| |
|
|
The Life And Times Of Erin
Toughill
By William Trillo
After already having been involved in 8 pro bouts, one might
think that number 9 would become routine, but for Erin
Toughill (5-1-1-1 N.D.), this fight is far from being
considered routine. First of all this fight is for a title,
the WIBF/GBU Intercontinental Title In the super
Middleweight division. She will be pitted against a tough
southpaw, Yvonne Reis (3-4-1) in a fight scheduled to take
place in Sarasota, Florida this Friday night October 22.
But far and above that, this is the first time that Erin
will enter the ring without the cheers of her best friend,
her confidant, and most importantly her sister, Megan.
Erin’s sister was tragically killed in a car accident less
than one month ago, a devastating blow to say the least.
Yet, through it all Erin is bound and determined to go on
and fight, it’s what her sister would have wanted, and
that’s all the motivation she needs.
And as Erin’s career progresses, there is a pot of gold
waiting at the end of the rainbow, who just happens to carry
the name , Ali!
We feel fortunate here at Pound4Pound.com to have had the
time to sit down with this proud and driven fighter who has
taken all that life has to offer and faced it head on.
So, let’s start
off by talking about your sparring partners,
Enrique Ornelas and Librado Andrade, that’s a
pretty large task for anyone! Do you spar with
any other men?
Yes, I spar with a couple guys at the gym that I
am from, but getting to spar on that level, with
guys like the brothers, I get to learn a lot
more! I learn a lot more from them and I get a
completely different perspective than what I am
accustomed to. They can see if I am doing things
wrong and it’s great insight from real
professionals.
|
|
|
During sparring
getting work in is the goal but every now and
then you can really get popped, has that
happened to you as you are sparring with them
and how does that affect your mind set?
It has happened, and usually it doesn’t bother
me but, I am sparring with men and at times
women’s bodies respond a little differently,
they make me work but they are not trying to
knock me out! When a guy gets hit by me they
say, “dude she can hit” and they respond in a
different way! It can be a little emasculating,
their ego seems to get a little deflated! Guys
don’t want to lose to a girl or have one make
them look bad. I expect to get hit, and I can
tell when a guy is really trying to go at it
with me, and it has happened!
I can take a punch. I have not fought a girl yet
who had the power to bother me. |
|
|
Erin, I want to talk
with you about your younger sister who passed away less
than a month ago in a car accident. I was talking with
your trainer Mike Semaza and we both are amazed that you
didn’t take some time off , I mean this was a
devastating blow, there are a lot of guys who wouldn’t
be able to continue! How did you go through that and
keep moving forward?
I had been training for this fight 2 weeks before it
happened, and my sister who was my best friend and my
biggest fan, had plans to go to this fight with me. I
worked really hard to get where I am and I know she
wouldn’t want me to stop. It’s hard, it’s really hard.
Quitting would have been the wrong choice, I would have
regretted that. I took a week off, but she is always in
my corner and she will always be with me, so I have to
keep on.
I will dedicate the rest of my career to her!
And that career can turn out to be very rewarding,
you just happen to be at the weight of one of the most
popular women fighters today, that being Laila Ali. Tell
me, are you looking for her, has she been mentioned?
Have you heard from them?
There was some tentative negotiations going on, I was
contacted by Ann Wolfes promotion team. I was supposed
to fight Wolfe on 2 weeks notice for a 6 round fight but
when I got there I said some things and she realized I
just wasn’t some little girl from California and with
less that 1 hour to go she pulled out of the fight, she
said she got sick!
Laila knows I am here, we have had words mostly over the
internet, she knows who I am and I am sure she doesn’t
think much of me, and that’s fine! I know I am the one
who can give her a run for her money but in her humble
opinion, I am really not that good!
Change of gears again, we saw you at the Hall of Fame
Banquet on Saturday night, and quite frankly, you looked
hot! And I have seen you in the gym covered in sweat and
blood decked out in the typical gym war attire. You have
quite a wide range of looks that you can present,
somewhat eclectic if you will?
I love the dichotomy of it! When I go to the gym, I am
not going there to impress anyone, I’m going to work
out, but I don’t try to present myself as a guy. I want
to perfect my craft, not be more masculine or feminine,
I just want to be an athlete!
And when I am outside of the ring, I am a girl, I look
like a girl and dress like a girl and talk like a girl!
I see some of the other girls from our sport outside the
ring and they are like men, it’s disgusting! It’s
unfortunate but that’s how it is. Now look at Mia St.
John, is she the best fighter? No! But people like her
because she is a woman and she is pretty, but whatever
you say, she is smart, she’s a business woman.
Now beside the fact that she has the name Ali, she is
very manly, I have heard her speak and she sounds like a
dude! I wonder how many steroids she is on, because she
sounds like a guy with her big deep voice. I am thinking
to myself “are you even a woman?”
Leila is like 18-0, but she hasn’t fought anyone, she
fought that Mahfood but she is a human punching bag!
I think it will eventually work out with Laila, I just
have to be patient. And all I have to say to her is “If
I suck so bad then kick my ass!”
|
|
|
