Mary McGee Laces Up with Return Win, Signs with Team Empire Management, and Taking Aim at World Champions

On Derrick Findley’s DM Fight Promotions show on Saturday evening at McBride Hall, in Gary, Indiana, “Merciless” Mary McGee (24-3, 13 KOs) put her career back on track after being inactive for an extended period of time.

“Merciless” Mary gave her hometown contingency a show as she shook some ring rust and then rocked veteran 15 fight Latashia Burton of Louisana with a 3rd Round TKO.

It took only mere seconds into the 3rd Round for McGee to send Burton stumbling backwards from the flurry to the head. The referee saw Burton was in trouble and halted the action as 12 seconds fought in the 3rd Round.

After the bout, we received word that McGee signed with Team Empire Management with global intentions as the top preference.

We caught up with McGee, her Manager – Brian Cohen of Team Empire, and one of her trainers at Hammond Boxing Club – Rafael Ruiz.

Mary McGee:
Congrats Champ! How are you feeling?
“Thank you. I am feeling pretty good, just sore.”

“I am glad to be back boxing again!”

“I am not totally happy with my performance but everyone else is. I was so excited that I made some amateur mistakes in the beginning. It took me two rounds to settle me down and get my groove going. When I got my groove going, it was over.”

“My coach told me, ‘You have to calm down.'”

“The crowd was so large that I did not expect and that is part of the ring rust. You have to not be shocked by the crowd.”

“This is why you take fights like this, to get the ring rust off.”

“I have been off for two years, and it has been five years since I fought a world champion. I have to get my self right. If I want to be a champion myself, I need to build myself up to a world champion. It takes time.

A few hours ago, you posted on Social Media:

“That was a win for the entire city of Gary💯 the Mayor came out & there wasn’t no violence, we all stood as one to win, this all i ever wanted was the support of my city! They say Gary don’t support their own we can now look people in the face and say u a lie! Y’all turned out so well one day i Maybe able to bring a world title fight right here to the city of Gary! Instead of me going over the water! Let bring the fight right here to the Mighty city of Gary Indiana #ItsSoMuchTalentInThisCity💯💪🏽🥊#Thechamp“

How did this feel to put on for your city?
“So, myself personally, we sold numerous hundred tickets. Another numerous hundred of tickets sold from the door. There were people buying from other people to see me fight. They were all from Gary (IN)! I have never had a turnout like that, from the city of Gary! I have been boxing here forever but I have never had such a huge turnout like that! For that many people to show up and to be in harmony with each other like that is special. In our city, that is not normal.”

“For the Mayor to be there, and all the people to come together for an event like that, it was pretty deep!”

“In Indiana, we love boxing here! It is great to bring boxing back! I just cannot wait to bring championship boxing back to Indiana and win the title for the city of Gary!”

I have already spoken to Brian Cohen and knew about your becoming a part of Team Empire Management. Congratulations! How does it feel to be joining an elite team that includes Alicia Napoleon, Kali Reis, Melissa St. Vil, and more?
“We have been in talks for about two years. I have been watching him with the fighters he has. He has been pushing them pretty well. What I like about him is that he spreads his time well with all of his fighters. He has numerous female world champions and they are all active and getting them big fights! He keeps all of his boxer busy! He does not focus on one fighter or his world champions and let the others sit on the shelf.”

“I am now 24-3 with 13 knockouts. With my record, it will not take much to get me a world title fight. But, I need someone build me through that process.”

In terms of training, where is home?
“I train at Hammond Boxing Club, under Carlos Jones and Rafael Ruiz. I have great sparring at my gym. I spend a lot of time sparring the guys here and I get pretty good work with fighters from Hammond Boxing Club.”

I hear that you are on a mission to get to and start cracking at 135 lbs. Is there someone or something you are targeting at Lightweight?
“I need a tune up fight or maybe two before I decide to take on a reigning world champion.”

“I would like to get down to 135 and fight Katie Taylor. That is the weight I started at.”

“Regardless, I am humble enough to say I have work to do to get into the ring with these girls that I want to fight, that I will fight.”

“I am going after reigning champions, like Katie Taylor, Cecilia Brækhus (at 147), people who have been champions. It is time for someone to beat them!”

What’s next?
“I just turned 32. I cannot take another two years off. I need to move consistently now. I need to be fighting consistently and get into world title fights.”

“You cannot box forever! But I have not taken a lot of damage in boxing either. There are only so many fights that a fighter has in them, whether they believe it or now. After a while, they go down. You become washed up. I do not feel like I have been in enough wars to where that is happening to me. I have a lot of fight left in me, a lot of world title fights left in me!”

“I hope to have one more fight yet this year or early next year, another tune up fight with someone that is active.”

Brian Cohen, Team Empire Management:
“I’m very excited to be working with her. I have big things planned for her this year.”

“Last night she fought at 147. The next fight we will probably do 138-40 and then see what opportunities pop up at 135.”

“Mary and I have known each other for a few years now and always talked about doing something. In these past few months we finally pulled the trigger.”

“Her victuals night was against a battle tested veteran. After 2 years she got a stoppage!”

“Mary McGee is special! In 2019 we plan to show the boxing world how special she is.”

Rafael Ruiz, Hammond Boxing Club on McGee’s Camp:
“Camp was good we push her hard till she couldn’t do anymore, I had Marcus Holland wearing the body pad doing 6 to 10 rounds none stop and the conditioning coach Jadd Michael push her passing the limits, coach Rudolph Costello talking to her giving his input and ideas , and her main coach Carlos Jones making sure that she fine tuning her and making her work more , doing pad work keeping he detailed on her skills.”

“Merciless” Mary’s resume is extensive and impressive.

She has fought some of the best in the world, in facing Erica Farias in her prime and in her backyard. McGee was Holly Holm’s last boxing matchup before making the switch to MMA. Obviously, this was not an end of career bout for Holm, seeing her conquer the unbeatable Ronda Rousey for the UFC Bantamweight title in 2015.

McGee has a ton of potential and is very much capable of taking on anyone from 135 to 147. She is the humble and driven warrior!

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