By: Sean Crose
If you’ve been following the sport of boxing for over a decade, you probably know who Heather Hardy is. Nicknamed “The Heat,” the New Yorker has gained considerable popularity as an action fighter who knows how to win. Thanks to the dedication and training under the famous coach Hector Roca (whom she calls Papa), Hardy earned herself the WBO world featherweight belt after a great rematch with Shelly Vincent. in 2018. Hardy lost that title to the great Amanda Serrano the following year, and after making the decision to Jessica Camara in 2021, seems ready to plunge into the idiomatic sunset. However, appearances can be deceiving.
As it was announced this week that Hardy will face Serrano again in the rematch taking place in August in Dallas. Not only does Hardy have a chance to win her WBO title back, but she has the potential to win the WBC, WBA, and IBF featherweight titles if she succeeds. In short – the veteran boxer stands on the threshold of becoming the undisputed champion. Not that Hardy faces an easy task. Serrano is known as the greatest of all time for a reason. Aside from having won world titles in multiple divisions, Serrano is nothing but the epitome of high-end boxing, trained in the ring. However, Hardy was ready to seize the moment.
“I’ve been thinking about it all year,” Hardy said of the rematch. “I have to shoot, in honor and memory of Papa.” Indeed, Roca, Hardy’s coach and mentor, passed away at the age of 82 earlier this year, an event that clearly left Hardy deeply emotional. “We spent every day of 2021 together,” Hardy said of the late Roca, “rebuilding my confidence, my boxing technique, and the day before he passed, we sat in bed. his illness and he told me: ‘People think you’re past your prime. , but you haven’t hit it yet. This is your year, honey.’”
Sure, Hardy, now in his 40s, has only fought twice since losing to Camara. She’s won on both occasions, but Hardy’s most recent battle, a February win over Taynna Cardoso, saw the former player look particularly impressive. What was remarkable that night was the sheer physicality Hardy displayed. Round after round, she simply beat an opponent about seven years younger than her. That’s a remarkable performance, to be sure. However, even though Hardy called Serrano for a rematch, she is grateful for the opportunity she was given.
“Not everyone gets a second chance,” Hardy said, “and I was prepared to accept this failure, but I am grateful to Amanda and her team for giving me the chance.” Of course, there are naysayers (who probably haven’t seen Cardoso’s fight yet), but Hardy is keen to prove such people wrong. “People are talking about how old I am,” she continued, “and how I lost, and how I didn’t deserve to be shot. But don’t sleep on an ’80s baby in Brooklyn, New York. We are built differently. I promise you, I’m not your mother in your 40s. I didn’t just come to fight, I came to WIN.”
Indeed, sometimes age is simply a number.
