Queen Underwood: “I just want to go out under the professional lights before completely hanging the gloves up.”

Queen Underwood: “I just want to go out under the professional lights before completely hanging the gloves up.”

Women’s boxing is booming, of that, there is no doubt. The stars of today do not cancel the past, but they certainly make the memories fade. To some, boxing didn’t exist before the age of social media. Jane Couch is a crucial integral part of winning the battle for women to be allowed to box in the UK, but her story gets lost somewhat by the importance of what Katie Taylor has done in recent times. Make no mistake, Taylor is pivotal to where women’s boxing is today, but the likes of Couch and others have greatly contributed to the current boom. Remember, it had to start somewhere.

The American Quanitta ‘Queen’ Underwood is probably a name that has long been forgotten by many, not even known by many more. A multi-time National Champion, medals at virtually every tournament she competed in, including a bronze at the world amateur championships in 2010. The semi-final bout at those games saw Underwood coming within a couple of points of defeating Katie Taylor in a titanic battle that saw the American overcome a huge early deficit to lose a wafer-thin decision against an exhausted and hugely relieved Taylor.

But it could and should have been better, even Underwood admits that. But she still has a resume that can stand with the best of her contemporaries, and a story and a life that should never be forgotten.

Underwood, a late addition to the American team at the 2012 London Olympics, was the best hope her country had for gold at those Olympics. It was a truly historic time for women’s boxing, the first time the Olympic movement had allowed women to box in an Olympic arena. Underwood came to UK soil with big ambitions and expectations. But the American, no secret to bad draws throughout her career, faced the worst possible draw facing the hometown fighter Natasha Jonas. ‘Miss GB’ won their lightweight bout 21-13 to end the Olympic hopes of Underwood. It was a bittersweet moment for the American:

“There was a lot of pressure just from my own personal side,” Underwood told FightPost over Zoom. “I think I put a lot of pressure on myself. My recollection of that fight with Natasha is that I won that fight. It was really close, I think I lost that fight by a few points. It was the luck of the draw, like I said I put a lot of nerves on myself. It would have been hard for anyone to fight the hometown girl in those Olympics, it just sucked having that draw. I remember when I got that draw thinking I will have to stop her.”

There was a further distraction just a few days before her appearance at those Olympic Games. The New York Times ran a story about Underwood being sexually abused by her father. It wasn’t an avenue of conversation I wanted to explore too deeply all these years later removed from her horrific childhood. Underwood wants to forget, that goes without saying, but from her words that followed my initial mention of that article in 2012, it was apparent there were many regrets about the aforementioned article:

“I don’t think I bottled it up but somebody leaked the story and thought let’s capitalise on this story. I’m a strong person I don’t hold onto things. I think a lot of people said this is why you turned to boxing because you had a rough life. I turned to boxing a long time after all that stuff. I turned to boxing to become the greatest in the world and I wanted people to know who I was. But around Olympic time it was great for writers to find stories. We did have a publicist and she said you should do this. I think that was a big distraction for me as well, talking about it again and bringing back those memories. I was not even thinking about that until people decided to bring it all back up again. I think all victims feel a lit bit ashamed and embarrassed it’s like your own personal thing and then when it comes out again right before the Olympics when you already have your insecurities about it.”

Underwood found further success after her Olympic disappointment but walked away from the sport in 2016. Underwood wanted to turn professional but the realities of her sport at the time prompted the Olympian to live her life away from boxing and that brought initial struggles to readjust to life without boxing:

“In 2016 I wanted to turn professional but there wasn’t a lot of activity in Seattle. It’s a lot of sacrifices to stay in tip-top shape and not get any fights. I had choices to make, either move or find a team that would have got me some fights. Or stay home and live my life outside of the ring. And that’s what I did.

“I was 30 when I came back to regular life and I had to find out who I was again. I didn’t know how to communicate, I was so into training at the time. I lost a lot of friendships, I didn’t know how to be social I had to figure out what I wanted to do. I was growing in boxing but not growing in life. God kind of blessed me, he said stop boxing now you are going back to life. He gave me more than I could ever wish for, far more than gold medals. I have a son, an incredible husband, an incredible family and I am so happy.”

But there seems to be a lingering desire to have one last dance. Thoughts of a comeback are never that far away for Underwood:

“I think about it all the time. Last year before Claressa Shields had her fight with Savannah Marshall I was talking to her about the possibility of coming back. I was in the gym. I was very impressed with how I was looking and everything was looking good. I went out to the Katie Taylor Amanda Serrano fight last year in New York and I saw a lot of my old friends from boxing. Even before then, I used to tell myself that I could do this. But I think it’s harder for women, we have to make a lot more sacrifices and sometimes you have to choose how you want your life to be lived. I am older now and it is harder now to take those risks. I have a lot more responsibilities now. For a lot of people, boxing is everything and it is great when you have those endorsements and sponsors, they get you moving. But it is hard to go to the gym after working eight hours and also having children. It takes a toll and you think I have done this all my life and is it ok to continue trying to live this dream. I may have one local fight, just to have one. When I started boxing I just wanted to be a professional I didn’t really know about the amateurs. I just want to go out under the professional lights before completely hanging the gloves up. If I ever was going to have another fight it would be around 147, something I am comfortable with.”

But Underwood, despite thoughts of once again lacing up her boxing gloves one last time seems content with her life. A career that started when her teenage years had just ended has blossomed into much more:

“Back when I was about 20, I joined the Union Trade as a sprinkler fitter so I have continued to do that all the way through my boxing. I wouldn’t say it was a backup plan, it was my career and boxing was my dream. I took 4 years out from the Union to pursue my boxing but now I am working in service and inspections, I am a foreman. I am kind of doing my own thing, I work for a massive company right now called Seaman Industries. My husband is in the same field and that’s where I met him. Work takes up most of my time now.”

Underwood played basketball in High School but she was an outstanding track athlete in those teenage years, and that could easily have been her future. But with boxing already in the family and couple that with her personal circumstances at the time dictated that boxing would be her calling:

“I was 17 and in High School when I started boxing. My uncle was a boxer. I was actually a track runner growing up in High School. I had a lot of letters coming in to go to college but I didn’t have the support at home to allow me to do stuff. I did a lot, I was 18 and I was running around doing a lot of crazy things, my mum had just moved out so I was mainly hanging out with friends. I was then sent to Washington State University, but I wanted to stay home so I thought I had better do something and that is why I walked into a boxing gym.

“I fell in love with it and my goal was to be a professional boxer like Laila Ali. Growing up boxing gave me that community, that family. So for me, it was great growing up in a place where people supported you and cared for you. Coaches are an extension of your family. I have so much respect for coaches, even my coaches today. I am 38 and I still feel like a kid in the gym.”

Underwood is a survivor of many things and during our 40 minutes on Zoom she kept referencing that desire to fight again. It could be born out of her career not being fully realised and that aim to finally call herself a professional boxer, which was her intention all those years ago.

But one final dance or not, Underwood seems happy enough with her life. A loving family, and a plethora of pets, some of which tried to take centre stage in our Zoom interview. Trust me, fighters from yesteryear, don’t always have happy endings. Underwood has one.