Heather Hardy has aired her views on the current situation regarding female boxers gaining the same opportunities as the men.
In a week when promoter Eddie Hearn stated that ‘women boxers are breaking boundaries’ ahead of Katie Taylor headlining another show in the UK, Hardy is clearly disappointed at the current plight across the Atlantic.
Hardy, who has boxed and competed in MMA, says too much is expected of women for their lowly positions at most events.
Taking to social media to get her point across, ‘Heat’ was clearly irked by the system in place.
“Hear me out,” she began. “Card placement is everything. You don’t get a big star like Anthony Joshua unless you build him up the right way.
“Once a promoter is ready to showcase a fighter to the public, they are introduced on a big show as part of the main event. Not on a big show in the middle of the undercard.
“Not on a small show. Where the main event is a ‘tune-up’ for a semi-popular fighter. Not as the main event on a low budget show either.
“Fighters are made commercial by putting them in front of the eyes. Take it from someone who lived inside the business of boxing to know.
“Unless you’re one of the top three fights, nobody gives a s—!. The promoter chooses those fights for a reason and with a purpose.”
The 38-year-old continued: “The main fight is the big draw, that gets asses in the seats and the other fighters piggyback off their crowd.
“Usually, the 1-2 on the main card is being used to promote someone that either the promoter has invested in the main event or is trying to showcase a fighter he’ll use as an opponent.
“Women can easily be used as co-main events in front of house crowds, but the truth is we aren’t.
“We are buried on undercards, given co-main event opportunities on small shows, or given main event spots on low budget shows. And then, we are blamed for the s—.”
HEATHER HARDY POINT
Making a solid point, Hardy knows she’s fighting a losing battle in what is a male-dominated sport from top to bottom.
Most of the promoters, managers, TV executives, and fans are men. This fact means women are far away from getting any equality.
Until a vastly more considerable more amount of women invest themselves in boxing, the bigger ticket sellers will always be the men.
The demand for women’s boxing isn’t there across the board. Hence the low purses, lower-profile appearance, and lesser money spent on promotion.
Things certainly need to change with the world around them. Hopefully, this will be the case sooner rather than later.
