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American Morning

Can Daughters of Boxing Greats Live up to Their Last Names?

Aired June 08, 2001 - 10:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Some 30 years after Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier faced off for the fight, their daughters are about to step into the ring -- that's right: their daughters. Laila Ali and Jacqui Frazier-Lyde weighed in yesterday. They were talking plenty of trash and trading barbs; tonight they will trade blows. The bout will take place in an 8,000-seat tent behind Turning Stone Casino. Each woman is guaranteed at least $100,000.

Christy Martin has been an important part of women's boxing. She's been something of a trailblazer. She's a three-time world champion, and she's in New York for the Boxing Hall of Fame weekend. Christy Martin joins us now to talk some more about her sport, and about these two ladies who are about to square off tonight.

Good to see you; how are you?

CHRISTY MARTIN, BOXER: I'm good, thank you.

HARRIS: Well, tell me, are you picking a winner in this fight?

MARTIN: No; I don't even consider it a fight. I consider it more of a show or an event. Some entertainment for people that are willing to throw away $30 tonight. And, you know, afterwards I think they're going to shake their head and say, oh, man, I should have gone out and had a nice little dinner.

HARRIS: Now why do you say that?

MARTIN: Well, it's just the facts. You know, at this point neither one of the women have the experience to be able to carry a show and to put on an entertaining fight, show good skills. It's just a shame that Turning Stone Casino and, really, that the Boxing Hall of Fame chose to put this fight on as their main event.

HARRIS: Now, which one would you suggest they put on?

MARTIN: Well, if they're just out there to do a women's fight, and they want to put the best women fighters in the ring, it should be Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker. Otherwise, they should just have a male card and give those old legends that they're going to be bringing in their tonight -- all the Hall of Famers -- give them a great show and some enjoyment so that they can reflect back on their warrior days. HARRIS: Yes, I want to ask you about that, because I know a lot of people who know a lot about boxing have been commenting about the fact that people like -- is it Lucy Rijker? -- and other names like hers aren't as well-known as yours, even, or Laila Ali or Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, here, because they don't get the promotion, and they don't get the big fights.

Why is that? What's going on with all that?

MARTIN: Well, you know, I've been very fortunate. I've been with Don King for eight years, and Don King gave me a wonderful opportunity. He put my under Mike Tyson, he's put me under Evander Holyfield. Now I'm fighting regularly under Felix Trinidad. So I've been on the biggest shows.

But not just being on those shows. When you're on those shows you have to be ready mentally and physically to take advantage of those opportunities. And that's what we've been able to do; put on a great show.

HARRIS: Well then, why aren't there more women who are like that? I mean, because we're seeing what a lot of people are calling palookas, female palookas, out there.

MARTIN: That's the problem. The women haven't paid their dues like they should have.

I've been at this for 12 years. I came up like the guys: fighting for free, selling tickets to be able to get on a card. My husband Jim had to pay a promoter to put me on. My mother promoted a show once.

You know, I did whatever it took to get up there and get the experience and get out to the people so they could see me and see the performance that I was willing to put on for them.

HARRIS: So you want to fight the winner of this one?

MARTIN: Business-wise, you know what, I can't look down at this, because they're just taking advantage of what God gave them: two famous last names. If the winner -- I really have no interest in fighting Jacqui Frazier, because I'm a huge Frazier fan. If Laila Ali wins, if she wants to step in the ring with me -- she's already been offered $1 million dollars and turned it down; said she was -- it was an insult. But if she wants to step in the ring with me, sure, any time.

HARRIS: You know what, Christy, you could insult me right here for $1 million a couple of times.

MARTIN: Amen, I'm with you; I'm with you.

HARRIS: Christy Martin, thanks much for sticking around and hanging with us this morning. Good luck to you; we hope to see you more down the road, OK?

MARTIN: Thank you.

HARRIS: All right, take care.

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