Former world champion Kali Reis has fired back at promoter Tom Loeffler over her side of a glove dispute in the 2018 clash with Cecilia Braekhus.
Reis had initially sounded out Braekhus for a rematch after the pair enjoyed a record-breaking TV audience on HBO for their California bout.
The True Detective star was proposing the pair began talks over a second fight after deciding to return to boxing despite her acting success.
Kali Reis responds to glove drama
She said: “Where are you at [Cecilia Braekhus]? Let’s run it back for old times’ sake.”
Braekhus responded: “The first female fight ever on HBO gathering one million viewers! We did that!”
Reis added: “We definitely did, so why not do it again?”
Loeffler, who represented Braekhus then, was against any negotiations due to a previous conflict.
“Kali, congratulations on your acting success. You did a great job on that show. Unfortunately, all the drama caused by your side about the gloves was more than the ‘Big Drama Show’ GGG put on.
“It was unfortunate as you almost canceled the most historic first female ever on HBO over the ten-ounce gloves that the champion had the right to choose. That was too much drama to go through again.”
Replying to Loeffler, Reis is adamant the glove situation didn’t come from her side.
“I kept it ‘respectful’ and quiet since the damn fight until this clown Tom Loeffler tried making wack a** jokes and came up on here trying to tell BS stories!
“Nope, nah, not today or ever! Don’t try to drag my name, homie. I’m not the one!”
Braekhus vs Reis II
Loeffler attempted to ease the onslaught: “You probably don’t know the whole story Kali, the president of the WBC, Mauricio Sulaiman, had to get involved as did the head of the California Commission.
“Your side almost canceled that fight, which would have been the stupidest thing ever over the weight of gloves when Cecilia fought her entire career in ten-ounce gloves. Maybe speak to your promoter to get the whole story. It sounds like you didn’t get all the details.”
Reis returned: “Your escape route was the WBC, and we opted out of fighting for the belt to stick to the regulated eight ounces. She called the fight off if we went that route!
“I stepped up and said f*** it, give me the ten-ounce gloves and fought. Get your facts straight, tough guy!”
When husband, trainer, and manager Brian Cohen defended Kali, Tom responded: “I never even dealt with you. So it’s clear you have no clue what happened with the gloves and the last-second demands.
“I only dealt with Kali’s promoter, Joe De Guardia, where the fight was almost canceled on fight day. Everyone from the California Commission to the sanctioning bodies was trying to reason with Kali’s side. We wanted to ensure the fight wasn’t canceled, which would have been a huge setback for women’s boxing.”
Truth
Furthermore, Reis insisted she knew the whole story: “I do know the whole truth, Tom. I was there for every second of it. The ‘champ’ fought in ten-ounce gloves her ‘whole career’ because she’s not a gladiator, and it was agreed upon before the fight by both her and her opponents. California approved the regulated eight ounces.”
There’s clearly bad blood remaining from both sides in the fight, which ended with Braekhus winning a decision.
Braehkus, 42, last fought in December in a disputed draw with Terri Harper. A rematch undoubtedly has legs if negotiations are possible in the coming weeks.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer and editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
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