It was a six-rounder on a Thursday night in New York City. No titles, world or otherwise, were on the line at Sony Hall, but it was still the most important fight of Heather Hardy’s career.

The soon to be 41-year-old had already reached the top of the boxing mountain, winning a world title in 2018 while competing in the Big Apple’s most iconic venues, getting television exposure most could have only dreamed of while becoming a pioneer for a new generation of ladies in the sport.

So there was nothing left to prove to anyone. Except herself.

“It was my first fight with a new corner,” said Hardy. “I had the same coach from my very first amateur fight, and then my last fight came, and it was scary. I didn't know if this was it for me. I kind of wanted to prove to myself that I could go out on a high note.”

Hardy won a unanimous decision over battle-tested Calista Silgado with Hector Roca and Henry Deleon in her corner. That was October 13. By December, the 82-year-old Roca was in the hospital, and Hardy was spending a good part of her days with the coach and friend she called “Papa.”

There was no talk of the next fight for Hardy, only for Roca, who, regardless, still had her shadowboxing in his hospital room. Two days before Roca passed on January 3, as the two watched golf on TV, he did bring up the prospect of another fight for “The Heat.”

“He (Roca) said, ‘Everyone thinks you passed your prime, but I don't think you hit it yet,’” Hardy recalled. “‘I don't think you hit it yet. And I think 2023 is going to be your year.’ And it just sat with me. So after he passed away, (promoter) Larry (Goldberg) called me and I said, ‘I'm going to do the show.’ I felt like a second wind, so to speak. Yeah, this can be my year if I make it my year. So here I am.”

On February 23, another Thursday at Sony Hall, Hardy keeps her dream of another world championship alive when she faces Taynna Cardoso. It’s not the type of fight that will garner the Brooklynite a shot at a belt, but in some ways it’s more important than that because she’s dedicating it to Roca, a veteran of over 40 years in the game who always found time for anyone who walked through the doors of Gleason’s Gym, despite his status as the coach of nearly two dozen world champions.

“Hector took pride in himself that he could teach anyone to box and that anyone could box - man, woman, child, rich, poor, old, young, it didn't matter. And I've posted videos of him teaching before, but he would almost dare himself to walk over to spend 30 minutes with someone and walk away smiling. Someone's a total mess and then after just 30 minutes he would tighten them up and have them looking like they've been in the gym for years.”

Doing this for Roca, making this comeback, chasing after another belt, it’s almost like a sequel to a blockbuster movie that Hardy has been living for most of her life. She knows it, too, but she’s not ready to close this chapter as an active fighter until she gets the ending she wants.

“A few people recently asked me, ‘Why are you going to box? You can write a book, you can do this.’ And I'm not ready to write the movie because we have to end happy, and losing my world title is not the way we close the movie. I'm not done with boxing yet, and I don't feel like my life to date is finished with this part of my story. We're not ready because I haven't moved on from this section.”

How she moves on is contingent on one thing – getting a world title, and Hardy is not picky about who she takes one from or at what weight class – so from featherweight to lightweight, she’s aiming for anyone and everyone.

“I made a decision after my last fight, am I going to do this again? And my answer was yes. And, of course, I'm not going to just do small shows for the rest of my career. My idea is at 126, 130, 135, there are three undisputed champions sitting on the crown (Amanda Serrano, Alycia Baumgardner, Katie Taylor). I would be really disrespectful to even talk about who I want to fight because I have a fight coming up, and that obviously takes precedence. But yes, most certainly after this fight I'm looking at 126, 130 or 135, whoever will have me. I feel like even though I'm just coming back, and I've just had these two small fights, my history, my legacy and my resume speaks for itself and I believe I deserve a shot at one of those world titles.”

It is the beauty of boxing in the era of sanctioning bodies. While title fights in the world of mixed martial arts, primarily the UFC, pit champions against the top contender almost exclusively, in boxing – while some may cry about it – there is a shot for a contender in the Top 15 to get a crack at a champion making a voluntary defense. That’s where Hardy comes in, and yes, a couple more wins would put her in the running for the chance to end this story her way. And what’s wrong with that?

“My body of work, my fan base, it makes sense,” said Hardy. “I'm not out here calling for something I don't think I deserve. I have a big fan base. I'm popular, God knows I sell tickets and I'm a name that people recognize. So, I'm not out here calling anyone out. I'm more asking for a shot at 126, 130, 135, whoever will have me first.”

In the meantime, there’s business to tend to in NYC on February 23. 

For “Papa.”

“Two weeks ago, I walked into the coffee shop and I bought him his breakfast,” said Hardy. “It just came so natural to me. Every single day, Hector would meet me at the door and put his arm around me and we would sit down, and I'd give him his coffee and his breakfast and he would remind me of things, almost like he wanted me to be okay without him. He knew that the time was going to come when he wasn't going to be here. So he would say the same things every single day. And I really know that he's with me right now. I feel him with me when I'm sparring, when I'm running, when I'm training. People say that when loved ones die unexpectedly, they become your angels. And I really feel that about him. I know how he wanted the best for me.”