Eagle looking to land 2 world titles!

Eagle not pulling any punches in pursuit of two world crowns

Chris Barrett - smh- October 28, 2010


LAURYN EAGLE does not want for drive or ambition. If the 22-year-old has her way she will by this time next year be a world champion in two wildly dissimilar pursuits: waterskiing and boxing.

She is also not lacking in conviction. Having decided this year to shelve the skis temporarily and attempt a career in the ring, Eagle is a fierce promoter of her adopted sport and a staunch defender against the stereotypes that hound it.

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.....Lauren Eagle with Jeff Fenech.

And she is willing to use another noticeable attribute, her looks, to get her message across if need be.

''I feel that some of the [female] boxers do probably get a bit upset with me because I do get the publicity that they don't. And I feel for them. I totally understand,'' said Eagle, who will fight New Zealander Christina Tai at welterweight as part of a high-profile card at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday.
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'But at the same time, this is going to boost the profile of the sport, which is going to aid them anyway. It's a fashionable sport … it's a sexy sport.''

Much as the career of Laila Ali - daughter of Muhammad Ali - inflated the standing of women's boxing in the United States (in 2001 she fought Joe Frazier's daughter Jackie in ''Ali/Frazier IV''), Eagle hopes she can use her fame to drive the sport in Australia.

Women's boxing in Australia has its achievers - West Australian Erin McGowan, for example, this month won the WBO world lightweight title - but their efforts barely rate a mention. Eagle says typically held reticence about women boxing - legendary trainer Johnny Lewis, for instance, tried to talk her out of the fight game - was misdirected.

''Nowadays, people are doing 'boxercise' for fitness, they love it and they want to take it to the next level,'' Eagle said.

''The amateur side of it is great … you're not going to get hurt, you're wearing head-gear.

''People forget - we're not males, we don't punch near as hard as the males. It's more about the fitness, it's more about the strategic game, about using your jab, about your leg work. Rarely you see a woman get hurt. The worst injury you see is a broken nose and, you know, that's part of sport. You're going to get a broken leg playing soccer.''

Trained by Gairy St Clair, and having sparred with Vic Darchinyan and Lovemore Ndou, Eagle is setting the bar characteristically high. She aims to couple her budding boxing career by regaining the world waterski title in Brisbane next September.

''I'm training for two world titles right now … waterskiing and boxing,'' she said. ''I hope to get two world titles in a year in two different sports. Even if I don't, that's the goal and the journey will be unbelievable.'

 

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...yeah, real ugly!

 

The women's ranks are pretty thin and Eagle may do better than you think.

Eagle is campaigning at welter and McGowan lightweight. But you are right, at this stage McGowan would eat hear.

 

Left the hook there - knew someone would run with it.