardy if she can feel out Hardy’s speed and power first, and time the punch accordingly.
Her inside work isn’t bad either, especially when she can get her opponent against the ropes. She’s fairly good at throwing a lead punch and coming in to throw more blows or to clinch. Bosques likes to put her punches together when she has the chance, a likeness of Hardy that guarantees the matchup between the two women will bring plenty of action and excitement.
Weaknesses for Each Woman
Heather Hardy
Photo by Marilyn Paulino
Though Heather Hardy is tough, she tends to open her self up more than she should when she gets in punching range. This is something Hardy should be concerned about when fighting Noemi Bosques, who loves to leap in a bit to throw a lead punch to the head or body.
Hardy’s best defense is keeping a close guard, with one hand home and one hand working.
Also, Hardy shouldn’t be so over aggressive that she doesn’t take time to figure out Bosques’ footwork, and take that strength away from her. One of the most frustrating things for pressure fighters is when start to feel they can’t land punches or “catch” a fighter.
Hardy is going to have to put her boxing hat on when she faces Bosques, who brings a slick, unique style to the ring.
Noemi Bosques
Photo by Jason Marchetti
Noemi Bosques also has a tendency to open up on the outside and inside, which isn’t good for her defense, but means we’ll get to see some great exchanges between the two of them.
Bosques moves well with her feet, but she’ll have to keep her head moving also to make it difficult for Heather Hardy to headhunt and catch her.
Another area of concern for Bosques is being first in the exchanges. She tends to do so once she’s comfortable, but Hardy is not going to let up on Bosques at all. Bosques needs to be first and the aggressor from the beginning of the fight, whether by throwing more than one jab or setting up combinations. If Bosques retreats or only moves laterally when Bosques catches her, Hardy will continue to come forward and gain way too much confidence.
Winner and Why
Photo by Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment
To be clear, both women bring an exceptional amount of talent to the table. I give Heather Hardy the edge because she has a great balance of boxing and brawling that is needed to be the aggressor in this fight, while also staying smart. I believe if Noemi Bosques were facing more of a pure boxer, I would give her the edge.
One thing about Bosques is that you can’t count her out. She knows she’s the underdog in this fight, and she is prepared to prove all of us wrong. If Bosques is able to defeat Hardy, she’ll earn a lot of respect from the boxing community, and gain some new fans. And what a feat it would be to dethrone Hardy in her own hometown.
For the lucky fans that will be present in the Barclays Center for the fight, and those watching the live stream on SpikeTV.com, expect to see a totally action-packed bout. If you’re not thrilled about Khan-Algieri, Hardy-Bosques totally makes up for it.
I hope as women continue to make bigger steps in the sport that we’ll soon be able to see them on a televised card some day. For now, may the best woman win.
