Athletic Women Blog

Kaitlin "caveman" training:



I mentioned earlier that Kaitlin shouldn't be overlooked in Saturday night's fight, where Gina Carano is widely regarded as the favorite. On the contrary, Kaitlin is a formidable opponent—she once knocked out three women in a single night. In fact, both women are hard strikers—knockout artists really—who can grapple when the need arises. I'm looking forward, then, to what should be an exciting fight tomorrow night, though it may also be a short one.

I've made plans to watch the fight live and set my DVR just in case. I suggest you do the same.

Monday night on American Gladiators we met the newest female Gladiator, Steel, that is, boxer and mixed martial artist Erin Toughill. I was thrilled to learn that Erin is one of the new Gladiators. She deserves this break—that's the thing that makes American Gladiators so great: it gives dedicated, talented female athletes like Erin recognition and, perhaps, an opportunity to earn decent money. Time will tell how much of one, but this is clearly a boost for her career.

Interestingly, in 2005, Erin fought AG co-host Laila Ali, losing in the third round via TKO. (See also Erin's Wikipedia entry and her bio on WBAN.)

Gina Carano will battle Kaitlin Young this Saturday (May 31) as part of an EliteXC fight card that will air on CBS. I hope Gina (Crush) has had enough time away from her duties on American Gladiators to prepare fully—Kaitlin doesn't look like an easy opponent.

Here is Gina at an open workout held recently for the press:

This piece at Huffington Post is generally spot on. But it does get one thing wrong: Wonder Woman is A-list. She ranks right up there with Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man. She's just as recognizable, and every bit as marketable. The severe bout of incompetence that Warner Bros. is experiencing right now is to blame for her not having her own movie yet (although sexism may be a factor as well).

True, no Wonder Woman movie is a loss for all of us, but Time Warner shareholders should be especially unhappy about this state of affairs; they are the ones missing out on untold millions in potential revenue.

Well, it's safe to say Candace isn't having trouble adjusting to the WNBA:

Kate Spicer talks about the return of Gladiators to the UK. The UK version of the show is loaded with talented female athletes, and the article, rightly, devotes most of its attention to them.

Times Online also furnishes this interesting piece about Rhona Mitra, more promotion for Doomsday, which opened in the UK last Friday.

Female bodybuilders are the subject of endless fascination, and the varied reactions they elicit from people are almost as fascinating as they are: admiration, bewilderment, antipathy, titillation... pretty much you name it. FBBs challenge naive assumptions about gender and upset social norms—muscle and brute strength, often considered the last bastions of male dominance, are theirs to wield. The visual impression is undeniable, but they should be regarded as much for their perseverance as for their steely physiques.

Isabelle Turell is featured in this clip, where she deadlifts 315 lb for 15 reps, part of her preparation for an upcoming bodybuilding competition. As you watch, think of what she, like most female bodybuilders, has had to endure—pain, injury, money difficulties, apathy and derision—to make herself into what she is today, a real-life superwoman:

That's right, it's football season—women's American-style, that is—and the Clarksville Fox are off to a 3-0 start. I hope you're making it a point to support women's football this year. Go out and see a game, or better yet become a sponsor if there is an IWFL team in your area. These women are superb athletes and deserve our support:

See if you can make sense of this. Wonder Woman is completely stalled; but it's still in development—indeed, writers are working on a new script now. So which is it? I don't know; sadly, Joel Silver apparently doesn't either.

Oh, and since Justice League now seems done for, it will be a long while before we get to see Wonder Woman on the big screen—that is, unless Silver gets his act together soon.