“Fighting Single Mother” Reveals the Struggles of a Japanese Boxer Facing Racism in the U.S.
Yoshida in action against Metcalfe.Appeal against the judges
IBF Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miyo Yoshida (36) was certain of her victory.
On October 23 (local time), at a packed Madison Square Garden in New York, Yoshida raised her hands in response to the cheers of fans after battling through 10 rounds. Her teammates from “TEAM MIYO” greeted her with high-fives, their faces filled with smiles.
In contrast, the challenger, Shuretta Metcalfe’s team, appeared tense, with no smiles to be seen. Yet, the referee’s announcement was a 3-0 decision, declaring a new champion. Yoshida’s first defense ended in disappointment, met with boos from the crowd.
Three weeks after the fight, Yoshida returned to Japan and reflected on the unexpected loss, despite landing several effective punches.
After gaining experience in mixed martial arts and other sports, she switched to boxing in 2014.In fact, the commentators of the U.S. TV broadcast that covered the fight repeatedly called Yoshida the winner. The cameras also followed Yoshida throughout the final round, making her victory seem unquestionable.
“Although it may not be clear from the footage, after the decision, there was a lot of booing, and the atmosphere in the venue became tense. In fact, I felt the same unnaturalness in the judgment of my previous match. This time, I filed a request with the New York State Athletic Commission (the organization responsible for managing combat sports like boxing) to ‘change the referee and judges and ensure a fair decision.’
However, I’m not a U.S. citizen. It’s hard to say that I wouldn’t be treated unfairly just because I’m Japanese. That’s why I made sure to prepare thoroughly for the fight. The result has shocked my entire team because we feel we were too optimistic.”
