No alarm bells ringing for the girl out to end Katie’s dream
ARGENTINA is the most successful nation in the world when it comes to women’s professional boxing. Anahi Esther Sanchez, who will defend her WBA lightweight title against Katie Taylor in Cardiff tomorrow night, is one of 11 different Argentine female fighters who holds a world belt of some description.
As in the men’s game, the four main federations (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO) have champions across 18 weight classes. And of the eight titles in Taylor’s lightweight division and the super-lightweight class above it, only one of those belts is not currently held by an Argentine fighter — Belgium’s Delfine Persoon is the WBC lightweight champion.
‘Women’s boxing matters a lot in Argentina,’ explains Sampson Lewkowicz, her manager. ‘They have produced more world champions in this sport than any other country, and that includes the USA.’
Taylor’s first pro world title fight will be broadcast live in Argentina on TYC sport, another indication that this is a country that takes women’s boxing seriously. Much of the nation’s rise in the sport is down to Marcela ‘La Tigresa’ Acuna, the current IBF super-bantamweight champion who has won six different titles at three weights. Acuna, who is now a local politician in Buenos Aires, fought in the first ever sanctioned professional women’s boxing bout in the country back in April 2001. Within 11 years, she was headlining a female-only fight card that drew more than 40,000 spectators to an arena in Buneos Aires.
Sanchez is clearly aware of her nation’s heritage, ahead of stepping into the ring against Taylor tomorrow evening. ‘It is very simple,’ she explained at yesterday’s pre-fight press briefing.
‘Wherever I go, everyone knows that Argentina is the number one worldwide and that we have the best fighters in female professional boxing. I am very happy to be one of those fighters.’
However, like Acuna before her, the success of Sanchez has been confined to her native country so far. Her only defeats in a pro career that stretches back to 2013 have been in world title bouts on European soil. She fought the talented Finn, Eva Wahlstrom, for the WBC super-featherweight title in Helsinki last December, losing on a unanimous decision, and was stopped in the fourth round when taking on Maiva Hamadouche for the IBF super-featherweight title in Paris back in May.
Inside Argentina, Sanchez has been unbeatable. All 17 of her victories have been in her native country, 11 in her hometown of Pergamino, where she became WBA featherweight champion by dethroning Dahiana Santana of the Dominican Republic back in August 2015.
But those two defeats flash like a beacon ahead of this weekend, given she has lost her only bouts outside of Argentina. In a decorated amateur career, she was undefeated in 40 bouts but again, never fought outside her own country and failed to qualify for the London Olympics in 2012.
However, the fact that Sanchez is part of the Lewkowicz stable suggests that she won’t give up her title easily. ‘I promote champions, not challengers,’ the colourful Uruguayan proclaimed.
Lewkowicz is renowned for having discovered Manny Pacquiao and also managed Sergio Martinez, whom Matthew Macklin once challenged for a world title. His fighters have a reputation for being tough and durable and Sanchez has a rough and rugged side. It is certain to be the toughest night yet of Taylor’s nascent pro career.
‘I can guarantee that this will be a very good fight but it is very difficult for me to see anything but a win for Anahi. Everybody who believes Katie is the favourite will be in for a rude awakening. We are not just going to hand the belt over.’
But if this will be the most difficult fight of Taylor’s fledgling pro career, Jay Kemp, who runs the Women of Boxing website in the United States and has watched Sanchez a number of times, believes the Argentine hasn’t faced anyone of the calibre of Taylor in her four years as a pro.
‘Even though Sanchez is younger, she is more professionally experienced but Katie Taylor is much stronger. And this will be the toughest bout of Sanchez’s career. When she has moved outside Argentina to step up to the next level as a champion, she has failed,’ Kemp explained.
Kemp believes that Taylor holds an edge in every category — punching power, hand speed, footwork and even defence, even if Taylor’s defensive skills have yet to be tested in the pro ranks. ‘In front of a big crowd, where Taylor will feed off the fans, we expect her reign to commence with an early stoppage.’
Sanchez brushed off the suggestion that she has never boxed in a show like this one before, with more than 70,000 spectators in the Principality Stadium. Those at the public work-out on Wednesday evening said the champion acted a little surprised at Taylor’s profile, and the attention that she attracted.
‘It won’t matter that there are 78,000 people in the stadium when I get into the ring, because it will only be about myself and my opponent. So I will not be intimidated by the crowd or anything else,’ Sanchez claimed yesterday.
Despite her pedigree and Argentina’s reputation as a superpower in the women’s pro game, the feeling remains that Sanchez is just a stepping-stone for Katie Taylor on her way to further greatness.