Melissa Takimoglu: “I am having the best time ever. It’s so much fun.”

Melissa Takimoglu: “I am having the best time ever. It’s so much fun.”

Life never stops for Melissa Takimoglu. The relentless grind of another fight week for the 24/7 publicist was about to begin. Another big show to navigate. A stable of fighters to safeguard over a never-ending week of non-stop media obligations. “I live for fight week,” Takimoglu told FightPost over Zoom.

It was a little break in her schedule before travelling to Birmingham for this week’s MVP card headlined by Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron in that almost too good to be true world super-welterweight unification showdown.

“It’s been three months working on this card,” Takimoglu said. “It’s a lot more intense now because I am not looking after one fighter; I am looking after a complete card. You get the call, saying they want you to do it. You get a copy of the press release, and then you know about the show. You do your research on all the fighters. You have to piece together all the angles on the fighters and the fight itself.”

It’s been a year of change for Takimoglu. The long successful working relationship with Top Rank came to an end at the start of the year. Without a TV deal since the ESPN hook-up came to an end, a round of cuts was always somewhat inevitable.

“Gutted,” Takimoglu said when I asked her how she felt when the dreaded phone call came her way. “I was devastated. It took me about two weeks to recover. It knocked me for six. I was devastated. It came from left. I knew there was always a chance they would let me go. It was costs. They had to recover their costs from somewhere. But to be fair to them, they looked after me. They looked after me massively. Top Rank is a fantastic company to work for. They are next level. They care about their staff. They care about their people. I had a heartfelt conversation with Brad Jacobs on the phone. I said I was devastated, but I respected the decision, and I would always be open to working with them again. So we left on good terms. I am fine now, and I have moved on.”

“It probably should have happened sooner,” Takimoglu added. “I missed out on some big opportunities because I stayed loyal to Top Rank. I was exclusive to them. Being exclusive had lots of positives, but lots of negatives as well.”

It was a period of uncertainty while she decided her next move. “I was thinking about Sky. I was thinking about the cricket, rugby, and football I had gone to. I thought maybe I should go outside of boxing. Have an agency that helps women in sports. That is something I still might do. But the one thing I have never done, since I was 19, is rush. Never rush. Never make decisions when you are emotional. Take some time out. So I disappeared for about four weeks. And then Sky and MVP got in touch. It took a beautiful turn, and I just love it. I am having the best time ever. It’s so much fun.”

Takimoglu has found a new home for her unique talents. Jake Paul and his Most Valuable Promotions have revolutionised women’s boxing after a period of extreme stagnation. An ever-expanding roster of female fighting talent. “If you are a woman in boxing, you have to sign with MVP,” Takimoglu says. “It made sense when Matchroom did that deal with them. MVP are making noise and doing unbelievable cards. If you are into women’s boxing, you are really being spoiled here. There is still a long way to go, but it’s moving at a better rate.”

Life never stops for Melissa Takimoglu. Our Zoom call was interrupted by her having to find a Turkish interpreter for Elif Nur Turhan for the following day’s press conference. Messages were sent. Last-minute problems to solve. You suspect her life is always like this. “I live for this shit,” a beaming Takimoglu says as she is tapping away on her phone. No complaints. Things need doing. And now. It’s just her chosen way of life.

That life will likely change again, you suspect. Aspirations to do more with MVP. To continue what they have already started building. It does seem a mutually beneficial partnership. It’s just working. There still might be a branching out into other sports. Untapped markets in different sporting worlds. You just know that in many ways, Melissa Takimoglu will make it work. Her life to date tells you that.

Photo Credit: JP Yim