Was It A Stomach Flu, Purse Issues or Herpes?” Asks Team Toughil
08.02.04 – By Carlos Kalinchuk: Super Middleweight Ann “Brown Sugar” Wolfe 16-1 (11 KO’s) was supposed to fight Erin Toughill 4-1 in the Main Event but she pulled out of the fight only hours before she was supposed to enter the ring. Rumors abounded that it was as a result of a lower purse than she expected and reportedly signed for two weeks earlier. As the night progressed though, it changed from that to her having a stomachache and finally, that she had Herpes on her lips according to Toughhill’s Manager Mike Semanza.
“Since the press conference I’ve heard 3 stories. I’ve heard it was a stomach flu. I heard it was the herpes virus on her lips and then I heard it was a money problem! I heard this tonight! It was her stomach, Herpe virus and a money problem. She looked 100% to me and I’ll say it again, we came for nothing-from 2,500 miles away! We all took off 4 days to be here and it’s a shame for the fans man! We’re here to fight and put on a show and it’s unfortunate. It’s really gives a black eye to boxing because I heard people screaming for a refund. You have the world Champion pulling out for a stomachache or whatever! Please! Dana (her Manager) I told her that we could get this fight promoted in California because we work with Delahoya and Golden Boy Promotions and she had nothing to say to me. I’m Toughill’s trainer and Manager and we’d like to thank the people of Louisiana that came to this fight that never got to take place. We’d like to come back and show Louisiana that we have the best woman fighting in the world!” When I asked Semanza about a rematch he said, “Absolutely! But this time it would have to be on our terms. We took this fight for next to nothing and she earned 3 times more than we did and we knew that but we knew Erin would beat her. She looked at Erin at the Press Conference and you could see she was scared. She thought she was coming to fight some small girl and instead she got Toughill! Did you see her at the weigh-in? She couldn’t’ even look her in the eye. Toughill is big and very strong and she knew what would happen. The contract was signed over two weeks ago so this is just garbage.”
As a show of sportsmanship, emcee Nora Papillion allowed Toughill into the ring before the co-main event to say a few words. She had this to say, “Hopefully I can come back and fight for this promotion again. I’m really sorry. I was looking forward to the fight but maybe next time. I’m sure something happened or Ann got sick but I was looking forward to putting on a good show and I want to thank Boxing 2000 for supporting me. Thank you.”
After the fight, a more candid Toughill weighed in on what happened.
Eastside Boxing: You talked at the weigh in about not coming down here and wasting your time and being a serious opponent. What are your thoughts concerning the late pullout?
Toughill: I was speechless but first of all I mean…we got the bare minimum on everything for this fight. I was fighting a World Champion and I guess my thing is that I find it laughable that somebody who’s always complaining about “No one fights her, everyone’s scared to fight her, and she’s the biggest and “she’s the baddest” well okay fine then. Somebody steps up and now you’re complaining about money and all this crap that was never even a factor to begin with. She’s always said that I’ll fight for nothing anytime and anywhere well oh well! I’ve had a lot of people come here and say they were here to support me too and they wanted to see me fight and it would be the best fight of the night (and I knew it would!) It’d be one of them and the girls always put on a great show and this is who people wanted to see and people came and that was why we were the last fight.”
Eastside Boxing: I guess what the deeper question to me is did immediately after she said the reason or excuse was for her pulling out of the fight did she talk about a make up or potential follow up date?
Toughill: NO! So I know there was a fear factor.
Eastside Boxing: Any last comments?
Toughill: I just wanted to say where I train out of and that’s Boxing 2000 in Orange California and my website at www.erintoughill.com
Eastside Boxing: Thanks.
Toughill: Thank you.
*Special Note: In all fairness to Ann Wolfe, Eastside Boxing will be contacting Ann Wolfe so she could have the opportunity to explain what happened.
Carlos “Stiff-jab” Kalinchuk
Contributing Writer & Photographer