Boxing trainer Junious Hinton (right) tightens the gloves of boxer Erica Sugar (left) as she prepares to spar with Lisa Foster (center) at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center in Palmer Park on Monday. Sugar has one professional fight under her belt while Foster s 2-2-1 with one knockout. Both fighters are trying to work their way through the ranks of women's professional boxing.<@VM>Lisa P. Foster (right) sticks a stiff left jab at the face of Erica Sugar during Monday's sparring session at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Center In Palmer Park.

With the newfound popularity of female boxing spearheaded by the daughters of all-time boxing greats from J'Marie Moore (Archie Moore) to Jacqui Frazier (Joe Frazier) to Laila Ali (Muhammad Ali), women's boxing has never been more prosperous. More than 200 women are slugging it out in professional boxing rings worldwide.

Locally, Lisa P. Foster and Erica Sugar are following in the same footsteps.

In between the mirrored walls of the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Gym in Palmer Park, Foster and Sugar train five days a week under the watchful eye of veteran trainer Junious Hinton. After the male boxers exit the gym at 8 p.m., the ladies take over until closing time at 10 p.m.

Foster, 32, is 2-2-1 with one technical knockout in her three years of competing professionally. She has traveled from Atlantic City, N. J. to Tunica, Miss. fighting on both male and female boxing cards.

Foster's Atlantic City technical knockout at the Tropicana inspired the producers of the Discovery Channel to feature the her in the "Women in the Ring" special with two other lady boxers that aired on May 10.

"I can box. I can brawl. I don't like trading punches because I don't like getting hit," said the 5-foot-7, 119-pound junior bantamweight who recently opened her own gym. "I'm more of an Ali-type boxer. I do a lot of dancing. I do a lot of in and out. If I am put in a situation where I need to fight, I do it."

Sugar, 35, at 5-foot-4 and 135 pounds, is more of a big puncher. A consumer safety technician with the Food and Drug Administration in Rockville for the past 10 years, Sugar trained for 24 months before making her professional debut in Mount Pleasant, Mich. on July 21. After pounding on her opponent from the opening bell, the ring rookie scored a TKO 1:40 into the fourth round.

"It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Right up there with child birth," said Sugar who boxes in the lightweight division. "You work so hard to get somewhere. To actually get my pro debut was a big struggle for me. Just the fact that I was in there doing it was half of it. The fact that I was doing it right was the other half. It just felt incredible because I knew that I was doing what I was supposed to do. It all came together. Everything worked because I was listening to my trainer."

Things came together for Sugar in her debut, but that is not always the case. Scheduling opponents can be a difficult and frustrating task. Even when a fight date and opponent are set, problems can occur.

"I've had 12 fall throughs. I've been on different cards to fight, and the girls don't show up at the weigh in. They don't show up to the fight," said Foster who is also a kick boxer. "I was so desperate for a fight, I went to Las Vegas, Nev. to a fight with a broken nose. I beat the crap out of the girl, but the referee stopped it because of my nose."

Financially, female purses dwarf the money brought in by their male counterparts, but be assured that the ladies are not putting their lovely faces in the line of fire without compensation. Participants can earn anywhere from $800-$1,200 for a four-round bout and up to $5,000 for a 10-round title fight. Well-known female fighters like Christy Martin are believed to earn in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Foster and Sugar attribute their success in the rugged sport to their trainer. Hinton, who is a former boxer, has been the head trainer at the Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Gym since 1982. He has been working with female boxers for the better half of six years.

"At first, I wouldn't train women," said Hinton. "I'm from the old school. I used to believe a woman's place was not in boxing."

Shortly after working with women in the ring, Hinton changed his mind and realized that there are differences.

"When I first started training the women, I tried to get the women to act the same way the men do because boxing I feel doesn't discriminate," said Hinton, who used to train comedian Martin Lawrence when he was a youngster.

Hinton's decision has turned out to be fruitful for both sides. The ladies get a wise and experienced trainer. Hinton gets to work with fighters that are dedicated to improving in a sport dominated by men. He said that women can be easier to teach than men.

"There is one reason why I love training women. They listen," said Hinton, who works with three other female boxers. "Not only do they listen, but they are loyal. If she tells you she's going to run, she'll run. If she says she's going to be here, she'll be here. With men it's totally different."

Both women choose to compete in a brutal sport that requires blows to the head and chest because they both enjoy the physical contact.

"I'm a fighter. I like the contact. I like the power. I've gotten through a lot of stuff, and I've done it on a positive tip," said Foster, who is married with two children of her own.