🥊 Alycia Baumgardner on Serrano Superfight, April Title Defense & MVP-ESPN Era

🥊 Undisputed Super Featherweight Champion Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner joins

🎙️ The Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer

One of the most electrifying champions in women’s boxing sits down to talk legacy fights, the future of the sport, and her journey to becoming one of the biggest stars in boxing today.

Baumgardner rose to global prominence with her stunning knockout victory over Terri Harper and later became the undisputed champion at 130 lbs, capturing the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO world titles along with The Ring championship belt. 👑

In this interview she discusses:

🔥 A potential legacy showdown with Amanda Serrano

👑 Why she confidently believes she is the best fighter in women’s boxing right now

💼 Being part of the elite Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) stable of women fighters

📺 Her thoughts on Jake Paul as both a boxer and promoter, especially with MVP’s new partnership with ESPN

🏡 Growing up in a small country town in Ohio and how her mother and father kept her focused on greatness

She also responds to comments made by Claressa Shields during her appearance on The Last Stand, explaining why she doesn’t take the opinions too seriously as the two champions have not been on the best terms recently.

🥊 Upcoming Fight

Baumgardner also discusses her next fight coming up very soon:

📅 April 17, 2026

📍 The Theater at Madison Square Garden – New York City

📺 Broadcast on ESPN

🥊 Opponent: Bo Mi Re Shin (19-3-3)

🏆 Titles on the Line: Baumgardner’s WBA, WBO and IBF Super Featherweight World Championships

⚖️ Division: 130 lbs – Super Featherweight

⏱️ Scheduled for 10 rounds under championship rules  

The fight headlines MVPW 02, part of Most Valuable Promotions’ new global platform focused on elevating women’s boxing.  

💬 Do you want to see Alycia Baumgardner vs Amanda Serrano next?

👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments!

#Boxing #AlyciaBaumgardner #WomensBoxing #AmandaSerrano #MVP #TheLastStandPodcast 🥊

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

You're watching the last stand with Brian Custer. Yeah, that's right. It is the last stand. I'm Brian Custer. We bring you the biggest names in the sport. I'm excited about this one because once again, we've got one of the biggest. When you talk about women's boxing, this woman is the former, undisputed, currently the unified super featherweight champion of the world. You know her as the bomb. She is Alicia Baumgartner. And she's back on the last stand. How are you, champ?

SPEAKER_01 0:37

I am blessed. Thank you for having me. Beautiful day today.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

Yes. Hey, look, it is going to be a beautiful day from my understanding on April 17th, because I hear you're the main event at the garden, uh, putting the WBO, IBF, uh WBA belts on the line against Bo Miren Shin. 10 three-minute rounds. Uh, MVP, of course, is now has this women's fighting league. It's a big deal with ESPN. They're coming out the gates with you, April 17th. The main event in the garden. Tell us what we should expect.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

What you're going to expect is no other but the best. You know, they they chose the right one to have this main event in New York City, to be back in a city like New York. The fans love it. Boxing is just the Mecca in New York. So the fact that I'm able to have my main event in New York, I'm bringing, I'm bringing everything I got. This is this is where the show is really highlighted in a way that you have to be there to witness it. And you can watch it live on ESBN.

SPEAKER_02 1:48

Yes, that's the important thing there. You can watch it live on the network. Um, talk to me about your opponent and Bo Mi Rishin, because I know that she fought Kayland Du Bois. Tell me about what she should expect when she gets in the ring with Alicia Baumgartner, though.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

You know, I want people to understand when when they send me opponents, I get to choose who I want to fight. And I know from coming off my last fight, I needed that same momentum. That's what Bo brings. She brings the momentum, she brings the fight. And most importantly, she's Korean. I'm Korean. This is my crossover to my international Koreans, my Blazians, all of that. And so I really wanted to highlight that in my culture for this upcoming fight. And what people can expect is a fight, but most importantly, a skillful fight. For myself, one thing that Derek teaches is defense. And so I'm very keen on having great defense, just very sharp, very poised. You know, there's a sweet science. And I want people to see the levels of what I look like fighting those championship rounds.

SPEAKER_02 2:52

What does it mean to not only, you know, be the headliner for this, but this package overall? Because MVP is now going, and they have been, but now they're going all in when it comes to women's boxing, to have NVPW um and do this thing and have it signed to ESPN. What what I guess talk to me about what's the importance of this for the sport?

