While this weekend is certainly showing that the sport of boxing is far from dead, the ladies have had a difficult time trying to convince people to pay attention to them.
Mayweather vs. Canelo is the biggest event in years, with multiple records expected to fall. And while at the highest level, there are people still very interested, champions like Ava Knight still struggle in relative anonymity. Not since Laila Ali was competing years ago, has the sport received much attention at all. In fact, many female boxers are finding it necessary to look towards MMA if they wish to continue competing in combat sports while still being able to earn a living. Holly Holm and Jessica Rakoczy are two of the latest defectors who have found the grass greener on the MMA side.
For Knight, she has decided not to go down without a fight. And with so many boxing fans in town for the mega-event, it was the perfect opportunity for her to help raise awareness. So with her WBC diamond belt in tow, she has been busy making the rounds, doing her best to promote her sport.
While the battle may be a difficult one, Knight is certainly the right person for the job. On Thursday night, she was at the fights mingling with the crowd. She was quite popular with the fans, hundreds of whom asked to take a picture with the champion. A world champion and easy on the eyes, Ava Knight has no problem attracting attention. The hard part will be to keep people interested afterwards.
We caught up with Ava following the open workouts and got her thoughts on her sport and its plight.
