FIRST LADY, FIGHTER FIRST
Those women, she said, paved the way for females to begin fighting in the Olympics at the 2012 London Games. And not much changed in the professional ranks for most women, who, she said, trained and fought their hearts out for next to nothing because it was their passion. She called them “invisible women, heroes who never got the opportunity to shine.” Many observers have noted that women who fought deep on the undercards of shows featuring men in those days seemed to battle harder than many of their male counterparts, perhaps because they fought not only to win but for acceptance. “Did I have a chip on my shoulder? I heard women weren’t supposed to box, they’ll look ugly, they’re supposed to look pretty, supposed to smile,” Braekhus said. “All that bullshit you get when women were doing this. … It’s insane to go to a gym and be treated differently because you’re a woman. It’s horrible, cruel. “It informs you, it makes you tougher, more resilient. I think that was definitely part of my success.” That’s how she approached her training, showing up at the gym to do her job and demanding that she be treated like everyone else. Johnathon Banks started training Braekhus after one of his proteges, Wladimir Klitschko, recommended him. The trainer remembered his first thought when he met her: “She doesn’t look anything like a fighter.” And then she quickly demonstrated that’s exactly what she was, first in her words and then in the gym. “I ended up meeting her, we ended up talking,” he said. “I was definitely surprised that she was like any other athlete in the gym. That’s the most important thing about Cecilia to me, something I always appreciated. She said, ‘Don’t talk to me like I’m a female
fighter. Talk to me like an athlete.’ “That’s the best compliment I can give anyone. She wanted to be treated the same as everyone else.” They worked together during the pinnacle of Braekhus’ career, when she became undisputed champion and built her incredible resume. That success helped lift women out of the darkness and into an era in which they have more opportunities than ever, largely because promoters and television executives are finally backing them in large numbers. Many next-generation women consider her a genuine pioneer who demonstrated that anything is possible. And they’re thankful. “A pioneer is someone who challenges the status quo and changes mindsets,” Taylor said. “She has changed people’s perspective of women’s boxing in Europe and beyond, to the point where female fighters are treated with respect and dignity.” Braekhus was reluctant to boast when a list of her accomplishments was read to her. The role she played in the evolution of women’s boxing? She acknowledged that she made an impact but gave credit to the anonymous women who came before her. The lifting of the ban in Norway? Just hard work and determination. Her success in the ring? Some talent and love of the sport, which made the sacrifices easier. Again, she just wanted to fight. The rest was never a part of any plan. “I didn’t become a boxer because I wanted attention,” she said. “I didn’t want to be in the media. That isn’t a reason to become a boxer. I did the promoting, I did everything that needed to be done so people would watch the fights, but I never started out in boxing wanting to be in the spotlight. “Maybe it was the opposite. I don’t love the spotlight. Everything I did is because I love boxing. But I’ll say this: I did want my boxing to look good. Maybe that’s because you get a lot of pushback being a woman. You have to perform.”
Chris Namus lost every round to the then-undisputed welterweight champ.
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