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Knocking on the Glass Ceiling: Interview with Amy Green Part One- The Writer and The Woman

posted by Kathleen Holland on July 4, 2008, in Punch Lines By Judi Abate

By Judi Abate
Boxing Diva

The best interviews are the ones in which an interviewee goes toe to toe with the writer and let's it all hang out regardless of what happens to be en vogue at the moment. Enter stage right, Amy Green, boxing writer, publicist,champion of women's boxing and friend who afforded me this insightful, enjoyable and unforgettable interview.

I first contacted Amy in preparation for an interview with Maureen Shea. ( Protocol states that you must go through the correct channels to even speak to a boxer.) Amy Green is the go to women who handles the publicity for Maureen and she was very helpful with setting up the interview for me and giving me the Cliff Notes version on Maureen's career as well as women's boxing.

Her manner was very professional, knowledgeable and her dedication to her client was clearly evident. She was also tons of fun to interview. Amy is out spoken, a lil rowdy but most of all she is a straight shooter and that is a quality I truly admire in people. She pulls no punches, what you see is what you get and if you don't like it then you can just turn and exit the room.
Amy has been around the boxing scene for 7 years, whether it has been writing articles, sending out press releases, or attending boxing related events she is a force to be reckoned with. Amy is a very strong willed woman playing hard ball with the good ole boys of boxing. I admire her dedication to never give up and never back down when it comes to something she deeply believes in: women's boxing and the sport of fisticuffs. Amy is a true fighter.

We discussed many subjects in this interview and I have learned much from her answers. Here is some of what she had to say:

BD Amy, tell me a little about yourself?
AG I'm a contributing writer for boxingscene.com and PrimerRound Magazine, and have written about boxing since 2001. Since 2005, I have been the publicist for "A Ring of Their Own" the only all women's boxing series, and am currently the publicist for Maureen "The Real Million Dollar Baby" Shea and have joined the team of Holly Holm to work with her endorsement and publicity efforts. I am a member of the BWAA and also train at the newly opened boxing gym in Lawton, Okla. owned by season two Contender champion Grady "Bad Boy" Brewer.

BD Why have you chosen the subject of boxing to write about?
AG My Dad was a huge boxing fan so that influenced me a great deal. I watched it and liked it. Going to the gym as an adult and watching fights made me pursue it.

BD Which came first writing or doing publicity?
AG Writing

BD What do you write?
AG Interviews, press releases. Always something that is interesting, educating and entertaining.

BD How did you get your start in boxing writing?
AG I have always loved boxing so I keep current by viewing some boxing sites. One day as I was reading I wondered if I could do it ( writing). I started writing for prizefrightnews.com with my first interview being Freddie Roach and from there I contributed material to different boxing sites.

BD Who do you presently write for?
AG Primer Round Magazine and boxingscene.com.

BD What's it's like to be a woman in a male dominated field?
AG There isn't as much condescension today as there was in the past. It's amusing and irrating. I like being a female thorn in the big boys side. It is always challenging.

BD What is your favorite subject matter to write about?
AG I love doing interviews. Uncovering interesting facts about my interviewees as well as
quirky and unusual topics.

BD What is your least favorite subject matter?
AG Round by round fight coverage. It's difficult. It's not that I do not like it I'm just more of a feature story writer.

BD How long have you been writing?
AG 7 years. I started in 2001.

BD What is your perspective as a writer?
AG Human insight. I like to generate interest on another level besides their skill.

BD Your Favorite interview and why?
AG Freddie Roach. Well he was my first, and he was courteous and down to earth. A real person no BS, no posturing which is rare in the sport of boxing today.

BD Define your style of writing?
AG Someone told me once that my writing was, "easy, flowing conversational style."

BD Why do you think there aren't more female boxing writers around these days?
AG I don't know. I wish there were more out there. Maybe some are not discovered yet or they are not willing to expose themselves since people in sports writing are so critical.

BD Who are some of your favorite boxing writers?
AG I enjoy reading Burt Sugar, Keiran Mulvaney, Zach Levin.

BD How do you address critics of your articles?
AG I thank them for their time and appreciate their reading.

BD What do you believe are your strengths as a writer?
AG Make my subjects appear personal. To show the fans a more intersting side.

BD What would you say you can work on more as a writer?
AG Round by round fight coverage.

BD Your dream interview?
AG One on one with Lennox Lewis and Leonard Ellerbe.

BD Why do you think being a woman sets you apart as a boxing writer?
AG Because women observe things differently than men. I might notice different aspects of a fight. I might focus on the human interest side instead of the technical aspects.

BD Do you have an "angle" as a boxing writer?
AG My article's offer " A Woman's View"

BD Most famous person you interviewed?
AG Lennox Lewis ( tele-conference)

BD WHo did you learn the most from in an interview?
AG Jay Nady, Buddy McGirt, and Chuck Zito.

BD What are your goals as a boxing writer?
AG To inform and entertain. To supply thought provoking questions, I don't have to write a cook book to be a good writer because I'm a girl and don't tell me to marry a boxer to be in boxing. I can present my point of view in writing about boxing while well representing the sport.

BD How much of your personality comes through in your writing?
AG More than is desireable to editors.
BG I like your personality. Let's find out a bit more about Amy the person behind that fire cracker red hair.

BD Favorite color?
AG Red

BD Favorite snack?
AG Cherries

BD Favorite food?
AG Mexican

BD If you could be an animal what would you be?
AG A cat.

BD If you could have a superhero power it would be?
AG Being invisible or being able to fly.

BD What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
AG I'm sentimental,

BD What are 3 words to describe you?
AG Impulsive, always in a hurry, and odd.

BD What is one thing that is always in your frige?
AG Propel, leftovers, Absolut

BD How do you relax?
AG Watch TV or read.

BD Best part of your body?
AG My hands.

BD What makes you special?
AG Because I care about what I do and who I do it for.

BD What is your pet peeve?
AG Hateful people.

BD Favorite M&M color?
AG Red

BD What are you afraid of?
AG Random horrible violence.

BD Your guilty pleasure?
AG Ice cream (chocolate chip)

BD Favorite fruit?
AG Something red.

BD Hobbies?
AG Normal girly things.

BD What do you think of MMA?
AG I don't love it and I don't hate it.

BD Do you think boxing is sexy?
AG Of course.

BD If you could be a can of soup you would be?
AG Chicken Tortilla

BD Your dream vacation?
AG London

BD If you were stranded on a desert island with one boxer for company, who would it be and why?
AG BHop because we would not run out of conversation and I believe he can survive in any situation.

BD Any bad habits?
AG My potty mouth ( F'in A) and being impatient.

BD Do you have an inspirational quote that you admire?
AG Well behaved women rarely make history.

BD Do you consider boxing is violent?
AG It's sustained violence which is very captivating.

BD What do you love about boxing?
AG It's competition at it's bare element.

BD What do you dislike about it?
AG Manipulation.

BD Who are some of your favoire fighters today?
AG BHop, Mayweather, Winky, PacMan.

BD If you were a tree which kind would you be?
AG A tall one.

BD What qualities do you admire in people?
AG Honesty and a sense of humor.

BD What color describes your personality?
AG Red

BD In closing this part of the interview one last question Amy, How can we keep boxing strong?
AG Many people have done a great deal to improve it over the years. There is not one magic potion. Basically to clean up the confusion within the sanctioning bodies and to strive to make better fights.

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