On January 19, 2011 (delayed from the original date of the 13th, due to inclement weather), one of boxing’s top bantamweights Alicia “Slick” Ashley, will battle 8 rounds with Crystal Hoy in Maureen Shea’s “Brooklyn Explosion,” to become the first female to headline a boxing main event ever in New York city.
NABF featherweight titleholder Maureen “Moe” Shea (15-2) is known to many boxing fans for preparing Oscar winner Hilary Swank for her role in “Million Dollar Baby.” Shea — a former sparring and training partner for Alicia Ashley — is now adding yet another accomplishment to her list: the first active female boxer who is a promoter. It just makes sense that Shea would bring Ashley to the top of an NYC boxing card.
Jamaican-born Ashley (15-9-1, 1 KO) will take on Crystal Hoy (5-3-3, 2 KO) for 8 rounds, and you can expect this battle to blind you with speed and smooth, fast power. There’s a good reason Alicia’s ring name is “Slick.” She moves like magic in the ring; one minute here, and the next minute gone; she is incredibly light on her feet and agile with her hands and body. You’ll often see her forcing her opponents to chase her around the ring; Ashley dances effortlessly, gloves down, appearing not to be making any effort at all until she slips inside with the power punches, then disappears.
You can get an idea of what I mean by watching just a little of this fight (not nearly her best showing, but a quick example) with southpaw Elena Reid. (Scroll the clip forward to get the fourth round started.)
And Ashley has traveled all over the globe to get her fights; it feels right and good to have her fighting at home in Brooklyn; I hope this will bring more attention to the phenomenal female fighters in the City — I say let all the rest of the contenders come to her!
I’m not sure if there are any tickets left for “Brooklyn Explosion,” but you can get more information about tickets by contacting Amanda at Global Boxing Gym in North Bergen, NJ at 201.348.3149.
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