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If you’ve been following the sport of boxing for the past decade, you probably know who Heather Hardy is. Nicknamed “The Heat,” the New Yorker gained considerable popularity as an action fighter who knew how to win. As a result of dedication and training under famed trainer Hector Roca (whom she called Papa), Hardy earned the WBO featherweight world title after a fantastic rematch with Shelly Vincent in 2018. Hardy lost that title to the great Amanda Serrano the following year , and, after leaving a decision with Jessica Camara in 2021, he looked ready to head off into the proverbial sunset. Appearances, however, can be deceiving.
Because it was announced this week that Hardy will once again face Serrano in a rematch set for August in Dallas. Not only will Hardy have a chance to regain his WBO title, but he will also win the WBC, WBA and IBF featherweight titles should he be successful. In short, the veteran fighter is on his way to becoming an undisputed champion. Not that Hardy has an easy job. Serrano is known as an all-time great for a reason. In addition to having won world titles in numerous divisions, Serrano is nothing more than the image of boxing practiced and at a high level in the ring. Hardy, however, is quick to seize the day.
«I’ve been thinking about that all year,» Hardy says of the rematch. «I have to go out with guns blazing, in honor and in memory of Dad.» Indeed, Roca, Hardy’s trainer and mentor, died at the age of 82 earlier this year, an event that clearly moved Hardy deeply. ‘We spent every day of 2021 together,’ Hardy says of the late Roca, ‘rebuilding my confidence, my boxing technique, and the day before he died we sat on his hospital bed and he said to me, ‘ Everyone thinks you’re past your prime, but you haven’t quite reached it yet. This is your year, baby.'»
Sure enough, Hardy, now in his 40s, has only fought twice since his loss to Camara. He won on both occasions, but Hardy’s most recent fight, a February win over Taynna Cardoso, saw the former titlist look particularly impressive. What was noteworthy that night was the sheer endurance Hardy displayed. Round after round, he simply took down an opponent about seven years her junior. It was a noteworthy performance, to be sure. However, even though Hardy called Serrano for a rematch, she is grateful for the opportunity she has been offered.
«Not everyone gets a second chance,» says Hardy, «and I was ready to face this defeat, but I’m very grateful to Amanda and her team for giving me the chance.» Sure, there are still the naysayers out there (maybe they didn’t see the Cardoso fight), but Hardy is eager to prove these folks wrong. “Everyone talks about the fact that I’m old,” he continues, “and how I’ve already lost and how I don’t deserve the chance. But don’t sleep on an 80s kid from Brooklyn, New York. We are built differently. I promise you, I’m not your mom’s 40. I don’t come just to fight, I come to WIN.
Indeed, sometimes age is simply a number.