JANUARY 2015

Latest News on Belgium's Delfine Persoon! January 28, 2015

(JAN 28) Delfine Persoon, 31-1-0 (14KO), has two upcoming fights on the horizon.  On February 28, 2015, at the Ghelamco Football stadium, Ghent,  Belgium, she will fight an eight-rounder against Florence Muthoni, and then on April 25, 2015, in Berne Switzerland, she will be fighting a 10-rounder against Nicole Bass!

Boxing: Dervla Duffy & Clare Grace star on Irish Elite finals night at National Stadium- by Michael O'Neill  January 27, 2015

(JAN 27) Nine champions were crowned at the National Elite Women’s finals at the National Stadium in Dublin at the weekend inc. Olympic BC’s Debbie O’Reilly the new 60kg lightweight titleholder. Arguably though the ‘bouts of the night’ were those at 57kg featherweight ..Full Story

USA Boxing’s Elite Men Claim Ten More Olympic Trials Berth in Final Round Competition at the USA Boxing Elite National Champion. by Julie Goldsticker /Photo Credits: Al L. Stover

 (JAN 25) The 2015 USA Boxing Elite National Championships concluded with 20 final round bouts at Northern Quest’s Pend Oreile Pavilion on Saturday. The championship bouts held ..Full Story

Elite National Championships Preliminary Competition Concludes with 56 Quarterfinal Bouts in Spokane by Julie Goldsticker/USA Boxing January 23, 2015

(JAN 23)  SPOKANE, WA– The fourth day of the 2015 USA Boxing Elite National Championships featured a full day of quarterfinal contests on Thursday at the HUB Sports Center in Spokane, Wash. The quarterfinal action featured several twists and turns with two 2012 Olympians making their tournament debuts and a handful of athletes competing for the fourth straight day in the pacific northwest...Full Story

Germany:  K.O. Kali Reis to fight Christina Hammer January 21, 2015

(JAN 21) In a big fight that was made in the sport K.O. Kali Reis, 7-3-1 (3KO), will be venturing Germany on March 7, 2015, to fight Christina Hammer, 17-0-0 (8KO) at the Maritim Hotel, Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany. Hammer will be defending her WBO and the WBF Middleweight Titles.

WBAN responds to recent AIBA proposals on future of AIBA Women's Boxing. by Sue Fox and Michael O'Neill January 21, 2015

(JAN 21) WBAN is encouraged to see that the International Boxing Association (AIBA) has responded in a positive manner to our previous two part article on the future of AIBA women’s boxing including possible future extensions to APB or WSB tournaments....Full Story

Alexandria Teen Iesha Kenney Wins Third Straight National Title at the 2015 Youth National Boxing Championships in Reno Submitted by Dara Shen January 16, 2015

(JAN 16)  (ALEXANDRIA, VA.) - Seventeen-year-old Iesha Kenney reached new heights in her amateur boxing career this past week in Reno, Nev. The T.C. Williams student captured her third straight national title at the 2015 Junior Open and Youth National Championships. Kenney is now an eight-time national champion with gold medal victories in the National Police Athletic League (PAL) tournament, Golden Gloves, Silver Gloves and Junior Olympics. She’s also tested her...Full Story

AIBA remains fully committed to developing the Women’s Boxing by AIBA/Iryna Mazur January 16, 2015

(JAN 16)  First, we would like to thank WBAN for your engagement with and passionate advocacy for the development of Women Boxing, in particular with the International Boxing Association (AIBA).We very much value your contribution to and support for Women Boxing. The issues that you address in your two articles [Part I]  [Part 2] are all extremely important ones for AIBA and key for the sport of boxing as a whole. At the same time, many of the issues that you have raised in your two recent articles are both large and multifaceted – and so resolving them to everyone’s complete satisfaction may take a little bit longer then we would all prefer. For AIBA, however, our priority is to maintain a constant pressure for change and so keep the development of Women Boxing moving forward as fast as possible....Full Story

Tonight:  Current champion Eileen Olszewski for the IFBA World Flyweight title to Defend her Title! January 16, 2015

(JAN 16) Tonight at the Laredo Energy Arena, in Laredo, Texas, current world champion Eileen Olszewski will be defending her IFBA Flyweight title..Full Story

WBF World Champion Nicole Wesner Aiming For Greatness Source/WBF PR January 15, 2015

(JAN 15)   In a sport full of stories, the story of World Boxing Federation (WBF) Womens World Lightweight Champion Nicole Wesner (9-0, 4 KOs) is quite an interesting one. Its not a tale of hardship and turmoil, as is often the case, but rather a story of how it is, as they say, never too late to achieve your goals. ..Full Story

Full Fight Video:  Laura Griffa Wins by Decision January 14, 2015

 (JAN 14) On January 10, 2015, at the Diagonal Rivadavia y Lebensohn,  Buenos Aires, Argentina, Laura Griffa, 124¾, won a four-round unanimous decision over Laura Rojas, 124, pro debut. Final judges scores: 39½-38½, 39½-38½, and 39½-38½ . Both boxers are out of Buenos Aires.

