(JUNE 13) On April 4-5,
2025, the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame will be hosting our next "Night of the Stars 2"
two-day Hall of Fame event at the
Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. With our
event now a two-day affair for the second year----we have a pre-celebration day on the
first day of our event.
New updated "Women Cops Who Box"
poster
adding police officer/boxer Melanie Costa as of 6-16-2024
. So without further
ado, we will give the details of our first day of the event
where we will be honoring our "Women Cops Who Box" which will
include the following:
Ann Marie
Carrizales has an amazing story. She is not
only a police officer with numerous awards and honors in Law
Enforcement, but also a survivor. Officer Carrizales was shot in
the face and chest, yet she continued to pursue the suspects
even after being injured. In addition to her achievements in law
enforcement, Officer Carrizales made history while serving in
the military. She became the first woman to represent the Marine
Corps in amateur boxing, earning her a well-deserved place in
the All-Marine Boxing Hall of Fame.
Full Story
Kyana Williams,
a highly successful current amateur boxer who just won a Bronze
medal, prior to becoming a police officer, was shot by a suspect
in a home invasion. Kyana is a Providence Police Officer,
looking to be a detective. Williams, said, "Police work, you
have to genuinely love your job. You have to be comfortable
making uncomfortable decisions for other people. Williams
believes that being a police officer allows her to make a
positive impact on her community. She understands the importance
of building trust between law enforcement and the people they
serve, and she works tirelessly to bridge that gap.
More
Kathy Williams,
a retired world champion, took time away from boxing after her
retirement in 2003 to focus on basketball as a referee and
coaching career. Eventually, she found her way back to boxing as
a coach, working with athletes of all ages. Since 2019, she has
been serving as a boxing official, a role she continues to hold
today. Alongside her involvement in sports, Kathy also had a
long-standing career as a police officer. From 2019 until her
retirement in June 2023, she taught new recruits at the Ontario
Police College while juggling her responsibilities in the world
of boxing. Throughout her time as an officer, Kathy had the
opportunity to work in various departments such as Cyber Crime,
Child Exploitation, Criminal Investigations, and School Resource
Officer. In recognition of her achievements, Kathy was honored
with an induction into the Northwestern Sports Hall of Fame
located in Thunder Bay, Ontario in 2016.
Tracy Byrd,
retired multi-world champion and former police officer from
Michigan, was one of the first to headline an all women’s boxing
card with Event Entertainment Promotions on PPV; a first to
appear as a boxing family (brother, sister & parents) on USA
Tuesday Night Fights; and the first female to become a world
champion from Flint, Michigan. Tracy said, "I began at the age
of 32 and endured 10 years in the second best sport of my life,
next to basketball...I was able to travel all over the world and
took pride in being a "trailblazer" for other women. Tracy was
inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in
2022. Tracy's journey in boxing not only brought her personal
achievements, but it also paved the way for future generations
of female fighters. As a retired multi-world champion and former
police officer from Michigan, Tracy's impact extended beyond the
boxing ring. Her determination, resilience, and groundbreaking
achievements continue to inspire women in sports and beyond.
Stephanie Han,
undefeated professional female boxer with a 8-0-0 (2KO), from El
Paso, Texas, is not only a rising star in the sport as a
professional female boxer, but she is a current police officer
in Texas. Not only will Stephanie be honored in the "Women Cops
Who Box", her sister Jennifer Han will also be present at the
event, as she will be inducted the following night as one of our
2025 IWBHF Inductees! This is an extraordinary occurrence where
two sisters will be recognized at the same event, with Jennifer
being inducted in 2025 and Stephanie receiving a special award.
Alex Love,
an extraordinary boxer, that WBAN had the opportunity to see
Alex fight in the history-first Olympic Trials in 2012. She
turned pro after having a successful amateur boxing career, and
turned pro and has an undefeated record as a pro. She also
had became a police officer in Colorado. Alex served in the
military, and received an Army Commendation Medal for her time
and service with the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, and
she played a huge part in the success of the WCAP Boxing team as
one of the most decorated Soldier-athletes in WCAP history.
Alex's dedication to both her boxing career and service in the
military is truly inspiring. Her achievements as a professional
boxer, combined with her selflessness as a police officer and
her distinguished military service, make her an exceptional role
model.
Terri Moss,
a retired multi-world champion, was inducted into the
International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015. She later
became part of the IWBHF as Director of Marketing/Promotion.
