Raquel Miller on Women’s Boxing and Claressa Shields
As women’s boxing continues to gain momentum in the main stream media, super middleweight fighter Raquel “Pretty Beast” Miller (10-0, 4 KO’s) wants a bigger piece of the action! When last in the ring, Miller toppled Alma Ibarra (7-1, 4 KO’s) by way of unanimous decision. Now she is looking for the best possible opponent, and payday, available. Although, as she would explain in an exclusive interview with Shooting the Five with Xavier Porter, this is precisely where trouble enters into paradise.
FEMALE FIGHTERS SHOULD UNITE
If the future were a blank canvas that she could paint, Miller would place herself in a high profile title fight ASAP. However, being that she is not in a magical dream world but in the cold and often harsh realm of reality, things are just not that easy. As the Pretty Beast has found out first hand, when it comes to the fans, promoters and pay there really is a severe double standard for female fighters.
Bearing this in mind, and realizing that there is strength in numbers, Miller thinks that the female fighters of the world should band together. Naturally, she understands that this is not some episode of the Care Bears. The Pretty Beast does not expect all female boxers the world over to suddenly become besties and giggle with one another into the sunset.
Nevertheless, she does feel that if female pugilists stood as more of a united front, then they could command more overall respect within the industry.
“And I feel that we have that responsibility. If women fighters would stop being so petty and come together, and not even saying we have to kumbaya because we fighters, I understand that, but it’s a way to promote us. To where we get money, we get exposure, you know, we get to go in there and do our thing.”
PLENTY OF GREAT FIGHTS ON THE TABLE
One of Miller’s greatest motivators is realizing how many great fights are possible. The native Californian readily acknowledges the wide array of potential dance partners who could tantalize the boxing public with their will and skill. It’s no secret that the Pretty Beast and unified world middleweight champion Claressa Shields have traded shots at one another.
This is one of the many realistic fights that Miller has unsuccessfully pursued. However, to her great chagrin, this showdown has been harder to obtain than a picture of Al Haymon sitting ring side. Yet, what’s even more vexing is knowing that even if Shields’ name was taken off the table, there are still a boat-load more prizefights that should, but are not, being put together.
“Yes, every fight can’t get made so quickly, but if they promoted us people would know about the talent that is out here. Like you can’t get in the ring and fight yourself, so be real, you know what I’m saying? You need other competitors, you need good fights.
Claressa and me, female boxing needs that fight because it’s going down, and I’m going with that win! But we need that fight, Hanna Gabriels and I, we need that fight, you know what I’m saying. Kalie Reiss and me. There is a lot of good fights! People act like Claressa is the only fighter. She is talented, yay, we got that part but there is other women out here so promote us, show us some love and get behind us and see what we can do.”
For Miller’s sake, and our own, let’s hope that this upswing in respect for women’s boxing continues. Maybe then, we will be able to enjoy many more of the juicy potential female fights to be constructed.
By: Bakari Simpson
