Heather Hardy: “Don’t Sleep On An 80s Baby From Brooklyn”

By: Sean Crose

When you’ve been following the game of boxing over the previous decade you then in all probability know who Heather Hardy is. Nicknamed “The Warmth,” the New Yorker earned appreciable recognition by being an motion fighter who knew how one can win. On account of dedication, and coaching underneath famed coach Hector Roca (who she known as Papa), Hardy earned herself the WBO world featherweight title after a terrific rematch with Shelly Vincent in 2018. Hardy misplaced that title to the nice Amanda Serrano that subsequent yr, and, after dropping a choice to Jessica Camara in 2021, appeared able to journey off into the proverbial sundown. Appearances, nonetheless, could be deceiving.

For it’s been introduced this week that Hardy shall be going through Serrano once more in a rematch set for August in Dallas. Not solely will Hardy get an opportunity to regain her WBO title, she additionally stands to win the WBC, WBA, and IBF featherweight titles as effectively ought to she succeed. In brief – the veteran fighter stands on the cusp of changing into an undisputed champion. Not that Hardy faces a straightforward activity. Serrano is called an all time nice for a motive. Apart from having earned world titles in quite a few divisions, Serrano is nothing if not the image of practiced, excessive finish boxing whereas within the ring. Hardy, nonetheless, is able to grasp the second.

“I’ve had it on my thoughts all yr,” Hardy says of the rematch. “I’ve to exit weapons blazing, in honor and in reminiscence of Papa.” Certainly, Roca, Hardy’s coach and mentor, handed away at 82 years of age earlier this yr, an occasion that clearly moved Hardy deeply. “We spent day-after-day of 2021 collectively,” Hardy says of the late Roca, “rebuilding my confidence, my boxing approach, and the day earlier than he died we sat on his hospital mattress and he instructed me: ‘Everybody thinks you handed your prime, however you didn’t hit it but. That is your yr, child.’”

Positive sufficient, Hardy, who’s now in her early 40’s, has solely fought twice since her loss to Camara. She received on each events, however Hardy’s most up-to-date battle, a February victory over Taynna Cardoso, noticed the previous titlist look notably spectacular. What was notable that night time was the sheer stamina Hardy confirmed. For spherical after spherical, she merely outboxed an opponent roughly seven years youthful than her. It was a efficiency of be aware, to make certain. Nonetheless, regardless that Hardy has known as out Serrano for a rematch, she is grateful for the chance she’s now been introduced with.

“Not everybody will get second possibilities,” Hardy says, “and I used to be ready to exit on this loss, however am very grateful to Amanda and her crew for giving me the shot.” In fact, there are nonetheless the naysayers on the market (maybe they haven’t seen the Cardoso struggle), however Hardy is raring to show such individuals incorrect. “Everyone seems to be speaking about I’m outdated,” she continues, “and the way I already misplaced, and the way I don’t deserve the shot. However don’t sleep on an 80s child from Brooklyn, New York. We’re constructed totally different. I promise you, I’m not your mamma’s 40. I’m not simply coming to struggle, I’m coming to WIN.”

Certainly, generally age is solely a quantity.