Even So, Some Questions Still Linger On Late Pull Out!
13.02.04 – By Carlos Kalinchuk: In what was supposed to be a major homecoming for Louisiana Native Ann Wolfe turned into anything but that when according to Manager Dana Yarbrough, she was unable to perform because she was sick this past Saturday. This fight was to have occurred at the Coushatta Hotel and Casino in Louisiana on the Armando Guerrero and Tejedor under-card. Initially it was reported that she bowed out because of money problems but as time passed that evening, the story evolved into a bad case of stomach flue and finally herpes by last accounts according to Mike Semaza (Toughill’s Manager/Trainer). Although on the surface the explanation of a stomach flu is plausible and acceptable, what made this explanation hard to swallow was my first hand account of what actually transpired.
At 5:00 I was located in the Pavilion where the fight was to take place. I was conversing with Promoter Jimbo Stevenson and Nora Pappillion when a call came into to Pappillon’s cellphone. Pappillion handed the cellphone to Stevenson exclaiming, “It’s about Ann Wolfe. She’s not happy with the purse and says she won’t fight. She wants to talk to you.” Stevenson got on the phone and appeared to be very upset but he was listening intently. Moments later, Stevenson and Pappillon stepped away so they could speak privately. Shortly after Pappillion made a beeline towards Wolfe’s dressing room. After this occurred I left and returned to my Hotel room so I could gather my equipment and return to the show, which was to start at 7:30 pm.
When I returned at 6:15 nothing more was said about the fight not happening until several hours later as (slowly but surely) word spread that their (Toughill and Wolfe) fight would not happen. Of course I was already aware of the initial reason why. Having known this in advance, I looked for Ann Wolfe and Dana Yarbrough so I could get some words with them, but they were nowhere to be found. Having worked many of the shows in Texas I was around familiar faces and I asked where I could locate Ann or Dana. I was told on two occasions that they had left. Dana later explained to me that she was in a separate trailer located outside the Pavilion as all the other female fighters were. Again, no one seemed to know where they were located at the time. In all fairness to Ann, I did not go from trailer to trailer looking for her and Dana, but it was apparent that they were not looking to be noticed either as no one saw them or knew their whereabouts.
Later that night when the Wolfe and Toughill fight was scheduled to have taken place, emcee Nora Papillion invited Toughill to take the mic and say a few words to the crowd. From the large crowd and the reaction from the crowd, it was obvious that this particular fight was a major draw. As I previously reported, Toughill struggled with her explanation as to why her fight with Ann Wolfe didn’t happen. “I’m sure she would want this fight but she’s sick or something…” said Toughill. Amazingly, Wolfe’s Manager, Dana Yarbrough or any other Wolfe management member was not there so she could explain to all the fans that came to see Ann fight (including myself), what happened. Instead of getting in the ring and offering an explanation, again she was nowhere to be found. Dana said she was pre-occupied with other things during this time. Considering that she had stated that Ann was in bad shape, one could possibly reason that she was preoccupied. However, her fighters’ ability to fight was being questioned in front of a packed house of 6,000 plus people. So my question is simple, what could possibly pre-occupy her from protecting her own fighter when this was happening???? Instead of taking the proverbial bull by the horns and explaining to the crowd their version of why she couldn’t perform, Ann was left hanging out to dry by her Representatives/Manager. In my experience with fighters, the management team is always supposed to protect their fighter because this is ultimately how a fighter and their team make a living. In this case, this was woefully ignored and this opened the door to comments from the Toughill team that according to Dana were totally inaccurate. This aspect of what occurred is the most unacceptable and unbelievable of all and it is one that I still cannot find any reason to accept. Dana did however try to contact me non-stop until I was available to visit with her until Tuesday.
To Ann’s credit she is a warrior and I have interviewed her many times. She has always wanted to make the biggest fights available to her. In fact she reportedly took this fight for only $2,000 and she returned to Texas with only $4 in her pocket because of the non-fight. I can go on and on about her character but the questions remain; do I personally believe that Ann was sick? Yes. Without a doubt Ann was very sick and she had a lot of other ailments leading up to the fight. Do I believe that Dana was unhappy with the purse? Absolutely. Was Ann unhappy with the purse? No way. Do I believe she has herpes as Team Toughill said they were told? I’m not a Doctor so the answer is I don’t know but my guess is no. But if she doesn’t have herpes, and someone mentioned this to Team Toughill as a joke or as an offhanded comment, then that is undoubtedly irresponsible and if I were Dana I’d be asking Team Toughill where this comment originated. My personal beliefs on this fight are that Ann did not fight for two reasons. Number one, Ann’s Team had an issue with the purse and the treatment they received by the Promoter, and number 2, Ann’s health was in dire straights even though she should have bailed out long before fight night. How much of the reason to NOT fight was the first rather than the latter is a matter of debate because I know what I saw and I know what I witnessed.
As to the phone call that was received by Nora Papillon in my presence, Dana says she did not make that sort of a call. However, during my conversation with Dana, she did explain in great detail that she felt they were slighted and not treated as well as Mia St. John. Was there some jealousy there? Perhaps. However, Ann is not the type to run from a fight and she is one of the most honorable and respectable women in boxing today. So in the end, what happened and what is the truth? The truth is there were complaints about the purse early on that later became calls of sickness that kept the fight from happening. Did Ann have a stomach virus that caused her lips to have 10 blisters as Dana Yarbrough has stated, I don’t know. Ann did have blisters on her lips at the weigh in but she looked to be in supreme condition. Considering Ann is such a warrior and she worked so hard for this fight, could she have denied being sick all along just to try and make this fight until the very final minutes? Yes! Because Ann has tremendous character and heart and I could see her being the type of fighter to hide such a thing and try to gut it out (no pun intended). I don’t know how the Louisiana Boxing Commission deals with a fighter that has sores on her lips, especially ones that according to team Toughill were herpes. My guess is that they would prevent the fight from happening if that were the case. Again, Ann looked to be in great shape at the weigh in and if Ann was maligned in such a way that someone said she had a disease and she didn’t, then that should be looked into.
What shouldn’t be lost in this is that Ann Wolfe is a great fighter and she is a class act. She didn’t come from the greatest surroundings growing up but that doesn’t matter. Ann has a golden personality and an even better character. I wish her a quick recovery and my hope is she returns to the ring where she knows how to do what she does best, and that’s fight. She did not want to disappoint the fans or the 3 church congregations that came to support her, but in the end, we just have two fighters that didn’t get the chance to prove themselves and Ann is a lot lighter in the wallet with a name that’s taken a beating. This of course could have been entirely avoided if her representative had taken the proper course of action from the beginning. Needless to say, a case for bad blood could be made for Toughill and Wolfe. From Toughill’s comments of Ann being scared, there’s motivation. From Toughill’s vantage point, she got stiffed as well. “I came down here for nothing!” Said Toughill after the fight. When asked about a possible rematch, Dana said that Ann wants the Toughill fight more than anything! And that is something I can believe 100%!
Carlos “Stiff-jab” Kalinchuk
Contributing Writer & Photographer