She hits like a girl — and she’s proud of it.
Gerritsen Beach native Heather “The Heat” Hardy has spent her entire boxing career working to prove that, being a woman in the boxing world isn’t a bad label, it’s a badge of honor. Hardy (17–0, 4 knockouts) is slated to face off against arch-rival Shelly “Shelito’s Way” Vincent (18–0, 1 knockout) on Aug. 21, in the night’s co-main event at the Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk on Aug. 21.
The bout will the first women’s boxing match in decades to be nationally televised in prime time — on National Broadcasting Company Sports Network — and Hardy said she is determined to use the platform to prove just how dominant women can be in the ring.
“I mean I’m just as much an athlete [as men],” Hardy said. “I’m a professional. I do the same work that they do. I get punched in the face like they do. But I don’t make the money.”
Hardy — currently ranked sixth in the world in the featherweight division — was quick to point out that not every male boxer who fights on television walks away with a big-time paycheck, but said that the same opportunities simply aren’t there for women.
Female fights are rarely broadcast and only occasionally get the same kind of pre-bout promotions that their male counterparts receive. Hardy has had plenty of doors slammed in her face — literal and metaphorical — and she’s determined to change things, she said.
“I feel like it’s my responsibility as a female athlete,” Hardy said. “If no one else is going to take the initiative and tell people that I’m here and I’m doing this and going to stand up for me, then it’s my job to stand up for myself.”
Hardy — just like most athletes — is fighting for herself, battling for her own success and competitive drive. But she’s also fighting for her legacy in and out of the ring — a legacy she hopes will include greater opportunities for her daughter.
“It’s not okay anymore,” Hardy said. “And it’s not the example I want to leave for my own daughter who’s going to be growing up in a place where there are still doors being shut and I have to explain to her not to even bother with certain things because she’s a woman. That’s not okay for me.”
Hardy expects to win her next fight — she’s anxious to finally face off against her boxing nemesis and showcase her skills in front of a hometown crowd.
The amphitheater is no Barclays Center — where Hardy has fought six times as part of the Brooklyn Boxing platform — but it’s a fight and that’s really all she cares about.
Hardy hasn’t been doing this very long. She didn’t pick up gloves until she was 28, but she’s determined to seize every opportunity provided to her. Hardy is always ready for a fight, and she’s not afraid to throw a few more punches to make sure things change.
“The good thing is I have that one little piece — coaches always say you can’t teach fighting. You can’t teach heart,” she said. “I never have to get myself ready. I’m always ready to go in there and slug out. It’s just a matter of how pretty can I make it look when I beat you up.”
