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Posted by Mika Frankl
The Knuxx family would like to introduce Albuquerque’s own Brandi “Babi Doll” Montoya.
“My goals in the ring consist of being world champion and getting women’s boxing a little more accepted, and giving New Mexico some light in women’s boxing- other than Holly(Holm), we don’t have much recognition. Out of the ring I just want to graduate college and get a career that will help people with weight problems”
Can you talk a little bit about being a female and then also the sense in combat sports how much women have to sell themselves and be a model kind of as well as an athlete?
“Well I think Women’s Boxing has definitely come up. I think we’ve definitely progressed from when it first started, just our skill level, our intensity. There was a little article on, I believe it was WESPN or something like that, and they were talking about when women first started how they would just they would throw, they would have no skill whatsoever. Now we made it to the Olympics and we have Claressa Shields who won the gold so, I think that’s a huge improvement for us and I think that it will give us lot of publicity. Um the looks I mean he’s, he’s always pushed that it’s better to look pretty because you get more recognition. You just, You know, people like the pretty girls who are going to go and fight. It’s just what people like to see so um yeah, that has a lot to do with how known you are I guess, you could say in sense. The way you present yourself.”
What do you think about being a role model here in Albuquerque and Los Lunas being known as a fighter?
“I think being a role model and a fighter, it’s huge. I mean there’s a lot of little kids I train with who look up to me. I have a lot of little buddies in the gym and being a fighter is one thing, It’s great but being a role model is someone that they can look up to and know that what your doing not just fighting but when it comes to school, when it comes to you know just being a good person in general, I think that’s more important because fighting is only going to get you so far. I mean in reality and I don’t want to be one of those fifty year old fighters. I gonna retire when it’s my time to retire and I want something to fall back on. And I think them seeing me graduate high school and going into college and you know helping people out when I can you know I think that’s more important.”
How much do you feel through the training and athletics is helped you grow and mature as a person?
“One hundred percent. When I first came here I had no discipline, I didn’t want anybody telling me what to do how to do it, you know I thought I knew it all and I was very very wrong. My coaches helped me with that and I think Kajukenbo has also helped just because you have to have that respect for black belts you have to have for the upper people because they’ll give you pushups if you don’t so. It’s helped because you know when I get to school I have the self-motivation to do my work, I’m usually the first one done with my work. I don’t need the teachers to be nagging me and if they do I say ok and I do what I have to do. When I first started there was none of that.
Show your support for Brandi Montoya, pick up her Knuxx Brand Babi Doll tee available exclusively in the Knuxx Shop. Click HERE to go to the shop!