SPEAKER_01 3:18

The importance is understanding where we are today in women's sports, not just boxing. And we we are able to include boxing into that, but women's sports in general, I think that people, fans are wanting to see more of women's sports, women even in combat. And we have the perfect setup with MVPW. And when we think about moving the sport, we have to have game changers to do that. And you have Alicia Bungartner, who is a game changer in the sport of women's boxing and boxing as a whole, to really put that at the front runner to say, hey, we've been here. Just give us the opportunity and we will showcase what we've always done. And that's what we're doing April 17th.

SPEAKER_02 4:02

So I was reading uh an article on uh ESPN.com. Now listen, you're already on the pound-for-pound list when it comes to uh women boxers. Uh, but the article was entitled, Can Bumgardner Become a Star? Do you believe Alicia Bumgartner can not only now be the face of NVPW? Because generally people say, Oh, Amanda Serrano, uh, and then and then you got Katie Taylor basically retiring here. She said this is the last fight, and then she's gone. And maybe supplant Clarissa Shields, Serrano, even as the face of women's boxing.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Yeah, you know, like I've been saying, I am the face and the face of boxing. And, you know, I did see the article, and you know, people are are wanting the story, the full story on who really is Lacey Bumer. Can she uphold this um standard? And when I do talk about being the standard and being the face, I have full confidence in how I speak and why I say the things that I that I say. And so, yes, April 17th, you will see the difference of the champion fighter that I am when it comes to Alicia Bumgartner and the sport. We're pushing women's sports forward and that you got the face for it.

SPEAKER_02 5:24

And when you say uh I do believe I am the face of women's boxing, tell uh, tell us what separates Alicia Bumgardener from the others when we talk about in the ring.

SPEAKER_01 5:39

What separates me from the others is my dedication, my discipline. I've been in this sport for 24 years. 24 years. I've started and as an athlete at five years old. It's already written. It's in me, it's not on me. I understand what my assignment is. This is something that I have been blessed with, and it's my assignment to carry that out. I know the things that I've been through. I know the the lows and the highs. I understand the the feeling of being the underdog. I still feel like the underdog. That's why I know that I'm different than others because you don't you don't see what I see. You don't have the hunger that I have. I have the same hunger as I did as an eight-year-old girl walking into the gym, knowing one day I'm going to be great at something. And that was becoming the under speed of world champion. But not only being a champion, it's being a champion outside the ring. So it's a full circle moment. It's a it's a it's a story that is compelling for people to really understand who I am as a fighter, but also who I am as a woman, woman. And that's why you can separate me from the rest.

SPEAKER_02 6:44

And you talked about your story. It give me give me your story. Um, every fighter, it seems, has something. You know, Carissa will tell you about the poverty of Flint and what she had to go through. There was also abuse, things of that nature. Katie Taylor talks about it being from Ireland. You know, they didn't even want females to fight there. She basically fought persecution for even getting into the ring. Uh, Amanda talks about poverty from Puerto Rico. What about Alicia Baumgardner? What is it that maybe about your story that many people don't know that they're going to be like, whoa, I didn't know she had to go through that to become a fighter.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Yeah, you know, there's there's so many layers to my story, but I think for for those who don't know, I come from a small country town in Ohio. You know, most people don't make it out. Most people stay in the same routine. And I knew that I wanted to be great at something. I remember telling myself at a young age, I want to be, I want to be great. I don't know what that is yet, but I want to be great. And I had such a I I had a family that believed in me. And, you know, most people don't know, but I'm a project baby. I grew up on welfare. I grew up, you know, on grit, on hustle. I had to make it work. And there was nothing given to me. I know people paint this story like, oh, she she got it on. I don't. I had to work very, very hard. I had to take the longest route to become world champion. But I'm very blessed to be able to take the longest route because I learned lessons. I gained wisdom, I gained experience. And a lot of people don't know in life, experience is what sets you apart from others. And not only that, I had I had a goal. I would drive two hours to the gym every day because I said one day this is gonna pay off. So I just say dedicated. And that was the work ethic that my dad instilled in me. And since he is past now, that's what carries um in my heart is that you have to work for the things that you want. Because if they're handed to you, you don't appreciate it. But if you work for it, you can hold on to it knowing that you worked very hard and that it was it's rewarding. And yeah, man, I just didn't have I just didn't have no no give up. I didn't care if I was from a small town, I was gonna make it out and make make some things happen. And to my people who don't believe that you can get out, you can.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

Yeah, yeah. That's that's good stuff. What did what did y'all when there were what was that conversation like with mom when you know, I'm sure dad was pushing you to the fight and was training you and doing all that stuff. But was mom like, uh, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 9:24

Listen, my mom was all for it. She was she was for it. She was the one picking me up and dropping me off to the gym. Because, you know, my parents saw something I didn't. And that's what I appreciate. They knew that this one was gonna be different, and this one needed to be pushed, and this one needed to have a more attention to make sure that she stays in line because it's easy to be distracted. But my parents did a good job of supporting me and and telling me if you want to be great, you gotta work, you gotta go to the gym every day.

