Tracy

My buddy Tracy Hutt is an impish tomboy with a grin you've got to love.

Even though she's a little thing, she's very strong, and loves combat sports. I remember her kickboxing with Terry, a really skilled guy who can put pressure on you. He was in there, trading blows with Tracy, and she started laughing she was having so much fun. (Believe me, I never laughed when I was sparring with Terry.) She has a shirt with the motto, "Fighting Solves Everything," which she says she can't wear to her job as a phys ed teacher in school.

She turned to boxing a few years ago, had a good amateur record and made the finals in the Golden Gloves at least twice.

Wednesday night, she had her pro debut, at the Manhattan Center in New York City. No more headgear. The tickets I could afford sold out ahead of time, so I didn't attend.

The next morning, I discovered I could watch the bout on the GoFightLive.TV website. I started the video, saw her walking into the ring with a nervous grin and her hair braided on her head.

Since it was a workday, I went downstairs to fix breakfast and iron a shirt, but before I left I made time to look at the end of the fight.

It was pretty upsetting to watch.

It was round four, and it looked like it had been a tough fight. Tracy's opponent had blood on her face. Tracy was really attacking, but in her attack she left herself open. Tracy took two right hands from her opponent, and went down hard.

Tracy fought to get up before the count was over, but she couldn't do it--she fell over again, went halfway through the ropes, and had to be prevented from falling out of the ring. Her exhausted opponent looked surprised at her sudden victory; Tracy looked groggy and in pain, physical and psychological, and her corner was working on her nose.

I give her all the credit in the world for stepping into that ring.

Tracy's young and indomitable, she'll bounce back. I read that she already challenged the other young woman to a rematch.