It’s a small kingdom, more a principality, really, this women’s boxing. But nobody is pushing harder against those confining borders these days than Atlanta’s Terri Moss.
Named to the second class of the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame (to be inducted in July), Moss admits that the honor was likely more due to her activity out of the ring — trying to grow the sport — than the two titles she won eight years ago.
She adds, with a laugh, “I still think they called the wrong number.”
Currently, Moss is working two fronts. Nationally, as the newly appointed women’s U.S. championship coordinator for the World Boxing Federation, she is responsible for lining up competitive matchups and then representing the sanctioning body at those fights.
And locally, her gym, the Buckhead Fight Club in Brookhaven, later this month will host a tournament featuring some of the top women Olympians and Olympic hopefuls from the U.S. in a dual competition against China. This will be, Moss said, the first women’s international event of its kind in the U.S. in 14 years.
“For USA Boxing this is a big deal — Olympic level officials, Olympic level boxing,” Moss said.
“They’re trying to gear things up to get (the American fighters) this kind of experience before they go into the trials,” she said.
Among those expected to appear April 25 are 2012 U.S. gold medalist Claressa Shields and her bronze medal-winning teammate Marlen Esparza. Esparza is scheduled to face Cancan Ren, who defeated her for the silver in London. Shields is scheduled to face the world’s No. 2-ranked fighter at 165 pounds, Qian Li.
The USA Boxing Women’s International Clash of Champions will feature fights in 10 weight divisions. Opening ceremonies begin at noon. Tickets start at $20 and are available at the Buckhead Fight Club web site or at the gym.
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