12 hrs ago
2 min read
The hardest battle for boxers is often the one outside of the ring and fights they endure in silence.
Championing Mental Health, an upstart boxing entity launched by boxing manager and advisor Anthony Girges, aims to knock out the stigma that comes with the fight athletes endure outside of the squared circle by staging the third iteration of a CMH boxing show on Saturday at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles on UFC Fight Pass. The event is promoted by Bash Boxing in association with 555 Media.
In the main event, Mai Soliman (10-2, 6 KOs) faces Maria Micheo (14-7-1, 8 KOs) in a WBC junior bantamweight title eliminator. The co-main event features a battle between unbeatens, with Otar Eranosyan (17-0, 9 KOs) taking on Duban Zuleta (10-0-1, 8 KOs) in a junior lightweight fight.
"I'm looking to make sure fighters have a legitimate platform with promotion for them to showcase their talent, all while getting any help they may need through the vehicle that is Championing Mental Health," Girges told The Ring.
"This show is a big deal for us because we are partnering with the TKO Group and UFC Fight Pass, and we are kind of stepping into the shoes of Tom Loeffler, who's now with TKO and previously staged boxing shows on UFC Fight Pass.
"Tom is excited that we're doing this and kind of picking up where we left off. Our goal is to make this a long-term partnership and relationship with TKO and host at least one show each quarter."
Among the resources available to all of the fighters featured on the show include therapy, life coaching as well as a wide variety of free online tools and resources, Girges said.
"We're still trying to figure out how to get fighters more invested in their own mental health," Girges said. "Not a lot of fighters have picked up on that yet. There's still a lot of stigma around the idea, and the concept that something has to be wrong in order to seek those things.
"Something doesn't necessarily have to be wrong in order to use the resources we are providing. It's about maintenance and understanding what season of life you're in, and being present. I value our partners who are collaborating with us and supporting the mission to work hand in hand providing services to athletes."
Soliman, meanwhile, is looking to leverage the second straight significant stage of her upstart career by headlining CMH 3. In May, the 28-year-old Soliman, who was born in Cairo and is now based in Australia, fought Mizuki Hiruta and suffered a unanimous decision defeat on the "Glory in Giza" card in Egypt.
Looking to return to the win column, Soliman has been training with coach Mick Akkawy out of Eddie Reynoso's gym in San Diego.
"Mai Soliman has hopes to establish herself in the United States, so we are building this show around her and introducing her to the American market for her stateside debut," Girges said.
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