Harding loses Pro Debut: But…Showtime is also big loser – by Sue TL Fox

(FEB 23, 2003) Last night on a high profile card that featured mainliner Mike Tyson, in Memphis, Tennessee, Showtime, and the promoter of the event put on an untelevised  “beginner’s bout” four-round boxing match on the undercard that featured former ice-skating princess  Tonya Harding, and her opponent, Samantha Browning.  Browning trained for this match with Harding for about a month or so.

Harding trained for a few months—neither one of them could have beaten most of the amateurs in the sport, much less the pros that are in the sport today.  This match was no more than a slap on the face of  women’s boxing, in the struggle for women in the sport to become more recognized and legitimized.

On this Showtime card, it allowed two beginners, with very limited time training, with absolutely no amateur experience or background (bar room fights and celebrity matches excluded), to flail and wildly punch at each other for four rounds—instead of putting experienced and well-trained women boxers in the ring. When the news media covered this match, they made such comments that included in their description of Harding and Browning:   “more stumbling than punching”  “more wrestling than boxing” “inept”  “wild bout” “they slugged it out – sort of – for the entire fight” “Browning and Harding hugged their way through much of the fight, flailing ineffective blows to the sides and backs of each other’s heads.”  “The two hugged so much that referee Alan Lovell reminded them this is a boxing match”.   Harding was not the only loser last night—WBAN will add “Showtime” in the losers circle.  Sue TL Fox