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Gosa....not much like a boxer…
.
Photos and Story by Sue TL Fox
June 17, 2003
Meet Emily Gosa. Gosa is a 24-year old, mother of two, employed in a pawn
shop and from Sulligent, Alabama. Gosa fought "America's Bad Girl" Tonya
Harding on the Chinook Winds Casino card, “Commotion at the Ocean” on June
13, 2003. Harding won by a unanimous decision. Gosa lost her first
fight---but walked away with $800.
Gosa was not per se.....a boxer. Even as she entered the ring that
night, she came into the ring atypical and not like a boxer who was
warming up for her first fight. But what Gosa DID come in with was
“Spark”, an enthusiasm, that warmed the hearts immediately of the
Oregonians who came to see this fight. I could not help but wonder at the
time, IF Gosa had been trained properly with some time and experience
under her belt, in the correct weight class, of how well she would do this
night...
But this night----it was NOT a fight or a boxer with any skill. The
fight itself, could maybe be classified as a barroom
brawl----Windmill punches, turning away, dropping hands, flat feet,
out-of-gas, lack of conditioning. BUT...Even though Gosa had little skills
to combat her heavier and more experience opponent. What Gosa DID have was
a heart of a lion---Gosa literally fought with every primal skill that
anyone would or could possess to keep on their feet----and to counter with
what little arsenal of tools she possessed, to keep from getting stopped
or knocked out.
Shortly after the fight, I asked Gosa as she stood in the red corner, how
long she had been boxing. Gosa said, "Tonight." I then asked her, how long
she had been training. Gosa said, "Four weeks."
WBAN has attached various reports about the action of this fight from
other major media sources who covered the event.
Links to other major
news
coverage of the Harding – Gosa bout:
Harding hears a boo
DAN ITEL -Statesman Journal
LINCOLN CITY — We can’t help but watch. It’s the instinct that makes
turning heads at car wrecks inevitable — or making a spectacle of others’
misfortune.
Link to
Story
One excuse for a fight ruins
a nice trip to the coast - Oregonian News
LINCOLN CITY Friday the 13th and I am lost in
a grotesque dream. This ain't fight night; call it fright night instead. I
thought I would be at Safeco Field this weekend to see Atlanta and
Seattle, the two best teams in baseball. Instead, I am languishing amid
slot machines, craps tables and the broken dreams of Portland's most
notorious woman.
Link to Story
Tonya Harding wins fight, not fans
Morgan Ryan-sports reporter for the News-Register.
LINCOLN CITY - Tonya Harding is a long way from her triple axle days. Last
night in Chinook Winds Casino, the 32-year-old former world class figure
skater fought her fourth career boxing match against a little known (well,
better say unknown) boxer out of Sulligent, Ala. - the Alabama Slamma.
Copyrighted on NewsRegister.com McMinnville - Oregon
Link to Story
Exhibition boxing at its finest?
By CHAD RICHINS -The News Guard
Even though last Friday’s Commotion at the Ocean IV was more of an
exhibition card than a pure boxing event, the entertainment value was hard
to count out. While it was not exactly family entertainment, the event had
plenty of attractions. Many of those present were drawn by the unrivaled
novelty of seeing former figure skater and all around bad girl Tonya
Harding mix it up in the ring with neophyte and Alabama mother-of-two
Emily Gosa. Gosa, who looked to be outweighed by at least thirty pounds,
danced into the ring in pigtails, smiling and mugging cutely for the
cameras.
Link to Story
McConnell's view: Tonya hasn't paid her
dues
I have mixed feelings about the whole Tonya Harding thing. Seeing someone
as pathetic as Harding fight makes people appreciate the likes of Christy
Martin and Lucia Rijker (and many more), who are truly skilled, talented
and dedicated athletes. But I am always drawn back to how my other half --
the fighter half -- feels about it. Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City
is rumored to be paying Tonya $10,000 to fight there Friday night. How on
Earth has she earned the right to make that much money for four rounds of
crap?
Link To Story
Friday the 13th
By Katherine Dunn
June 16, 2003
I’ve decided to blame Bob Arum for the Friday the 13th horror show at the
Chinook Winds Casino. In letting the casino and the Confederated Tribes of
the Siletz off the hook, I’m giving them credit for their first fight
card, back on December 4 of 1999, when they hosted the excellent HBO
broadcast of Fernando Vargas
vs Winky Wright and Diego Corrales vs John Brown. That
was promoted by Ringside Ticket, Inc run by Patrick Ortiz.
Link To Story
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