Margaret wins sexes pow-Chow

SEATTLE, OCT 10: Margaret MacGregor, vilified by boxing purists for pursuing a fight with a man, emerged triumphant with a unanimous deci...

SEATTLE, OCT 10: Margaret MacGregor, vilified by boxing purists for pursuing a fight with a man, emerged triumphant with a unanimous decision over Loi Chow and the chants of the crowd ringing in her ears. All three judges scored the four-round bout 40-36 in favour of MacGregor, who threw her arms in the air and leapt into the arms of her trainer, Vern Miller. The crowd of 2,768 at Mercer Arena were vociferously pro-MacGregor. And the 36-year-old, 129-pound former kick-boxer, who took her record to 4-0, did not disappoint.

She attacked the defensive-minded Chow, landed more and harder punches and was never hurt. Halfway through the fourth round, the crowd stood and chanted, Margaret! Margaret!8217; 8220;My dream, my vision was the crowd saying my name,8221; MacGregor said. 8220;This is the biggest day of my life.8221;

Chow, 34, said he had been hampered by a 8220;medical condition8221;. He declined to elaborate, but he was apparently referring to his blood pressure. It shot up shortly before the bout due to anxiety, promoterBob Jarvis said. MacGregor was quick to head off charges that Chow was making excuses.

8220;Don8217;t be so hard on him,8221; she snapped. 8220;He is a man of his word.8221;

Chow, a part-time jockey from Canada who had lost his previous forays in the ring, stepped in when MacGregor8217;s original male opponent backed out of the fight. He earned MacGregor8217;s gratitude, although the bout, believed to be the first sanctioned prize-fight between a man and a woman, provoked outrage in the boxing community.

It was dismissed as a freak show8217; and circus act,8217; while boxing officials from big-time boxing states such as Nevada and New Jersey lined up to denounce Washington state officials for sanctioning it.

Women8217;s rights activists squabbled over whether the fight was a milestone for women8217;s rights or an ugly advertisement for domestic violence, and curious press from around the world flooded in.

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What was originally envisioned as an undercard bout-paying each contestant US 1,500 8212; drew so much attention that the main event,a 10-round lightweight fight between Martin O8217;Malley and Tito Tovar, was relegated to an afterthought.

After Friday8217;s weigh-in, a clearly exhausted MacGregor said she was weary8217; of all the attention. 8220;I8217;m tired is what I am,8221; she said. 8220;I just want to be left alone.8221; A serious-looking MacGregor entered the ring to two songs, I8217;ve got the power, and James8217; Brown8217;s It8217;s a man8217;s world.

Chow, who had appeared to relish the spotlight in the build-up to the fight, entered the arena with his arms raised and eyes wide, but once the bell rang it was all MacGregor.

Amid the euphoria of victory, MacGregor admitted she was also relieved. 8220;I feel like the weight of the world is off my shoulders,8221; she said.