DREAM WARRIORS FEMALE BOXERS HOPE FILM HELPS REWARD THEIR LOVE WITH MONEY.Byline: Story by Ramona Shelburne Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. Baby Doll looked up at the big screen in Burbank's AMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card) See AdvancedTCA. Theater and saw a lot of herself. She wasn't watching Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep Noun 1. Meryl Streep - United States film actress (born in 1949) Streep or Catherine Zeta-Jones. It was Hilary Swank - with a broken nose. Bridgett ``Baby Doll'' Riley is a professional boxer. Like Swank's character, Maggie Fitzgerald, in the Oscar-nominated ``Million Dollar Baby,'' she is Irish, 31, and left Missouri for Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and the dream of a big payday. But a more accurate title for the film might be ``Thousand Dollar Baby,'' because that's about as good as the money gets in women's boxing Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1904. For most of the 20th century, however, it was banned in most nations. Its revival was pioneered by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which sanctioned events for women in 1988. . Laila Ali Laila Ali (born December 30, 1977 in Miami Beach) is the daughter of Muhammad Ali and his third wife Veronica Porsche Ali. She was their second child and is the most famous of the nine children born to Muhammad Ali. She is a professional boxer. , daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali, pasha of Egypt Muhammad Ali, 1769?–1849, pasha of Egypt after 1805. He was a common soldier who rose to leadership by his military skill and political acumen. , once earned $250,000 for a bout, but most earn a fraction of that. Riley, who lives in Toluca Lake, earned $4,000 in 1998 when she won the world bantamweight ban·tam·weight n. 1. A weight division in professional boxing having an upper limit of 118 pounds (53.1 kilograms), between junior bantamweight and junior flyweight. 2. A boxer competing in this weight division. 3. (118-pound) title and $7,000 in her first and only title defense. Hers is a story of passion and dedication for a sport dominated by men. She has broken her nose numerous times in the ring, but when the Academy Award winners are announced tonight, a little part of Riley will share the moment. ``I make more now in one day on set doing stunts than I did in any of my fights,'' said Riley, who plays a small part in the film. ``It'd be great if it was really like (the movie), but the reality isn't like that.'' For the most part, female boxers This is a list of notable female boxers. For a list of male boxers, see List of male boxers. : Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A
``I was a little bitter A Little Bitter (often abbreviated to ALB) is a rock band from Coalisland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland comprising of Jonny Armstrong on lead vocals and lead guitar and Seamy Donnelly on backing vocals and base guitar. (it didn't pay more) for a while, but I'm over it,'' said Riley, semiretired sem·i·re·tired adj. Working only on a part-time basis, as for reasons of ill health or advanced age. sem since 2002. ``I loved boxing. Having that to get up for every morning, you couldn't ask for anything better.'' With the popularity of the film, which is favored to net Swank an Oscar for best actress, things could be changing. Lucia Rijker Lucia Rijker (born December 6, 1967 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch professional female boxer and kickboxer. Lucia Rijker has been dubbed by the press and opponents "The Most Dangerous Woman in the World". , who plays the evil Billie ``The Blue Bear'' in the film, has become something of a celebrity. Rijker, 37, actually could become a million-dollar baby. Promoter Bob Arum Robert "Bob" Arum (born December 8, 1931 in New York City) is a Harvard-educated lawyer who helped the White House during President John F. Kennedy's time there. He also worked for the US Attorneys Office for the southern district of New York, in the Tax division. has called to discuss a fight with Ali that would fetch a million- dollar purse. ``Those offers are there because of the movie,'' said the Dutch-born Rijker, regarded by many as the world's most skilled female boxer. ``I think it's created a buzz and an awareness that we as fighters are getting attention for that. If it helps me to get a fight (with Ali) and show my true talent, great.'' But in order for the big money to trickle down Trickle down An economic theory that the support of businesses that allows them to flourish will eventually benefit middle- and lower-income people, in the form of increased economic activity and reduced unemployment. to lesser-known female fighters, Rijker said getting women's boxing into the 2008 Olympics is critical. Boxing is the only Olympic sport that's exclusively male and doesn't have a female equivalent. ``I think we need boxing in the Olympics before we can really build the sport,'' Rijker said. ``Then we can have a natural selection of athletes, exposure and a real golden girl.'' Prominent Van Nuys-based trainer Joe Goossen doesn't think that will