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Tina Rupprecht traveled to the training camp in Uzbekistan to be in top shape for the fight against the Japanese Eri Matsuda. The 32-year-old boxer from Augsburg will meet them on Saturday, and there’s a lot at stake. The atomweight world titles of three of the four major world associations are up for grabs. The WBC brings Rupprecht, the WBO and WBA are owned by Matsuda. And the icing on the cake is the prestigious Ring Magazine belt. Since 1922, it has only been awarded when, from the point of view of specialist journalists, the two best boxers in the world compete against each other. So far only one German boxer has managed to win this belt: Max Schmeling in 1930.
The stage is smaller, but the number of belts is larger
At the beginning of the week, Rupprecht, nicknamed Tiny Tina, was sitting relaxed in the BC Haan premises, where she trained and once again completed a large part of the preparation with head coach Alexander Haan. One of her most important, perhaps even the most important, fight is next Saturday evening, she says. Sure, the duel with the American Seniesa Estrada a year and a half ago took place on a larger stage. In Fresno, California, 10,000 spectators sat ringside when Rupprecht was narrowly defeated on points and lost the WBC strawweight title.
Now she’s starting a weight class lower at atomweight (up to 46.3 kilos), also won the WBC title there and wants more. To this end, she recently completed a ten-day training camp near the Uzbek capital Tashkent. The secondary school teacher speaks a little Russian, but her coach Haan, who comes from Kazakhstan, usually had to act as a translator, “you won’t get very far with English.” Training took place in two gyms in a small village that didn’t have much apart from a hotel and a few houses. “It was still all great. Only when I said that I was a vegetarian did they look at me with wide eyes and ask what I would eat then.” Uzbek cuisine is very meat-heavy, the national dish plov consists of rice and beef. Since Rupprecht still had to lose three and a half kilos to reach the weight limit, they quickly came together in this regard.
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Tina Rupprecht wants to get three world championship belts at once. Photo: Christian Kolbert Icon Close Close
Tina Rupprecht wants to get three world championship belts at once. Photo: Christian Kolbert
Straffes Regiment im Box-Training
There was a strict regimen in training. Rupprecht was able to take part in a preparation course for the women’s national team for the Asian Championships. Boxing is very popular in Uzbekistan. Uzbek boxers won five gold medals at the Paris Olympics. “You notice straight away that they are drilled for the Olympics from an early age. For an Olympic victory you get a house and a decent amount of money.” Before training, all the boxers lined up to listen to the national coach’s speech. The training then involves concentrated work. “Nobody talks during a word, there’s no music, nothing.”
In terms of sport, this should also pay off because Rupprecht was faced with several sparring partners in her weight class. What’s more, they boxed very similarly to their upcoming opponents. “Eri Matsuda is technically strong, very fast, southpaw. She’ll try to box long, keep me away. She’ll be running a lot.” In principle, she doesn’t care, says Rupprecht, “but of course we’ve adapted to her.”
Numerous fans want to support Tiny Tina locally
The duel between the Augsburg woman and the woman from the Japanese capital Tokyo will take place at the Heidelberg Olympic base. Around 1,000 spectators are expected in the hall, including around 100 Tiny Tina fans who loudly want to support Rupprecht. The fight will be broadcast live on BR, SWR, MDR and sportschau.de. Rupprecht will get into the ring around 10 p.m. In one of the previous fights, IBF world champion Sumire Yamanaka (Japan) also competes against Fabiana Bytyqi from the Czech Republic in the atomweight division. The winner is scheduled to fight against three-time world champion Rupprecht or Matsuda next year. Then it’s about the belts of all four major world associations.
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Andreas Kornes Icon hook set in a circle Icon Plus in a circle
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Tina Rupprecht Icon tick set in a circle Icon Plus in a circle
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Haan Icon hook set in a circle Icon Plus in a circle
1. How does it feel to be back in training after such an important fight against Seniesa Estrada?
2. What challenges did you face during your recent training camp near Tashkent, and how did you adjust to the different cuisine and language barriers?
3. Can you describe the intense training regime you experienced while in Uzbekistan, and how it has prepared you for your upcoming fight against Eri Matsuda?
4. What do you think sets Uzbek boxers apart from others you’ve faced in terms of their training and technique?
5. With three different world championship belts on the line, how do you plan to approach the fight against Matsuda and what strategies have you developed?
6. As a vegetarian, how do you manage to maintain your diet while training or competing in countries with heavy meat-based cuisines?
7. What’s the significance of having a strong fan base during a match, and how does it impact your performance?
8. As someone who has already achieved success as a boxer, what advice would you give to aspiring athletes who are just starting their careers?