SPEAKER_02 9:59

So that's fantastic. Uh, so the co-mane on your card, Shadesha Green, uh, who we had on the last stand, uh, and she says she wants Clarissa Shields uh next. Uh Shields said after her uh victory over Franchon Cruz that sweets was gonna be next. What do you think about that potential fight?

SPEAKER_01 10:20

You know, I have to give credit to Shadesia. She is an upcoming fighter. And when I say up and coming, I mean there's a process to becoming a champion. And she was able to have that mollium when she fought Marshall. And when you had those turning points in your career, then you feel like you become. Now you feel like you have set the stage for yourself. And I believe that her discipline will allow her to be who she wants to be and to beat Clarissa. She's dedicated, she's disciplined, she's hungry, she understands the platform that she has now, and now it's time to take advantage of that.

SPEAKER_02 11:01

So, you know, we did have Clarissa uh on the last stand, and for some reason your name came up because she was talking about people who talk. Uh, and she said she was puzzled why, you know, uh you had mentioned the fact that maybe even down the line that you two could be uh a fight. Well, um, she said it was laughable because of obviously the weight difference, but then she had this to say about Alicia Baumgartner. I want you to take a listen and respond.

SPEAKER_00 11:31

Listen, I don't think that Alicia Baumgartner has the right to feel how she feels. You know, she's doing her little one-two over at the MVP. Um hasn't had some of the best performances in her last couple fights, in my opinion, because I've seen her fight like the fight I've seen with her and Michaela versus the fights that I've seen recently. I feel like, you know, she may have declined a little bit, but listen, um she's a great athlete. Um she can box, she got some skills, she just can't get get complacent, you know. And listen, I've been told her before when me and her was cool that that's the fight you should be going for. Like you should be fighting the winner of Katie Taylor and a Menacerano. Um, I've been told her that. And somebody who I'm not gonna overlook is Caroline Du Bois. I think Caroline Du Bois would be Alicia Baumgartner.

SPEAKER_02 12:23

But Wow. Uh give me your thoughts.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

Yeah, you know, it's one of those things where Clarissa is somebody who thinks she knows it all. And for somebody who thinks they know it all, it's just a lot of a lot of talk. I don't I don't take anything she says serious because I can't take her serious as an individual, even as a fighter. And so when she talks about, you know, my skills and this and things like that, I'm the most skillful woman fighter there is. And that's a fact. I got a better jab than most women. I have punching power, I have great movement. You've seen that time and time with that with throughout my fights. And people have to realize that each fight is a different fight. Opponents change styles, and I've been able to adapt overall. Now, her comment about Dubois beating me, that's comical within itself. And I understand why she would say that, but there is nobody beating me. I am the top dog, I've been a top dog. I've proven and shown every time anyone that says I can't do something, I do it better in every area. If that's how I look, how I talk, how I move, how I fight, I'm doing it better than most. And you're just gonna have to sit back and watch. But one thing about it, I know business. And in this boxing world, you gotta know business one-on-one. And I don't, and I don't just sign contracts, I don't just fight anybody. There's a reason, and there's a way of doing things when it comes to making money, making the most money, and also making the great fights. I don't duck no smoke from nobody. I think people have to understand that. But there is also a way of doing things. My next fight, this fight in particular, April 17th, I gave another champion an option to fight me. She turned that down. Okay, who's next? All right, well, fight this girl. I want to give the best fights to the fans. And that's just that. When I do decide to move to 135, then that fight for Dubois is potentially there. But she's she's way down the line. Who I do want is Amanda Serrano. Who I do want is Katie Taylor. I've been calling these girls out. I've been saying I want these fights because these are big fights, these are main event fights. Dubois, she she gotta keep doing what she's doing. Go put some skin in the game, like I've been saying. Focus on what's important. The main thing is Amanda or Katie, and I've been very vocal about that.

