Interview with Jennifer “The Razor” Barber

Interview with Jennifer “The Razor” Barber

By John Pullman, Doghouse Boxing (Oct 29, 2009)

Jennifer “The Razor” Barber has burst on the female boxing scene with a vengeance. Having made her pro debut in March of 07, in less than a year and a half she has propelled her way to a NABF Championship and received the NABF Female Fighter of a the Year Award. And, in November of 08, with a record of 8 and 0, she got a shot at the WBC Female Super Featherweight Title. She traveled to France to face the current title holder Myriam Chomaz (9-1). Jennifer controlled most of the action with her fast hands and boxing ability and when the final bell rang she appeared to have done enough to win. But the result of the bout was a controversial split decision loss for Barber.

The always classy Barber was stunned but kept her composure. “I thought it was a good fight, I thought I beat her pretty convincingly … I was pretty upset but that is just part of boxing. It’s not the first time that’s happened to me … It has happened to me in the amateurs so I wasn’t totally depressed,” says “The Razor.”

Barber understands these type of decisions happen all too often in boxing, and like a lot of other fighters, she feels the frustration. “It kinda pisses me off, because, why am I gonna train and work my butt off and they already are gonna give it to someone else just because we are in their home town … It’s very unfair. I would love to fight her (Chomaz) again. ”

Being such a slick fighter, Jennifer has trouble finding opponents that are eager to fight her, even traveling between two weight classes. It has been close to a year since we have last seen Barber in the ring. That is not by choice; Rhonda Luna is one of the top ranked Super Featherweights in the World and is geographically located very close to Barber. This fight would seem to make sense to many, including Barber. “I mean, they have contacted us to fight Rhonda and we have always said ‘yes,’ every time! Somebody on her end always says ‘no,’ so we just move on to the next person,” explains Jennifer.

So on to the next person she goes, and next up, (Today Oct. 29) is Gloria Ramirez. Barber gears up for her, “I don’t really know too much about her … My coach has tape on her, he watches it … I don’t like to watch tape on my opponent before the fight, I don’t want to expect something. I would rather see her in the fight and figure it out then.”

Gloria Ramirez is 10-15-7. Why is she the best opponent for Barber right now? Barber explains the promoters reasoning, “this girl (Gloria Ramirez) just got a draw with Rhonda Luna who is 15 and 1 … So I guess the promoter thought that it will be a highly competitive fight if she fights me, but I don’t fight like Rhonda Luna, Rhonda likes to brawl and I like to box … There is not gonna be a draw or a loss.”

Even with all of the politics, and ups and downs of female fighting, Jennifer just keeps focused and walking forward. “I just want to stay busy and if a big fight comes to me I will definitely take it.”

Jennifer Barber is a college graduate with a really good head on her shoulders. Upon graduating college she left a really good job to pursue her boxing career. Boxing is her passion and she is grateful to be able to pursue it. And although commercials and endorsements are part of boxing, she is not interested in an all out career shift into some form of commercial entertainment. “If something came along I would try it out and see how it goes … But that’s not my main goal … I don’t want to be an action hero.”

For more on Jennifer check her out at Jennifertherazor.com

Thanks to Jennifer Barber for taking the time to speak with me.

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