Heather Hardy vs. Shelly Vincent
CJ Halloran, Staff Writer
I’ll be perfectly honest for this fight, I don’t have much of an idea who will win this fight.
I haven’t had the time to watch both fighters in depth, but from the two fights I have seen of each, I feel like Heather Hardy will come out with the victory here.
They are both technically sound boxers, but Hardy has better power, and I think she may stun Shelly Vincent at a few moments and sway the judges to give her the decision.
Prediction: Hardy
Sarah Gruber, Staff Writer
First off, yes! We have women’s boxing on network television! Thank you Lou Dibella and Al Haymon for making this moment happen. Women in the sport of boxing work equally as hard as men, and are paid substantially less money. Female boxers are given very little recognition and in recent years given no television air time. This fight between Heather Hardy and Shelly Vincent represents a significant victory in the progress for the equality of women’s boxing.
Hardy vs. Vincent is an interesting fight as it has been in the making for some time now in hopes that the two would continue to win and generate a female super showdown worthy of television coverage. That moment has arrived, so who will reign victorious in front of the network TV cameras and all its viewers?
Hardy is extremely tough and relentless inside the ring. She is not a flashy fighter, she is a grinder with a relentless spirit, an awkward style and vicious overhand right . This combination makes her hard to beat. She is one of those types that would probably die in the ring before she would ever quit.
Her opponent, Vincent is much shorter, which works well to her body-puncher style. She will look to apply continuous pressure and bring the fight to Hardy’s body. She has good defense and swift foot movement so she will likely attempt to roll under Hardy’s punches and take the fight to Hardy inside.
For Hardy to be successful she will need to fight tall and keep her distance by staying long with her jab. Most importantly Hardy will need to establish her power early. If Hardy can land the bigger shots in the early rounds she can make the bold Vincent less likely to want to come inside as persistently.
Hardy has a mean left hook and a thunderous right hand, but with her power also comes her bad habits. She drops her hands often and relies on her speedy reflexes for her defense instead. I would think Hardy respects Vincent’s power enough to keep her hands up, but if she doesn’t she may get a reminder very quickly in the form of a Shelly Vincent left hook.
Hardy vs. Vincent should be a great fight. It will all come down to which fighter can execute their game plan the most effectively on Saturday night. I hope this fight can portray women’s boxing in a great light and that it will bring more support to these female fighters. The talent of women’s boxing is plentiful, but their opportunities to showcase their talents to the masses are sparse.
Prediction: Hardy
Marilyn Paulino, Photographer
Prediction: Hardy
Michael Burnell, Staff Writer
In an interesting battle of the undefeated Heather Hardy will take on Shelly Vincent.
This featherweight fight will be won or lost on boxing ability and stamina over any sort of overwhelming power as the fighters have a combined five knockouts over a total of 35 fights.
Hardy has a substantial advantage in height as at 5’5″ she towers the 5’0″ Vincent.
Vincent wins the battle of the nicknames, but “Shelito’s Way” won’t be able to handle “The Heat” as Hardy sweats out a close, tough unanimous decision.
Prediction: Hardy
Milo Taibi, Staff Writer
In a fight that was hyped for months, Heather “The Heat” Hardy and Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent will finally do battle on NBC Sports Network; the first women’s bout televised on Premier Boxing Champions.
Neither fighter displays a finishing instinct, and I think Hardy’s reach advantage will help her pull away with a one-sided decision in later rounds.
Prediction: Hardy
Shelbi Keyes, Staff Writer
Two undefeated warriors Heather “The Heat” Hardy (17-0, 4 KOs) and Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent (18-0, 1 KOs) go toe-to-toe Sunday night on the undercard of Errol Spence Jr. vs. Leonard Bundu. The winner of this bout will be named the WBC International featherweight champion.
This is a much-anticipated fight for many reasons, one being the fact that this co-feature bout will shine a bright spotlight on women’s boxing. Women’s boxing will gain mainstream recognition Sunday night, as these two fighters will bring their bad blood face to face.
I am expecting an extremely competitive, action-packed fight because they both seem to be pressure fighters. Hardy has both a height and reach advantage over Vincent; she also works the ring and stays mobile while throwing accurate combinations. Vincent one the other hand is more of a brawler style fighter. With that being said, I am expecting a close fight but I give Hardy the nod.
Prediction: Hardy
Alex Burgos, Editor-in-Chief
The grudge match between Heather Hardy and Shelly Vincent is finally here! We’ve followed and supported the careers of both Hardy and Vincent for years, and regardless of who wins we’re happy to see them get a shot at being featured on television via Premier Boxing Champions.
I think if Vincent is going to win–and overcome Hardy’s height–she will have to be busy and get some respect with her power. With only one knockout to her credit, I’m not sure she can do that.
I think we’ll see some fireworks, and probably some blood, but Hardy will pull this one out via close decision.
Prediction: Hardy