SPEAKER_02 14:55

Yeah, I was gonna I was gonna ask you about the obviously the Amanda Serrano thing because it's like, okay, both of you are on the MVP banner. Uh-mm. Yeah. It's like, who is the face of the MVP banner when it comes to women's boxing? Is it Alicia? Is it Amanda? Uh, I I just think that that's a fight that should happen. Do you think that's a fight that happens this year, or is it next year? We got to wait for that.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

I would say it would happen this year. Listen, I've already been very vocal. I've been able to let, you know, even talking to Amanda. This is the thing about women being a girl's girl and being able to talk to your counterpart, even though we may fight, it's a respect thing at the end of the day. And I let her know, hey, I'd love to fight. I think you and I would be a main event fight in New York City, another sold-out crowd. You know, we are two grateful, two great skillful fighters, you know, and she agrees. So everything comes down to negotiations, you know that and boxing. That's why some fights don't get made because people can't negotiate, or it just never happens. I will make sure that fight will happen. I've been very vocal. That's how I separate myself again to have these big fights and again continue showing why women's boxing is here.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

You said there was a champion who didn't want that smoke. Who who was it? Who was it that's like, nah, I'm good, Alicia?

SPEAKER_01 16:17

Yeah, you know, I offer the fight to Tiara Brown. I think that was a great opportunity for her to be on a big stage in New York. You know, I know she recently just got signed to MVP. So, you know, maybe she wasn't comfortable at the moment, but this is the thing. I'm giving people the opportunity to fight me. So it's not like I'm ducking any smoke or I'm picking a less of opponent. Anyone who goes in there is a fighter. They have the mentality to win. So I don't take that away from anybody.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Um what were your what were your thoughts when, you know, obviously when we talk with Clarissa, she also said, you know, not only sweets, but she wants Michaela Mayer. She said, look, Michaela Mayor has been talking about it. And when you talk about me, I gotta beat you up. And Michaela Mayer even said, Hey, look, I can come up to 160. And if you can come shrink your stuff down to 160, then let's let's make this fight. Did you like, wait a minute, I I've already beaten her. What y'all two fighting for? And and people are saying it could be the biggest fight in women's boxing. Give me your thoughts on that.

SPEAKER_01 17:24

Yeah, well, just to touch on the one other question, I did already mention fighting Clarissa at 147. That was the highest weight. We've been talked about that. She agreed, whatever she could say what she wanted to say. Michaela Mayor would beat Clarissa. Clarissa doesn't have technical skills, she's sloppy when she throws her punches. Mayor knows by the box. Mayor knows how to use the ring and utilize her. I think she beats Clarissa easy. Clarissa looked slow in her last fight. She looked like she didn't want to be in there. And I know how hard Michaela works because I've seen her growth as a fighter from when she took the loss from me and how she progressed throughout the years and becoming another world champion and another weight class. So I don't take anything away from her skill, but I do think she beats Clarissa for sure.

SPEAKER_02 18:11

Wow. Um, why do you think she why do you think Clarissa is such a lightning rod?

SPEAKER_01 18:17

Um, I think she, I think what it comes down to is that she has so much to prove and she continues to want people's validation on why she is the quote and why she did this and why she did that. If she learned to just be okay with being who she is and not having to be so loud about it and so vocal about it, I think people will respect her more, but she doesn't know how to do that. I think she has a lot of growing to do as a woman and she has a lot of growing to do as an athlete. And your past can't dictate why you are the way you are in today's world, you know, in in meaning you have to grow, you have to get therapy, you have to learn what triggers what what what's not. I can't allow my past to hold me back on why I still got an attitude about some stuff. Like I can't do that. But that's that's awareness. A lot of people do not have awareness and they don't comprehend. And that that's why I think she's just a lightning bolt. And listen, credit to her for having all you know, the having the energy to to to go back and forth with people. Couldn't be mean, couldn't be me. You you could eat but you could say that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:31

Yeah, the only reason why I ask is this, and we'll wrap it up uh with this, is because now recently, you know, obviously she's been talking about how she fights men and that she would beat Rolly Romero, who we had on the last stand just this past week. And you know, Rolly was just like, Yeah, she would beat me. Right. She would beat me. And you you rare, it's rare that you would hear female fighters be like, yo, you know, it'd be like you saying, yo, uh, whether it's boots in this or that, uh, yo, I I I I spar I spar guys, I'll beat such and such. Uh, you know what I mean? It's like, whoa, hey.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't have anything to prove, and that's the bottom line. I don't have anything to prove to my nail counterparts to say I can beat you. Again, I think that's an ego thing. I think that's something that um needs to be looked at. You know, credit to Raleigh for answering the way he answered. I'm not going around saying I can beat up a man because at the end of the day, a man is who a man is. And I am a woman. And I'm and I love being a woman and I love being soft about that. But I also love working with my male counterparts and know what they do to help me get prepared for a fight. So I don't need to fight a man to say I'm good.

