"Promise": The Women of Warriors Cup

I’ve been lingering over how to best pair the right words for this assignment. As a topic that I’ve revisited over and over again in my personal work, it should come easily for me to write, right? However, as I start to write this, my mind goes blank. I go back through my edit and flip through selects, and still there is a lack of how to best describe how I felt shooting these images.

It takes me a while, but eventually one word comes to mind: “Promise.”

Every fighter on this card made a promise not just to their team and the promotion, but to themselves. Some will find making that promise over and over might prove easier some days, and more difficult on others. For all the women involved in last Friday’s card, you can see the weight of that dedication pay off as their hands were raised. And in turn, other women - from officials, corners, ring card girls, commentator, and one busy cut woman - helped in supporting to keep that promise.

A card like last Friday shows that the women’s divisions has grown both in talent and numbers. Representation for women in combat sports has never been as predominate as the men. To see a card that featured seven competitive female matches, two stoppage title fights, and the first ever 115 pound WBC national amateur title, shows that women finally have earned their long overdue recognition.

And it’s all due to the promise these women made to see it through. One more round of sparring. One more mile of roadwork. One more cancelled party. One more disheartening “no” to a family member or partner in exchange for a “yes” to achieve that promise they made to be not just a great athlete, but a great example to others.