happen. He also isn't sure whether the film will boost the popularity of women's boxing. ``There was money in women's boxing for, like, a minute,'' said Goossen, who trained Rijker in the late-1990s. ``There was a window of time, when Christy Martin Christy Martin (born June 12, 1968) is a female boxer. Martin, who is married to her manager and trainer Jim Martin and promoted by Don King, is nicknamed The Coal Miner's Daughter. fought on a Mike Tyson-Frank Bruno undercard un·der·card n. The event or events coming before and supporting the main event, as of boxing matches. (in 1996) with a huge pay-per-view audience, and it was a blood fest, the best fight of the night. It had all the things you expect to see in a great fight, and it was the first time people saw a girl fight like a guy on national TV. ``But the reality is there's not much money in the sport for men, and there's even less for women.'' For Rita Valentini, boxing never has been about money. The 27-year old from Alberta came to Los Angeles five years ago with no plans of becoming a boxer. She fell into it quickly after her first training session at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach Freddie Roach may refer to:
Her apartment in Hollywood costs $600 a month. She doesn't own a car. She's been riding her bike to the gym in the rain for the past two months. ``I've had to make a lot of sacrifices in the five years I've been doing it, but it's become a way of life,'' she said. ``I don't even look at it as a sacrifice any more. It's a calm, peaceful, healthy lifestyle. ``I don't look at it like I'm waiting for a big break. I get up every morning and do what I love to do. I'm really happy with that. I have to live very carefully, but dreams are free. They don't cost anybody a thing.'' To pay the rent, Valentini does extra work such as catering jobs and acting in direct-to-video movies. Riley took stunt work and acting jobs to help pay the bills while she was fighting. But it's hard to build a career in acting when you turn down work to train. ``When you're training, everything else comes second,'' she said. ``The people that love me got it. I had to give up a lot for this. I gave up college, I lost a fiance. ... I knew I had to move to California, and he was like, 'You're going to fall on your face, you'll be back in a year.''' In the past six months, Riley has decided to put boxing second and concentrate on acting and stunt work. She recently landed a job as Alyssa Milano's stunt-double on the TV series ``Charmed'' and a role in the Keanu Reeves movie ``Constantine.'' Riley made the decision after realizing there wasn't much more for her to do as a boxer. She was a world champion and a five-time world-champion kickboxer. Most mornings, she's still running the hills in Griffith Park with elite male boxers such as Manny Pacquiao, who is training for a highly publicized pay-per-view bout with former 130-pound champion Erik Morales in Las Vegas next month. Most days, she's in the gym, working out or watching sparring sessions. Some might think dedicated boxers such as Valentini and Riley would have a problem with gimmick fighters such as Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding, who recently grabbed headlines for a fight with a drag queen drag queen Female impersonator, gynemimetic Sexology A ♂ with ♀ affect–often 'overplayed'; a ♂ homosexual and ♀ wannabe, with ♂ genitalia; DQs may take hormones to ↑ breasts, and thus are hormonally, but not surgically that will take place next month in Florida. Valentini doesn't have a problem with Harding. ``She's trying to make a living, right?'' she said. ``It's silly, but it doesn't bother me.'' Harding's promoter, Damon Feldman, agrees and said there should be room for everybody. ``She has a name, and even though it's infamous, people want to see her,'' Feldman said. ``Tonya is a real Hollywood story.'' It is uncertain what the success of ``Million Dollar Baby'' will do for the sport. Some think it will cultivate interest in women's boxing. Others think the attention will fade shortly after the Academy Awards. ``The movie is good and positive,'' Riley said. ``It was about a girl coming from nothing and following her dream.'' A million dollars or not, that's all Riley ever expected from the sport. CAPTION(S): 6 photos, 3 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) The success Bridgett ``Baby Doll'' Riley has achieved in women's boxing has more to do with her passion, and certainly not the pay. (2 -- color) Rita Valentini, 27, came to L.A. from Canada five years ago, and trains four hours a day, six days a week, earning just $600-$800 a fight. (3) Women's pro boxer Bridget ``Baby Doll'' Riley works out at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood. Photos by David Sprague/Staff Photographer (4 -- color) Christy Martin Al Bello/Getty Images (5) The role Hilary Swank played in the Academy Award-nominated film ``Million Dollar Baby'' has attracted attention to women's boxing. HO/AFP/Getty Images (6) TONYA HARDING Andy Lyons/Getty Images Box: (1) LEADING LADIES (2) BIG NAMES IN WOMEN'S BOXING (3) BY THE NUMBERS |
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