Nicole Woods fights for a living and for a good cause.Woods, ranked No. 4 in the light welterweight division with a 12-6-1 record, divides her time between boxing professionally and fighting fires in Fulton County.
“Being a firefighter gives you one of the best schedules to have if you fight,” said Woods, who has been responding to emergencies for more than a year.
The 32-year-old Brooklyn, New York native has been boxing much longer (seven years) than she has been fighting fires and even though the two professions are similar, in a sense, Woods got drawn to each in a different manner.
“After college, I still wanted to pursue something athletically,” said Woods, who attended South Carolina State on a basketball scholarship. “I was watching boxing on television and figured ‘hey let me go and give that a try.’ Because I was already athletic, I kind of picked it up pretty quickly and I’ve been doing it every since.”
However, putting out hazardous fires began by way of a personal recommendation.
“I was working as a human resource manager but I was just bored,” said Woods, who also has a master’s degree. “A girl that boxed with me was a firefighter said ‘you would love it, you should try it.’ So initially I was like ‘no’ then I was like ‘let me give it a try.’ I did and I love it.”
Competing in the ring has also been beneficial to Woods since it has allowed her to travel to Uruguay, Germany and Argentina.
“Nicole is not like a lot of fighters,” Barry Richardson said. “She goes into hostile territory.”
“…At the end of the day I want to be able to say I went and I fought with all my heart and I’m the best in the world not just because I stayed in one place and I was safe,” Woods said. “I want to be able to beat you in your house because I’m just that good.”
Five to six days a week, Woods has been training with Richardson at Metro Fitness in East Point. This month, she will begin sparring three days a week to continue to prepare for a bout on July 15 at the Buckhead Theatre, which is being promoted by Shea Bailey and Greg Barckoff.
Woods also thanked her sponsors Vixente Boxing Apparel, Mix 1, Belts and Money, and AA Boxing.
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