Heather Hardy tests the game Calista Silgado
By: Sean Crose
After nearly a year and a half out of the ring, former WBO world featherweight champion Heather Hardy, 22-2, returned to action on Thursday night when she competed against Calista Silgado 20-15-3. The scheduled 6-round lightweight match is the main event of Boxing Insider’s A “New Beginning” card at Sony Hall in Times Square.
The first is an interesting affair – with each woman effectively landing on the other – although Hardy may have overpowered it. Silgado had a strong second, turning and moving forward forcefully. Silgado continued to attack in the third round, but Hardy was able to come back and finish the round strong.
Round 4 saw Hardy effectively assert himself. In the fifth round, the boxer known as “The Heat” continued to keep Silgado from gaining momentum. The sixth and final round, while competitive, may be too late for Silgado. Suffice it to say, forty-year-old Hardy walked out of the ring with a unanimous decision victory down the line.
“After a long layoff, a lot of stress, the new coach at the back, it’s been a long day,” Hardy said afterward. “Not bad for forty, right?”