SPEAKER_02 20:43

Uh so you you you you mentioned Caroline Du Bois. Uh, obviously, you guys had fiery back and forth at the press conference in New York. I think that was back in December. Uh, Caroline just did an interview with Sky Sports. Uh she said, and I'm I'm gonna quote her, quote, uh, I hear her, she's talking about you. I hear her say she's the face of women's boxing. I refute that 100%. I think you're looking at the face, and it is definitely not Alicia. I am better at her at everything that she is good at, and we just need to settle it in the ring and quote.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

Yeah, that's just a hungry fighter wanting a fight with Alicia Baumgartner because at the end of the day, they need Alicia Bumgartner to be relevant, they need Alicia Bumgarner to to make that payday. They need Alicia Bumgartner to stay afloat. Of course, she thinks she's better than me, but I know she's not. She's a hungry puppy. And you know about you know things about hungry puppies, they they're into everything, they don't got no home training. So, like I said before, she's gonna she's gonna need some home training and understand that there's levels to this. You gotta you gotta complete one task to get to the other task. Your task right now is Terry Harper. You shouldn't even be thinking about me right now. And I understand her her process. If I don't get Terry Harper out of the ring, there is no reason why I'm mentioning Alicia Baumganger. Because we know what I did to Terry Harper. And I know that she's swimming into that fight. Damn, if I don't, if I don't do what I gotta do, damn what? Yeah. So, you know, I get it. We're in the we're in the the fight game. I love that she's hungry. I love that she wants to fight somebody like myself. But again, every time somebody says they can beat me or they think they're better than me, I show them why they're not and why there's levels to this. Like I said, 24 years in this game, baby. I got experience.

SPEAKER_02 22:37

Uh so you're obviously training uh with Derek James now, and obviously Derek James's record is speaks for itself. What what what's been um what's been the difference and in your game since you've been under the tutelage of Derek James?

SPEAKER_01 22:52

Yeah, the difference is just understanding the person that you're working with. Um, you know, I came working with Derek as a champion already. So, you know, he's just added to my game. And I know I see a lot of people like, oh, you know, she shouldn't be with him. She does that and the other. I can be with Brian Custer. He could be in my corner. But at the end of the day, I have to do what I'm what I know to do. I've been in this game long enough to know it's nice to have that corner, that trainer, but ultimately it's up to me to decide how I move, how I are able to take advantage of those rounds. And Derek has just been a great team player. He's very open to hearing what I have to say. I'm like, hey, and this might not work. Let's do it this way, or hey, how can we adjust this? And I think you need a trainer that is open to having that dialogue with the fighter because it's not just one way. I've been with multiple trainers to understand that different styles, different movements, different types of jabs, they all work together. And one thing about me as an athlete, I'm able to bring all those pieces together and really be an anomaly to the sport, you know. So that's just what that looks like. But yeah, Derek's great.

SPEAKER_02 24:04

I I remember uh talking about becoming a champion, and I think you were working with Tony Harrison at the time, and you won this fight, and it was so emotional, and y'all hugged, and it was like, yo, that was a great well, why, why, well, what was the change? What made you uh go from Tony to Derek?

SPEAKER_01 24:20

Yeah, you know, at the time I was living in Detroit, and Detroit was amazing. I love Detroit to this day. And it was time for it was time for me to move. I felt like I outgrew Detroit. I felt like I outgrew the environment. And as an athlete, as a woman, it's time to go. It's time to keep flourishing. And I've done that multiple times in my career to know that I can't sit still in one spot. And if I do feel like I'm being complacent, I would get the hell on. And that's exactly what I did. And it's been a great career move for me. Tony was great with what he's what he was able to implement um into my style. But now, you know, as a I'm gonna be 32 in May, you know, I have to keep growing. I I'm I have to keep striving. I'm still a sponge in being able to collect this information when it comes to training. I'm a student of the game, I don't know everything, but I plan to be so involved that I so sharpen everything that I do. So I'm never satisfied.

SPEAKER_02 25:23

I I like it. Um what's your ultimate goal in this sport? Before before you hang them up, um what's what is Alicia's ultimate goal? Because you're already on the pound for pound list, you've already been undisputed. Uh and let's be honest, theoretically, you still are undisputed. I mean, it's not like that that you lost that belt. That belt was taken away only because you're doing the the three-minute rounds now. Uh what's the ultimate goal for you?