A Strong Mix of Olympians and World Champions Headlines the 2015 USA Boxing Elite National Championships Athlete Rosters by Julie Goldsticker January 14, 2015

(JAN 14) (COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Nearly 300 boxers with Olympic dreams are traveling to Spokane, Wash., for the 2015 USA Boxing National Championships, January 19-24. The deep list of pugilists includes three Olympians and four reigning or former World Champions all hoping to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games. The Pathway to the Podium will once again run through Spokane with the 2015 edition of USA Boxing’s key national championship event serving as an Olympic Trials qualifier for the 10 men’s weight divisions and three women’s Olympic weight classes. ..Full Story

Mira Potkonen is 'Golden Girl' of Boras - 2015 - for second year in a row.. by Michael O'Neill January 14, 2015 Tweet WBAN

(JAN 14) The 2015 Golden Girl BC Championship finals came to a close on Sunday evening at the Boråshallen Arena in Boras, Sweden where around 170 boxers took part in this year’s championships be they Elite Seniors, Novices, Youth or Juniors.  A great tribute to organiser Ray Husac who with Lina Erlandsson first staged the tournament in 2009 and who continues to promote boxing in the region despite often small crowds at the venue...Full Story

Part II: AIBA 2014/15 The Good, The bad and the Questions Unanswered – WBAN invites Dr. Ching Kuo-Wu and the AIBA to respond by Sue Fox and Michael O’Neill January 12, 2015 Photo: Generic

(JAN 12) In terms of what may – or may not – be now proposed for WSB/APB, perhaps the AIBA could say which two women’s weights will eventually be included in season 6 (if any) and how many boxers will be involved? If only two (as is being suggested in some quarters)...Full Story

Olympics Set for Boston 2024? Equality for women by 2020? Championships by Michael O'Neill January 10, 2015

(JAN 10) Women boxers’ first official appearance in the Olympic Games came in London 2012 with Marlen Esparza becoming the first U.S female to win a bout and a medal and later, on finals day Flint’s Claressa Shields struck gold in the up to 75kg category whilst Great Britain’s Nicola Adams and Ireland’s Katie Taylor took the other two Olympic Golds on offer in that momentous year for women's boxing....Full Story

2015 USA Boxing Junior Open and Youth National Championships Competitors Clinch Final Round Berths in Reno by Julie Goldsticker January 9, 2015

(JAN 9) RENO, NEVADA – The 2015 Junior Open and Youth National Championships headed in to semifinal round competition at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., on Thursday. The action was hotly contested from start to finish on the fourth day of action as the young boxers vied for final round berths in the third year of tournament...Full Story

Fuentes looks for redemption against current champion Eileen Olszewski for the IFBA World Flyweight title Source/PR January 9, 2015

(JAN 9) The International Female Boxing Association (IFBA) is bringing in 2015 by ringing the bell on a Texas-sized women’s title fight! Christina “Mandy” Fuentes looks for redemption against current champion Eileen Olszewski for the IFBA World Flyweight title. The two square off Friday, January 16 at the Laredo Energy Arena in Laredo, Texas. ..Full Story

AIBA 2014/15 The Good, The Bad and the Questions Unanswered – WBAN invites Dr. Ching Kuo-Wu and AIBA Executive Director Ho Kim to respond by Sue Fox and Michael O'Neill January 8, 2015

(JAN 8)  The year just ended was, by any standards, a remarkable one even in the life of the AIBA with many good news items and yet marred by so many controversies not least of which was the confirmation during the 2014 AIBA Women’s World championships in Korea that there would but be three Olympic weights for women in Rio 2016 as was the case in London four years earlier...Full Story

Geni Taylor to fight on January 17th in Baton Rouge January 6, 2015

 (JAN 6) On Jan. 17, at the Belle of Rouge Casino, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, female boxer Geni Taylor will be featured on the card. Doors open at 7:00 P.M. Fights start at 8:00 P.M.  There will be a 10% ticketing fee applied to all online ticket sales.Online ticket sales end at midnight the night before the event after which tickets may be purchased at the door the night of the event.

USA Boxing’s Future Stars Open 2015 Competition at the 2015 Junior Open and Youth National Championships in Reno, Nevada by Julie Goldsticker January 6, 2015

(JAN 6) (RENO, NEVADA.) – For the third straight year, USA Boxing’s future stars are kicking off the domestic calendar in Reno, Nev. The 2015 USA Boxing Junior Open and Youth National Championships opened preliminary round competition on Monday at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nev., with a full day of boxing action. The 2015 event boasts the largest turnout in the tournament’s history with over 300 athletes vying for gold medals and a berth on USA Boxing’s junior and youth national teams....Full Story

First Female Bout in 2015 in Mexico?  January 2, 2015 Photo: Flores

(JAN 2, 2015) Last night on Thursday night, (January 1) the first reported female bout of the year took place at the  Gimnasio Municipal, Mexicali, Mexico, between Kareli Lopez, of Sinaloa, Mexico, vs. Brenda "La Bonita" Flores, of Tijuana, Mexico,  for a local vacant title, in a 10-rounder.  Lopez won by a close majority decision.  Lopez improved her record to 6-5-3 (1KO), and Flores, 7-3-1.

Jolene Blackshear to Rematch Maria Suarez at the Chumash Casino! January 2, 2015  Photo: Blackshear

(JAN 2) In what should be a very good matchup between two great female boxers, On January 9th,  Jolene Blackshear will rematch Maria Suarez in a six rounder at the Chumash Casino, in Santa Ynez, California.  In their first fight Suarez won the six-rounder by a unanimous decision.  Blackshear will get an opportunity to revenge that loss!!

2014 WBAN Yearly Awards:  The "Best" , The "Coolest" to the "Most Outrageous"! January 1, 2015

(JAN 1, 2015) Another year has gone by and it is time to have the "hot and Not" Picks for 2014! This year was one of the most difficult years to determine our TOP picks. WBAN has elected to list more than one boxer in certain categories to give our due respect for those fighters who have worked hard throughout the year to qualify for that top pick!  Check out the 2014 Yearly Awards!