Scranton - The daughter of boxing great Joe Frazier has formally entered the ranks of women's professional boxing.
Jacqueline Frazier-Lyde has a licence, a promoter, two trainers, a fight date and a guaranteed R150 000 purse, the largest ever for a debut in women's boxing.
The 38-year-old lawyer and mother of three will become a professional boxer at the Scranton Cultural Center on February 6.
Her goal is to fight Laila Ali - the 21-year-old daughter of Muhammad Ali - in September, which is the 25th anniversary of the "Thrilla in Manila," the last and most famous of the Ali-Frazier trilogy.
She wants to do it on worldwide pay-per-view in Las Vegas or Madison Square Garden. Frazier-Lyde vows to "whip" Ali.
"Then I'll pick her up, kiss her, take her to dinner and if she wants a rematch, I'll dust her off and do it again."
Frazier-Lyde will fight on the undercard with Chris Mills, the undefeated light heavyweight from Scranton. He will challenge for a world title in the so-called main event.
Mills, 18-0, a former Toughman Contest winner, will meet Italian Salvatore Di Salvatore, now of Switzerland, champion of the International Boxing Federation.
Laila Ali, who is 3-0 in her first few months of boxing, has not responded to Frazier-Lyde's challenge.
Ali's promoter, Mike Acri, said he would be interested in the fight, "but first, let her win a few fights". - Sapa-AP