SPEAKER_01 25:52

My ultimate goal is one, just to implement the story of who I am. And when people talk about the story, I want people to recognize and respect the fight that I brought, the the style of fighting that I brought to the sport of boxing. And also the game, me being a game changer, how she implemented. I'm bringing beauty into this game. And if you haven't noticed, these girls are catching on. The influence is real, okay? Let's talk about it. Nobody was coming to the weigh-ins looking in they, you know, they suits or whatever, makeup done, hair done. I have been the trailblazer and set the standard on what it is to be a beauty Anne of D's, to be able to pick, to pick, to do what you want to do. It's a duality. I know I'm not picking one, I'm doing both. And so if I'm going to the ring with lashes on, baby, I'm fine with lashes on. That's just what that looks like. Um, but it's it's understanding the things that you can implement in the sport that you're in. And for me, that's a woman with poise. That's the woman who can speak, that's helping other women. And again, just to fight. I got so much fight in me left though. I'm only freaking 31. So it's a lot more to see. There's a lot more to see. So um, obviously, moving up another weight class, maybe two weight classes, um, becoming a champion and those, you know. I'm just I've loved to fight. I'm a competitor, man. Like when I hang the gloves up, I'm gonna know that I've I went out there and did everything I wanted to do and make some money.

unknown 27:26

Hello?

SPEAKER_02 27:26

Absolutely, you gotta make that money. Uh does it irk you um to not be undisputed right now? Uh or is it more important to show, hey, look, I can fight women can fight 10 three-minute rounds just like the men can. It's like, you know, does it does it upset you that you're not undisputed because they took away the W WBC was like, nah, we ain't down with that. We ain't down with women fighting three-minute rounds.

SPEAKER_01 27:52

You know, at first I was a little irritated that I wasn't able to keep my WBC belt because that was the first belt that I won. But then I realized I make the belt. I'm not gonna hold on to something material. I'm still undisputed in my mind. And for the fans that know, they they may still say I'm undisputed. So the belts don't really mean nothing. What matters is your character. What matters is how you fight and and how you how you show up. And I show up every time when it's time to fight. So regardless if there's a belt on the line or not, baby, I'm showing up 10 out of 10. I put the work in, you see it from the from the fight leap to the press to the weigh-ins and to the fight night. So that's what that looks like.

SPEAKER_02 28:37

You you have definitely carved a niche for yourself when you talk about swag and bringing that influence, you know, to the ring. Because look, I mean, you're a beautiful woman, you you have those suits. I I'm I'm interested to see. I'm like, okay, what is Leecia wearing now to this wagon? Lord have mercy. And listen, you if my body was chiseled like yours, I'd be showing it off too. But how did you was that a conscious thing? Was did it evolve? How did that grow from you know, obviously, what let's say before you were champ to all of a sudden you say, you know what, maybe I need to do this. Maybe I was that a conscious thing that you this niche that you've now carved when you say the bomb? Because listen, you've you when I think of the bomb, I don't I don't necessarily think about your fighting style. I'm like, yo, you know how we talking about yo, that girl, the bomb. You see her? That's what I that's what I think about. So was that a conscious thing that you did to carve this niche for yourself? Because obviously you had to fight, you had to bring the goods, or otherwise it wasn't nobody gonna watch. Yeah. Was that was that conscious?

SPEAKER_01 29:48

It was it was something that I I fell more into, right? I think I we have to go back and understanding the beginning, you know, body image, self-talk, you know, as a young girl, I had muscles as a young girl. I didn't think that was normal. I'm like, girls are not supposed to have muscles. So I had to learn to love my body. I had to learn to love myself because I didn't. I didn't like having muscles. I thought that was for boys. But when I went to the state um track me in high school, I seen girls that look like me. And again, I'm I told you I come from this small country town, but nobody that looks like me. And the predominant people is not me. So when I went to this track meeting and I saw girls look like me, I'm like, oh man, they look like me. That's representation. I love that. And then as the years go on, ground go by, I'm letting I'm loving my body. I know that I'm in the gym every day. I work out every day. It's a lifestyle for me. I'm not even in camp. I'm gonna go to the gym. And so I just learned to love my body and understand that you work so hard to prepare for a fight. You might as well put that shit on. You know what I'm saying? You might as well put it on. You look good, you might as well. And it's just, it just shows the dedication. My body, my temple is an art piece. It's a and I can carve it the way I want to. If I want more abs this fight, if I want bigger legs the next one, more shoulders, I can do that. And I love that. That's what I love about the body. I love mental um or wellness lifestyle. I love learning about the body, and so I'm always just trying to level up because baby, when I'm 60, shit, I'm gonna look good.

