Meet the Tough Women of New York’s Boxing Clubs
Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Lately, Ronda Rousey’s star power has new fans paying attention to female fighters. But far from the world of UFC celebrity, women boxers still face an uphill battle — whether they’re seeking to play by the same rules as men, or just trying to find ways to make a living. In her portraits, photographer Brittany Carmichael captures their fierce dedication to the sport, in and out of the ring.
“I know a girl here who is a three-time world champion, and she is 51,” says Keisher McLeod-Wells, who goes by Fire. “We peak later than men do. As long as my body can do it I’m going to keep going after more titles. Those belts are addictive.”
Click through to see more of New York’s women boxers and read their thoughts on the sport.
Angelica Cividanes Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Melissa Hernandez "I have been boxing for13 years. I was fat and one of my friends was like let’s go to a boxing gym to check it out. I disc...
Melissa Hernandez "I have been boxing for13 years. I was fat and one of my friends was like let’s go to a boxing gym to check it out. I discovered myself. I didn’t know I could be an amazing athlete, and how liberating the sport really is. A lot of people think it’s a very brutal sport. But you have to think all the time; it’s like real-life chess ... I have a fight three or four times a year, and training is an everyday job. You have to constantly be in shape in case you get a fight. What keeps me going is I hope a payday will come around, which is a normal payday for a man. There definitely is movement in that direction, just not in the United States."
Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Brianne Melo Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Alicia Ashley's office Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Ronica Jeffrey "I felt like boxing would be a better way to work out than just go to the gym. And my trainer saw me and he asked me to do th...
Ronica Jeffrey "I felt like boxing would be a better way to work out than just go to the gym. And my trainer saw me and he asked me to do the Golden Gloves. It was running, training, boxing training, sparring, the wind conditioning stuff like pull-ups, push-ups, the ab work, just a lot of sweating. The Golden Gloves is the top amateur tournament. That was in 2005, and I fought in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and I won it three times. Now I’m 13-and-1 as a professional and I have five belts."
Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Loli Munoz Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Women's Locker Room at Gleason's Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Alicia Napoleon "I always loved contact competitive sports, and growing up I was always interested in boxing. My first love was baseball, an...
Alicia Napoleon "I always loved contact competitive sports, and growing up I was always interested in boxing. My first love was baseball, and my dream was to be a professional baseball player, and I was always told I couldn’t because I was a girl. Then I got older, and I wrestled on the wrestling team. After wrestling, I found the boxing gym, and I fell in love with it, and I haven’t stopped since. I am ranked No. 2 in the United States in the middle weight ... My goal is to win the world title and be ranked No. 1 in the world. Then get into acting, and stuff like that. I love boxing so it will be hard for me to stop but one day I will have to slow down."
Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Alicia Ashley Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Keisher McLeod-Wells, a.k.a. Fire "I was recruited by a trainer who said I would be a champion. He said, Come train with me, and I’ll make y...
Keisher McLeod-Wells, a.k.a. Fire "I was recruited by a trainer who said I would be a champion. He said, Come train with me, and I’ll make you a champion in a year. It was very intense and it kind of gave me a rush, sparring and training, and I could do it for hours and not be bored ... My mom had me at a young age and she was very tough — one of those women who was a tough street woman. We can keep fighting for years, if we’re healthy. I know a girl here who is a three-time world champion, and she is 51, we peak later than men do. As long as my body can do it I’m going to keep going after more titles. Those belts are addictive."
Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Ronica Jeffrey Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Loli Munoz, Melissa Hernandez Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Melissa St. Vil "I grew up in a violent household. I would get in fights in school, if I wasn’t getting beat up at home; I was defending mys...
Melissa St. Vil "I grew up in a violent household. I would get in fights in school, if I wasn’t getting beat up at home; I was defending myself from the bullies. One day, I followed my cousin to the boxing gym. I have been boxing for 14 years, and I had my first fight when I was 18. When I’m in the corner, it's wartime. I was an amateur for a little bit, and I turned pro after my first Golden Glove fight, because I fought this girl Maria from Sunset Park, and I beat her ass, and they gave her the win, and my feelings were hurt ... Boxing is a dying sport, and it is still hard for us females, and UFC is outshining the boxing world. But I love boxing; I don’t even care about the money. There are a lot of times when I forget to get my money. Fighting is in my blood."
Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Robyn Crawford-Smith Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Davika Goberdhan Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Loli Munoz Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Alicia Ashley, Melissa St. Vil Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Keisher McLeod-Wells, a.k.a. Fire Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Melissa Hernandez Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Pro-Am Boxing Tournament Referee Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Melissa St. Vil, Ronica Jeffrey, Alicia Napoleon Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Pro-Am Boxing Tournament Trophies Photo: Brittany Carmichael
Keisher McLeod-Wells, a.k.a. Fire Photo: Brittany Carmichael
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