Points triumph for US-based Ashley

Leroy Brown, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica-born Alicia Ashley kept herself on track for a world title fight later this year, when she outpointed Crystal Hoy from Las Vegas in the main bout on a fight card in Brooklyn, New York, last Wednesday. The judges voted 80-71, 79-72 and 79-72, giving her a unanimous decision and a convincing victory.

Ashley, who with a 16-9-1 record is the No. 1 contender for the World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight title, had a lot riding on Wednesday's fight. Although she is the No. 1 contender, her chances at fighting for the vacant title would have been diminished with a defeat.

She knew that she could not afford to lose and told me yesterday that she has rarely felt as stressed before a fight as she did before this encounter. "I was confident, but for some reason I had this nagging 'what-if' feeling haunting me before the fight." She said that after getting into the ring, however, the feeling of anxiety dissipated, and she was able to control her emotions and "take care of business".

The eight-round female main bout was a first in New York and was seen as a gamble by promoters Pandora Promotions and Global Boxing Promotions. It paid off, however, and Ashley gave fans their money's worth.

Reports are that Hoy was very aggressive and took the fight to the No. 1 contender as the fight started. Ashley was therefore called on to draw on her experience and boxing skills to keep her opponent at bay. She was able to keep the pressure on Hoy with her counter-attacking approach and actually put her down in round seven. This sealed the deal and Ashley ended up with the unanimous decision.

"I am relieved that this is behind me," she said. The real negotiations for the title fight will now begin.