January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Ali: it's a hard knock life
Perozzi, who successfully defended her NABC world title belt in July has become increasingly frustrated with the business and the lack of financial support or professional set-up for her to improve.
But Ali, who sparred with the Bermudian boxer in the states a few years ago, said she was not alone in her struggle.
The undefeated world champion said the world had embraced her, but had yet to embrace her sport,
"People are never going to feel 100 per cent comfortable with watching women fighting. "In society we're taught that women should be protected, so it's going to take time for the sport to be accepted,
"I wouldn't be making the money I'm making if I wasn't Muhammed Ali's daughter.
" I'd still be a champion, I'd still be undefeated, but I wouldn't be a celebrity, I wouldn't be in Vogue and Cosmopolitan.
"The world was ready to open its arms to Muhammed Ali's daughter but not to women's boxing."
Ali spoke to the Bermuda Sun after pulling out of next month's Elbow Beach tennis classic to defend her boxing title.
She said she was desperately disappointed not to be coming to Bermuda and planned to return for next year's event.
She added that her tennis sucked but she'd be trying to work on her game over the next 12 months.
She said she couldn't turn down the chance of a championship bout (her opponent is yet to be confirmed) as she had not fought this year.
"It's definitely a hard sport to be in. It can be hard to get fights - particularly in the weight division that Teresa and I are in. There are not as many fighters.
"It's not necessarily as big an issue for me because of my celebrity but for someone like Teresa, if you don't have a manager and you don't have people setting things up for you, it's going to be tough.
"You've got to love it. You can't be in it for the money.
"If Teresa's reached her goal and got a belt, then maybe she's happy with that. I wouldn't encourage anyone to fight if they didn't want to.
"If you love it and you have to do it then go for it but to be honest you have to be a bit crazy to want fight."
Ali doesn't expect to be on the scene too much longer.
She said there were a few fighters she still had to beat to dispel any doubt that she was the best in the business, but after that she would call it quits.
"I want to go on and whoop those other few girls first," she added with typical Ali confidence.
As the number one name in the sport Ali is constantly getting trash talk from wannabe champions looking for a payday.
"They talk themselves up and say I'm ducking them and then I go beat them in three rounds.
"People think it's easy for me because I'm a pretty girl and Muhammed Ali's daughter but I'm still undefeated after 22 fights. When the bell goes my father doesn't get in the ring with me."
The baggage that goes with being Ali's daughter is not something that bothers her, though.
"I am never going to get out of his shadow and I am not really trying to. He's the greatest of all time and the most famous man in the world, how could you not mention his name?
"I don't have a problem with that. I have proven myself. Nobody's been able to beat me and I don't think anybody ever will."
It's not just the confidence she gets from her dad, she credits him for her 'natural talent and athleticism' as well as her dedication and desire to be a champion.
While to the rest of the world he's a sporting icon, but to her, he's just a great dad.[[In-content Ad]]
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