If Hawai'i-born boxer Eileen Kuwaye Olszewski learned anything from her ill-fated title shot against World Boxing Council flyweight champion Stefania Bianchini last year it was this: Never leave anything to chance.

Olszewski, a Kaimuki High School graduate, tattooed that lesson across the face of Elena Reid last week en route to 10-round decision and the Women's International Boxing Association flyweight title.

The fight was co-promoted by Reid's manager, in effect making Reid the "hometown girl" in Olszewski's own backyard, Olszewski said.

"I felt I was in control of the fight, but when you fight the champ, you've got to really dominate," Olszewski said in a phone interview from her home in New York. "Even if you're making all the contact, all she had to do was put her hand out and she'll score because she's the champ. My husband was worried that I wasn't doing enough in the early rounds so I tried to pick it up."

Olszewski, 5-0-1 as a professional, went on the offensive in the late rounds, physically dominating Reid by fight's end. She won a majority decision, despite one judge who ruled it a draw.

Olszewski's first title came less than six months after she fought WBC champion Bianchini to a majority draw in Bianchini's hometown in Italy.

Bianchini retained her belt, but Olszewski's manager David Selwyn filed a grievance arguing that the referee of the bout failed to warn Bianchini against repeated holding. The WBC upheld the grievance and Olszewski will get another shot at the belt pending the outcome of a fight between Bianchini and Simona Galassi.

Well aware now of the challenges involved with unseating the established title holder, Olszewski said she intends to be more aggressive when she faces the WBC champ.

"I've got to get busier and more aggressive," she said. "I've got to get busy from the first bell."

And so Olszewski continues to rigorously train while awaiting her title date. In addition to running and sparring, she said she also wants to build her "punching stamina" in preparation for what could be another grueling 10-round match.

"Sometimes it feels like there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I need and want to do," she said. "You can only do what you can do, but I just don't want to be standing in the corner on the night of the fight thinking there was more I could have done."

Olszewski said she's drawn inspiration from her father Ronald, who is battling Parkinson's disease, and from her father-in-law, who passed away a year ago after a long battle with cancer.

"All of this has happened since (my father-in-law) passed away," she said. "My husband and I know that he's been helping me along."

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.