Moss started her career as a campus police officer at the
University of Georgia while also earning her bachelor's degree
there. She then transitioned into local law enforcement,
specializing in narcotics investigations. “It was a pretty
interesting job,” she says. “I worked undercover, and we did
search warrants … I liked to work behind the scenes and figure
out who did what and go after them that way.”
She particularly enjoyed sting operations. Currently, Moss is a
successful promoter in Georgia, organizing numerous boxing
events.
Melinda Cooper,
retired world champion and police officer in Las Vegas, Nevada,
has had an incredible journey. WBAN first started following her
career when she was just a young amateur boxer. Cooper was
inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in
2020. At the age of 17 years old, after having a successful
amateur boxer, she became the first female, and only one of
three boxers to be approved in the state of Nevada to box
professionally before the age of 18. Cooper's
professional career was nothing short of remarkable. Despite
facing numerous challenges and obstacles, she consistently
proved her mettle in the ring. Her skill, determination, and
unwavering spirit propelled her to become a dominant force in
women's boxing. Cooper's impact extends far beyond the
boxing ring. Her dedication to her community is evident through
her work as a police officer, and she remains a symbol of
resilience and strength, reminding us that with determination,
anything is possible.
Melanie Costa, better known as “The Pit
Bull” to her fighting peers. She is a 30-year old, and resident of
Norton, MA. In the ring, Costa is a determined fighter and strong
competitor. In her personal life, she is known to be friendly,
well-liked by peers, by friends and family, yet known for discipline.
Costa takes pride in applying both her strong work ethic and a positive
attitude to all aspects of my life. Costa said told WBAN her background
of boxing and more: Where, when I am not training, I have the
honor to be a law enforcement officer. Serving the Norton community in
full time capacities for the last three years. I love the job and highly
enjoy the challenge of encountering new situations, with the excitement
that consistently meeting new people brings."
Full Story
We believe it is essential to recognize and honor these women
for their dedication, not only to the sport of boxing but also
to their communities. The event will be a culmination of hard
work, perseverance, and passion, celebrating the achievements
and contributions of these remarkable athletes.
The following night is the finale
for our hall of fame event where we then honor and celebrate our
2025 elite IWBHF Inductees, and other special award recipients
on this night. We will be publishing stories soon on many of our
inductees and Special Award recipients.
Our elite IWBHF class of 2025 includes the following:
Jackie
Nava, retired multi-world champion, Mexico; Vaia Zaganas,
retired multi-world champion, Canada, Kina Malpartida, retired
multi-world champion, defending her belt five times, Peru,
living in the USA: Jennifer Han, retired world champion, USA;
Shelly Vincent, retired multi-world champion, USA; Helga Risoy,
pre-modern boxer, 1990’s, Norway; Diana Prazak, retired
multi-world champion, Australia, lives in USA; Kara Ro, retired
world champion, Canada; Frida Wallberg, retired world champion,
Sweden; Kathy Williams, retired world champion, Canada; Yvonne Caples, retired world champion, India, lives in USA;
Jolene
Blackshear, retired world champion, USA; Yessica Chavez, retired
world champion, Mexico; Stephanie Jaramillo, pre-modern boxer,
pre 2004, USA; Jill Matthews, retired multi-world champion,
pre-modern boxer 1990’s, USA; Carlette Ewell, retired
multi-world champion, USA; Yvonne Barkley, Pioneer female boxer
from the 1970s-1980s, USA; Linda Platt, pioneer, one of the
first females as a high-profile photographer; and Don King and
Diane Fischer, long-time boxing promoters, USA. Lastly,
our
2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
recipient is Daisy
Lang, of Bulgaria! Daisy was inducted into the IWBHF
in 2017. [Feature stories to come soon on all of the
Inductees and Special Award recipients.]
The Induction ceremony/Dinner event will take place on Saturday,
April 5, 2025, in the Mardi-Gra Ballroom, where we will
celebrate our IWBHF Inductees, and some special award
recipients, and on our Pre-celebration that will take place on
Friday, April 4, 2025, we celebrate our special award recipients
that are the “Women Cops Who Box” and special awards for our
pioneer trailblazers.
Our IWBHF 2025 event will include legendary fighters who have
paved the way for future generations, to dedication of others
outside of the ring in their accomplishments in the sport, and
more. [Ticket Sales,
link] [Host
Hotel at the Orleans hotel & Casino-- Special Rates with Code
Link To Book your room on phone, call 800-675-3267 with the
Reference group # IWBD24C]
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