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Mia is Gone, but Rijker is Still On at Staples Center
By David A. Avila (May 29, 2003)
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It would have made the earth tremble, but Lucia Rijker will not be fighting Mia Rosales-St. John. Instead, Rijker (15-0) will face Great Britain’s number one fighter Jane Couch (20-4) on the under card of the Lennox Lewis heavyweight title match against Kirk Johnson at the Staples Center on June 21 in Los Angeles.
Couch, 34, has been fighting professionally since 1994 and has owned several world titles including the WIBF lightweight and welterweight titles.
“Jane Couch is one of the best fighters in the world,” said Emanuel Steward, who is managing and training Rijker in the Poconos Mountains. “Of course Lucia is the best fighter in the world.”
Since breaking into professional boxing after terrorizing the martial arts scene, Rijker has awed the boxing experts who saw her as one of the truly skillful female fighters along with Christy Martin.
However, the hype has subsided over the last few years. Rijker has only fought once in four years but whispers have spread that she still has the speed and power that left onlookers awestruck.
“We’re working on getting her a fight with Christy Martin some time in December,” Steward said. “Lucia wants to fight all of the best out there and knock them out one by one. Then she wants Martin last.”
Steward, who also trains Lewis, Hector Camacho Jr. and Ricardo Williams, said Rijker and Martin would be reminiscent of the Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali fight that took place in 1971.
“Christy is still a hell of a fighter,” said Steward. “She knows what she is doing in the ring. People would see two of the best fighters in the world.”
Steward said women’s boxing has improved much in the past few years and feels it is time for television cable networks to show more.
“I’m really proud of the way women fighters like Laila Ali have worked their butts off to get to the level they are now,” said Steward. “Before it was only Lucia and Christy, but now there is Laila and a lot of others.”
Couch is considered by many in Europe and the U.S. as one of the top professional women prizefighters. She fought recently, beating debuting fighter Larisa Berensenko in an eight-round unanimous decision on May 15.
She had been scheduled to fight Rijker on June 11, but the opportunity to fight Mia Rosales-St. John in front of a large crowd was too tempting for Rijker to pass up. But without a television audience, the Mexican-American fighter recently decided against the bout.
“Jane Couch has been saying she wants to fight Lucia so now she gets her chance,” Steward said.
There are others who want to fight Rijker such as Sumya Anani, Melissa Del Valle and Rosales-St. John
“I do want to fight Lucia,” said Rosales-St. John. “I hope we get to fight each other, but on television. (Without TV) it doesn’t make sense.”
Anani, who has a win over Martin, wonders why she doesn’t get a chance at Rijker.
“Lucia is always chasing Christy Martin, why doesn’t she chase me,” Anani said. “I’ll fight her.”
After spending three years way from boxing. Rijker has found it tough to get opponents or a decent payday.
“This is Lucia’s year. She wants to line up all of the fighters who are supposed to be the best and she wants to knock them out,” Steward said.
“Then she wants to retire soon.”
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