SPEAKER_02 31:32

Yeah, I'll hear you. I'll hear you. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

That's the setup. I mean, I'm just setting it up for what's to come later. But yeah, just really falling into that beauty and the beast and just showing that, you know, it's not one way of doing things.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

I love it. I love that. Did did that ever hurt you? I remember it was uh, I think it was before Michaela. Uh, you fought that, and there was that rap on, like, oh, you know, it was steroids or and they had to do that investigation, then you got cleared it on. Did that ever hurt you that at one point you had that stain that people are like, see, I tell you that's why she all ripped up and everything? Yeah, EED use.

SPEAKER_01 32:10

Yeah, yeah. It was definitely something that I uh had struggled with for a little bit of time because again, I already knew how I looked. I was born this way. And so getting that stain on me was just like, oh, we knew it. That's why this, that, and the other. I mean, people still say it to this day, but when you know who you are as a person and when you know the truth, you know, you can't allow others to affect that. I know who I am. People pay to have a body like mine. People be in a gym trying to get an ab to pop through, okay? So listen, you either paying attention or you're not, you either in the gym or you're not. So, you know, it is what it is. I think people are gonna talk regardless. And um, I bring a sense of urgency. I bring an aura, and it's it's um, it's projecting on many.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

Yes, you're right. You're right. Um, real quick, uh we talk about male fighters. You have favorite male fighters? Who do you who does Alicia Bumgarner like to watch fight? Like, oh yeah, I'll sit down and watch that person fight.

SPEAKER_01 33:14

Um, that's a great question. I mean, really any of the the big fights are being made. Um, I kind of like separate myself sometimes from boxing just so I can live a normal, quote, normal life. But um, when there's big fights on, I'm watching them. You know, I know I'm a big fan of Canelo. I think just being able to be in the if you've never been to a live Canelo fight, I totally recommend it. Um, he just brings the culture, he brings the energy, he brings a great fight. Um, you know, any of the fighters that are are coming up and coming. You know, we got a lot of fighters.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

Do do you are are you in the camp like, I really wish Canelo would have fought David Benavidez?

SPEAKER_01 34:00

Yeah. But at the same time, you know, when you're a fighter and when you're in the gym all day, every day, you'd be doing this for years. You look at things a little differently, you know. The preparation may be a little different, the timing may be a little different. And sometimes you can just respect the fighter for saying, hey, I just don't want to fight. And I mean, obviously, as fans, you're like, no, F that. We need to fight now. Like, we don't care about none of that. Um, so I see both sides, honestly. I see both sides of the fence. Um, but if anything, boxing is is at its highest point right now in regards to people wanting a piece of it, right? We see Zoo for Boxing, see Dana, we see, you know, MVPW, we see match room. So, you know, it's there. It's just a matter of pulling those pieces out.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

Floyd versus Pacquiao 2.

SPEAKER_01 35:00

Ooh. Yeah, that's one I'm looking forward to. You know, I think I've always I I guess I have this um idea that Manny Pacquiao is the same Manny Pacquiao he's always been. So I don't know if that's a bad thing. But same thing with Floyd. So I feel like the first fight, am I gonna see the same thing? Is the is the outcome the same? So I'm just really open-minded to seeing actually how their bodies have transitioned as being older and if they're if their uh their skill is still sharp. So I guess I'm really open. I'm I don't care who wins that one.

SPEAKER_02 35:37

Okay, okay. Uh everyone wants Virgil Ortiz versus Boots. They want to see that fight. What do you think about that fight?

SPEAKER_01 35:43

You know what? I like I like Boots. I think his athleticism really sets him apart. Um, and I think that his skill, you know, he's be able to he's able to fight both sides. But Ortiz, I mean, he he got that power.

SPEAKER_02 35:59

He comes with it. He does.

SPEAKER_01 36:00

He comes with it, he got that Mexican mentality. I'm gonna take one to give one. So I think that's a great matchup.

SPEAKER_02 36:07

Um it's being negotiated right now. And uh, it looks like uh we're gonna get Javante Davis, Tank Davis versus Pit Bull Two this summer. Uh, I know you briefly had interactions with Javante when he was gonna fight Jake. What do you think about that? It's gonna be a rematch there. What would you think about that fight?

