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‘The Empress’ of Overthrow reigns as WBC champ

Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon, right, lands a right against Szilvia Szabados in their title bout last week.   Photos by Clayton Patterson
Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon, right, lands a right against Szilvia Szabados in their title bout last week. Photos by Clayton Patterson

BY CLAYTON PATTERSON | Number 9 Bleecker is back in full swing, albeit minus Dana Beal and the Yippies. However, Joey Goodwin, the place’s new proprietor, gets regular visits from Beal and Aron Kay (The Yippie Pie Man) when he is out of the hospital, and drop-ins by Alice Torbush when she is in town.

The Yippies used to publish Overthrow newspaper out of No. 9, and Joey kept the name alive, by calling his new gym Overthrow boxing. And the place is jumping.

The boxing classes keep many patrons in shape. Among those one can run into working out at the gym are Sean Avery, the former “Fighting Ranger” hockey player, the F.D.N.Y. boxing club and the star of the place, Alicia “The Empress” Napoleon.

Elegant and beautiful, The Empress is the head trainer and general manager at Overthrow boxing club. A hard worker and multitalented — she also sings — she has won four Golden Gloves titles, including the National Golden Gloves and, best of all, she is now a world champion.

Declared the winner, Alicia Napoleon proudly wears the WBC championship belt.
Declared the winner, Alicia Napoleon proudly wears the WBC championship belt.

Friday night in Queens, at the Five Star Banquet hall, she beat the Hungarian champion Szilvia Szabados, winning the coveted and prestigious WBC championship belt in the 154-pound class, the super-welterweight title.

The fight was long and hard. Sweet outside the ring, but a raging tornado in the fight, The Empress won the 10-round bout by unanimous decision, and New York City now has another champion to celebrate. She is now 5-0 in her professional career.

Overthrow boxing has been getting a lot of public attention. Soon there may be a reality TV show, judging by the interest buzzing around, with the presence of MTV and Bravo types asking a lot of questions.