WORLD women’s boxing champion Suzie Q Ramadan is a tough competitor. But the 33-year-old is preparing to open her heart for Warrnambool youngster Regan Squires.
“What I do is nothing compared to some people who have to fight for their lives,” she said.
“I choose to fight and we have all fights in our lives but it’s nothing compared to people like Regan and their families.”
Despite a tough exterior, she said Regan’s story had tugged at her heartstrings.
Ramadan, who successfully defended her World Boxing Council bantamweight world title three weeks ago, is preparing to jump back into the ring tomorrow for a series of exhibition bouts in Warrnambool at a fund-raiser for Regan, who is battling leukaemia.
The Melbourne-based boxer, who only resumed training last week, would normally have an extended break from sparring.
But with another world champion, Sam Soliman, also preparing to box to raise funds for Regan, she had leapt at the opportunity to get into the ring sooner.
“I will do anything because it is for charity.”
Ramadan said she had a secret item that would be auctioned off as part of tomorrow’s activities at The Whalers Hotel.
“I’m happy to be there and bring along something special,” Ramadan said yesterday.
Ramadan, who is in negotiations for a fight to regain the International Boxing Federation’s bantamweight title, is Australia’s most successful women’s boxer.
She took up soccer in a bid to find “discipline” in her life but it “didn’t turn out too well”.
“I wanted to really discipline myself and focus my mind so I walked into a boxing gym and wanted to box. They thought it was a joke when I first started.”
She had to break down the male-dominated views of boxing — and even those held by women.
Tomorrow she will expose her competitiveness and compassion.
Ramadan said she enjoyed helping others when she could. She learnt of tomorrow’s event through Warrnambool boxing coach Rodney Ryan, who organised amateur boxers for sparring in the lead up to her world title win last month.
Ryan, who is behind tomorrow’s event, said he was excited two world champions would be in the ring with a third Barry Michael, Ramadan’s trainer, also present.
Ryan said ringside seats for a fight featuring Ramadan would sell for more than $300.
“A donation for charity is really cheap then,” Ryan said of tomorrow’s admission fee.
Emerging kickboxer Lachie Dart, who is trained by Warrnambool’s Darren Pearce, will also have an exhibition fight while Warrnambool aerobics students from Emma Bellman’s EKB studio will also perform. The action starts at 2pm.
grbest@standard.fairfax.com.au