SPEAKER_01 36:28

You know, I think Javante wins that fight. You know, I think people have this idea on who they think Javante is. I think when you meet him in person, it's a different type of energy. And I think he's a fighter who is gifted. He he's gifted, he knows his abilities. Sometimes you can be your biggest critic and sometimes fall short, but I think he always shows up. And I think that's why people are still gonna continue to be a fan of Javante. They're still gonna call him and buy a ticket, and that fight, again, is gonna be explosive because we know how Pitbull comes eat relentless, okay? And it's and then you gotta neutralize him. So I'm looking forward to that fight, and I'm happy that um we get to see it again.

SPEAKER_02 37:17

Is is Jake Paul this I I love what MVP has done, uh big events, especially now in investing into women's boxing. But is Jake Paul as a fighter good for the sport?

SPEAKER_01 37:30

Yeah, I think so. I think people again, we're in a different time of age. We are in the influencer world, and people love clickbait, people love a conversation. You can't talk about boxing without bringing up Jake Paul. That's true. Even even to a casual fan who doesn't really watch going, you see Jake Paul, you over there, da da da fighting real fighter, and what is he doing? It keeps his name in people's mouths, and it also keeps people tuning in on Netflix on one of the biggest fights that we had in December.

SPEAKER_02 38:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:00

So, you know, I think no matter what, boxing is a wild, wild west. And if you know how to make it yours, you can make it yours. And you write your own script, and that's what Jake Paul's been able to do. That's what I'm able to do. And I love that because you gotta protect yourself and at the end of the day, you the asset. So what are we talking about?

SPEAKER_02 38:25

So as we write wrap this up, April 17th, what should we expect?

SPEAKER_01 38:30

April 17th, you're gonna see again levels to what it is to be me. You know, I want everybody just to witness wow, that was a great scrap. I mean, and appreciate the boxing, appreciate the skill. And you're gonna see it. You're gonna see it. I can't say too much because you know, I know what I want to do. And uh I'm saving that for me to to hear. So just make sure you tune in April 17th. It will be live on ESPN, we'll be in New York City. And again, three years ago, fast forward or fast forward is when I had my main event in Detroit. So it's all it's a big full circle moment. This is this is really monumental in a way that I know that God is working in such a way that He only designs it. So it's gonna be good. It's gonna be real good.

SPEAKER_02 39:26

I'll end with this. Um Clarissa is a huge ticket seller, especially when she does these events out in Detroit, without question. Do you think Alicia Bumgardner needs to fight Amanda Serrano? Because if yeah, you do, you without question, you're gonna sell out New York City and win that fight for her to then say, I told y'all I am without question, I don't care if it's Clarissa Shields, blah blah blah, I am the face of women's boxing.

SPEAKER_01 40:03

Okay, well, I'm sorry, saying the question again.

SPEAKER_02 40:06

Do do you think you need to face Amanda Serrano beat Amanda Serrano? And at that point, because you know, obviously Clarissa sells in this, but then she can say unequivocally, I am the face of women's boxing. Do you think that's the fight you need to win and beat, where you can say, and can't nobody I think that's just one of them. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 40:31

I just think that's just one of the fights, and I think that's just one of the the um avenues to do. But yeah, absolutely. Again, we're we're real fighters. We we know how to put on a show. Ain't gonna be two girls fighting, I'm gonna tell you that much. There's gonna be some real still. Ain't no slap boxing over here, but some real still. This is I'm I'm talking about you're gonna see a real nice jab, you're gonna see some footwork, you're not gonna see no slapping punches, and you're gonna see that. You're gonna see real high-level boxing. And that's what what's missing in women's boxing is the high-level boxing. And Amanda and Alicia got that. So I love it.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

Listen, uh, I always enjoy seeing you, I always enjoy talking to you because even our discussions are high level. Uh, and that's what I love. You you're you're a great talent uh for the sport, and I wish you all the best on April 17th. And look, folks, that's what we do here on the last stand. We bring you the biggest names in the sport, and I'm talking about men and women. When you talk about the sport, you talk about the pound for pound champ right there, the bomb, Alicia Baumgartner. Thank you, champ. Appreciate it. Thank you. Uh, thanks for watching, everybody. We'll see you again next week. That's right. I am Brian Custer. This is The Last And. We certainly appreciate your support. Not only listening, watching the show. Make sure you go to YouTube, subscribe to the channel, hit that like button, and don't forget to hit the notification bell as well because you don't want to miss the next episode of The Last In. You can also listen to the podcast. You can download it, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Podcast Attic, Deezer, or whatever platform you get your podcast on, you can hear The Last Dan. We certainly appreciate the support. Don't forget, download, share it with your friends, and just listen to The Last Dan.