Tarneit Boxing Gym’s Sylvia Scharper could find a ticket to the world awaiting her next time she steps into the boxing ring.
The 33-year-old from Footscray will fight on home soil for the right to lay claim to the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) world super-flyweight title belt at
La Mirage Receptions and Convention Centre in Somerton on May 8.
Trainer Dave Hegarty is confident that a victory for Scharper will open doors for her to fight on more lucrative overseas cards.
“She’s fighting on one of the biggest sanctioned events for female boxing in the world,” he said. “Some big names have held this title. There’s going to be some very big openings for her if she wins this one.”
Standing in her way will be Philippine invader Marnelle Verano.
Verano has a mixed bag of results from seven fights, with five wins and two losses.
Two of her victories have come by way of knockouts, so she has the potential to surprise and Scharper will need to be on high alert.
Aside from her record, Verano is virtually a closed book, with little footage for the Scharper camp to draw on.
“We know she’s strong, long and lanky, but we haven’t seen much footage of her fight because there’s not much footage about,” Hegarty said. “So we’re sort of winging.”
What Hegarty knows are the strengths of his own fighter. Scharper will not be afraid to get on the front foot, using her powerful punches, quick feet and aggressiveness from the outset.
“She’s very strong and hard at it,” Hegarty said. “She’s heavy handed, got strong punches and moves quite well.”
For Scharper, it will be her fifth professional fight. She has a record of three wins and a draw.
Hegarty likes the form of his undefeated charge going into the fight.
“She’s coming off a fight in Thailand against a girl who was 10 kilos heavier than her and with four-ounce boxing gloves, which is crazy stuff over there,” Hegarty said. “She just kept going like a train and got the decision. She comes to fight, that’s for sure.”
Lance Jenkinson
