I: Beginnings
As Sara Haghighat Joo emerges from behind the curtain for her first-ever ringwalk as a professional, the crowd at Brampton’s CAA Centre erupts.
Behind her, trainer and husband Stevie Bailey strides confidently in his TEAM SARA pink-on-white shirt; ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by The Black Eyed Peas blares over the arena speakers.
By the end of the evening, all three of Bailey’s fighters on the United Boxing Promotions card —Josh O’Reilly and Josh Wagner are also in action — will record victories.
Stevie’s journey to this moment began in a small town — a village, really — in County Galway, Ireland.
“There was less than 1,000 people in my village, and only two sports: Gaelic Football and Boxing,” he remembers. “I started at six, and started holding pads for the younger kids when I was 13, 14. It snowballed from there.”
Snowball is an understatement: Since moving to Canada in 2012, Bailey has become one of the premier trainers on the Ontario professional boxing scene and is a key figure on this November night.
II: Managing Expectations
Haghighat Joo trades blows with her game Mexican opponent, Nayeli Verde (4-5-2) through the early rounds, winning on the cards to a chorus of “oohs” and applause from the boisterous Brampton crowd.
At ringside, one excited VIP table quickly labels hers the fight of the night as she dances around Verde, crack-cracking jabs and parrying her opponent’s flurries.
“These girls are putting on a show,” the fan announces loudly to his corporate table.
Her trainer was happy with the early navigation of her professional debut.
“She handled the early rounds fantastically,” says Stevie. “People were worried about pressure, but she’s performed on every stage — she got clipped a couple times, and I think she was having a bit too much fun! She enjoyed the rounds, and enjoyed going the distance.
“The irony about her amateur success is that the pro boxing suits her better.”
Launching into a pro career with an eight-round bout from the word go is unorthodox, but Stevie had been in her corner for over 100 amateur contests and knew his fighter’s stamina.
“A lot of people raised their eyebrows when I booked her for an eight-rounder,” admits the affable trainer. “Was it the right thing to do, putting too much on her, and I kept explaining to people that she’s different and more experienced than you realize.”
III: Stable of Winners
As Sara works through the middle rounds of the fight, it is clear that she has the upper hand on the opponent — whose last bout was for a WBC Silver Flyweight title.
With the crowd building to a crescendo in Round 6, appreciative of the show being put on by the professional rookie and well-travelled veteran, the night is beginning to look like a success for Stevie’s fighters.
Josh O’Reilly already stopped Jorge Amaya (7-3-0) earlier on the card, and Josh Wagner will go on to an emphatic TKO-3 victory over Germany’s Yaser Yueksel (13-5-1) later in the evening.
But how does one manage three camps at the same time?
“I’ve been doing this for a long time, and in this business you’ll have four fighters in six fights, or three fighters in five. It happens,” laughs Stevie. “Even during the weeks leading into the United fight, I had another boxer in camp fighting the week after, another two weeks after — it’s a busy stable right now, so the door is always open and someone is always working.”
O’Reilly’s victory — fresh off a two-year layoff, and moving him to 17-1 — came hard-earned against a bone-tough Mexican fighter who had been stopped just once previously.
“That guy was catching him with some big shots, but he really pulled it out with the body shot,” reflects his trainer. “I was impressed with the end, and he’s a great guy. Very loyal to United.”
Wagner’s dominant win later in the evening over Yueksel continued the Orangeville, Ont. fighter’s upward trajectory and moved his record to 14-0.
“He’s on a roll, that was our fourth camp together (and) the belief in what we’re doing is growing,” says Bailey, who has an eye on a new test for ‘The Boss’ in early 2023. “What we do in sparring leads into the fights, and we’re working on understanding just how good he really is. His demeanour was no-nonsense, all business. We want that.”
IV: United
Sara ultimately runs away with the fight, winning all but a singular round on the scorecard of one judge, and the CAA Centre explodes as the decision is read.
While the DAZN broadcast crew of Beto Duran, Tony Luis and Michelle Sturino analyze her victory and the potential of her budding professional career, she exits the ring and makes her way through a sea of fans — many of whom paid specifically to see her.
It is a perfect night and a near-perfect professional debut for one of United Boxing Promotions’ most exciting prospects, and her trainer understands the unique role United plays in Canadian professional boxing.
“United has helped keep boxing alive and well in Ontario, especially at a time when there was little hope,” admits Bailey. “Most promoters have a connection to United, either a fighter that had been there or having a relationship with Tyler (Buxton).
“They were doing shows when nobody else was.”
United’s schedule is set to expand this year, offering Ontario boxing fans high-quality professional boxing with a regularity Toronto hasn’t seen in decades — and generating more opportunities for local fighters.
“The effort they put into their production, from the venue to the commentary team, everything is elevated more and more each show,” says Bailey, who understands the potential for his fighters offered by United’s ambition. “All boats rise in high tides, and now all the promotions are stepping up their game — some focus more on the main event, others have a private pay-per-view and some have DAZN.
“With the Casino series that United has planned, that’s another step,” continues Bailey, who is as in-tune with the boxing industry as anybody in the province. “That’s a big opportunity that could become a movement in Ontario and Canada as a whole.”
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United Boxing Promotions’ first-ever event at the Pickering Casino Resort, featuring many of Ontario’s top fighters, on January 28 is sold out.
Sara Haghighat-Joo and Josh Wagner return to the ring on February 25 at the CAA Centre; tickets are available at ticketmaster.ca.
Ringside with Carlos is a bi-weekly column written by Carlos Verde, featuring reflections on Ontario boxing, fighter profiles and feature stories on those in the fight game.
