Another year has
gone by and it is time to have the "Hot" Picks
for 2019!
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!
Fighter of the
year
For 2019
Amanda Serrano
"The Real Deal"
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Amanda "The Real Deal" Serrano
had a fantastic and successful year in 2019. Just to
summarize her many accomplishments, read the following:
In January of 2019, Serrano won her 7th Division World Title,
defeating Eva Voraberger in a five-star rated world title bout;
she was awarded the June 2019 "Athlete of the Year" for the
New York Puerto Rican Day Parade; Serrano had the honor
of throwing the "first pitch" at the New York Mets Baseball game;
Serrano was inducted in the "Guinness Book of World Records:
for being the only female to win seven Divisions; there was
a fantastic Mural painted of her in the "New York Performing
Arts School in Manhattan; she won her ninth world title
on September 13, 2019, in another five-star rated
world title bout where she fought at the Madison Square Garden,
winning the WBO Featherweight title, the WBC Interim
World Title, and a second weight-class division of the
WBAN prestigious Independent belt; She was also the
"Queen of Brooklyn Title; on September 15, 2019, Serrano
was awarded "Grand Marshall" at the Newark New Jersey Puerto
Rican Day Parade; she won the "Fighter of the Year Award"
for the second year in a row with the WBO; In December, she
was awarded "The Ring 8 Fighter of the Decade"; and
lastly was named WBAN's Fighter of the Month in February and
October.
European Fighter(s)
of the Year -2019
Delfine
Persoon - Belgium
Katie Taylor - Ireland
These two
fantastic female boxers had quite a year in 2019. The two
fought each other in a 10-round multi-world title bout, with the
WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts on the line. Unfortunately the
bout ended in a huge controversy with boxing fans expressing
loudly, "Rematch!" With these two stellar top boxers in the sport, WBAN
made a "History
First" when for the first time in over 21 years on the net---we had a
tie for "July 2019 Fighter of the Month" announcing that both Persoon
and Taylor were our fighters for that month!
Amateur
Boxer(s)
of the Year 2019
There were
too many GREAT Amateurs in the sport who fought and won tournaments
in 2019.
So we will APPLAUD ALL of the Amateurs who fought in 2019, and who
are paving the way and making history in the Amateurs!
Most Avoided
Fighter
of the Year 2019
Layla McCarter
"Amazing"
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Two Years In a row!
McCarter: "Always Ready for the Challenge"
For the second year in a row, Layla "Amazing" McCarter,
who has been fighting as a pro for 21 plus years, and is a
eight-time multi-world champion,
of Las Vegas, Nevada, is yet again named our "Most Avoided
Fighter of the Year."
As we said last year and will repeat it,
McCarter is so
"Amazing" that she is our top pick for the most "Avoided" female
boxer in the sport in not only 2018 but also 2019! Being named the "Most Avoided"
fighter of the year is considered one of our TOP WBAN Yearly Awards
and is intended for an "elite athlete" who is considered one of
the best---and yet find it difficult to get in fights with some
of the best.
Top "Hottest Buzz"
Female Boxers of the Year for 2019!
Boxing Fans were on fire with a-Buzzin' in
2019, with these three top female boxers! For example: The
"Buzz" went from one of the biggest fights that would have taken
place on Showtime with Claressa Shields vs. Ivana Habazin that
ultimately got canceled due to a tragic incident that occurred on the day
of the weigh-in---to one of the MOST controversial decisions in
a fight between Katie Taylor vs. Delfine Persoon, when many
boxing fans went back and forth about who won that fight; and to Braekhus getting a lot of Internet "Ink" on who she
should be fighting----or NOT fighting! WBAN's
forums
on Facebook was taking daily hits at times with these three
"Hottest Buzz" boxers!
Best-Kept Secret
Fighter 2019
Estelle Mossely
Bagnolet, Seine-Saint-Denis, France
6-0-0 (1KO)
Estelle Mossely, who came from
the amateurs, began her professional boxing career in July of
2018. Since barely fighting over just one year as a pro,
Mossely has already accumulated six professional bouts, and
winning the IBO Lightweight title. Boxing fans should be
on the lookout for this "Best-Kept Secret" boxer, as she is
quickly moving up the ranks in the pro circuit.
Hottest Female Boxing
Rising Star(s) In
2019
Jessica McCaskill
Chicago, Illinois
Mikaela Mayer
Colorado Springs,
Colorado
Raquel Miller
San Francisco,
California
Jessica McCaskill, of
Chicago, Illinois, took two huge fights in 2019. In October of 2019, McCaskill had a
rematch with Erica Farias, where she won by a
ten-round majority decision, defending her WBC and WBA
Super Lightweight titles. In May of 2019, she also fought Anahi Sanchez, defeating her in a ten-round unanimous decision fighting
for the WBC/WBA Super Lightweight titles.
Our second Hottest
Female Boxing Rising Star in 2019 is Mikaela Mayer, of
Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mayer had quite a year,
fighting three times, and winning all three bouts, in
her last fight, winning the NABF Super Featherweight
Title. In March of 2019, Mayer was also named our WBAN
March Fighter of the Month!
Our third Hottest Female Boxing Rising Star in 2019 goes to
Raquel Miller, of San Francisco, California. She came up
from the amateurs, into the pros and is now 10-0-0 (4KO).
Miller fought three times in 2019, and earned the interim WBA
Super Welterweight belt, and NABF Middleweight Title.
Warrior of the Year
2019
Marlen Esparza
Houston, Texas
In what was described as
the "Best Fight of the Night" by countless
boxing fans who viewed Marlen Esparza vs. Seniesa Estrada, was
very GOOD for women's boxing---but BAD for Esparza
when she received a
nasty cut on her forehead from an accidental headbutt. The two fought nine tough rounds,
with Seniesa Estrada, now 18-0-0 (7KO), winning by a unanimous
technical decision after the ref made a ruled Esparza, now 7-1-0
(1KO), was unable to continue to fight in the tenth round.
The final judges scores were 90-81, 89-82, and 88-83. The
two were fighting a ten-rounder for the interim WBA Flyweight
title.
Top Cop: "Women Cops
Who Box" 2019
Tiara "La Chota" Brown
Tiara Brown,
a Washington DC Metropolitan Police Officer, undefeated with a 10-0-0 (6KO)
record, fought three times in 2019, and was named Top Cop for "Women Cops Who Box" in 2018
in our yearly awards, made our list yet again in 2019!
Special Final
Tributes in 2019
Amina Bulakh Passed Away
November of 2019
On November 14, 2019 -
Boxing Champion Amina Bulakh, 18,
was walking towards her home in the village of Tarasivka
outside Kyiv, Ukraine last week when she was struck and
fatally wounded. She had her headphones on with her
smart phone when the fatal accident occurred.
Natalie Corona Police Officer/
Amateur Boxer
Slain rookie officer Natalie
Corona, just 22 years old when she was killed on duty.
According to news sources Officer Corona was ambushed
Thursday night while responding to a three-vehicle.
Full Story
Freeda Foreman Retired Pro Boxer
Passed Away 1976 - 2019
WBAN was saddened to hear in
2019 that 42-year old Freeda Foreman had passed away. She
was found unresponsive inside her Houston home on March 9,
2019. The Harris County Sheriff's Office Full
Story
Vicki Woods
Retired Pro Boxer Passed Away
Vicki
Woods of Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, born on February 21, 1963,
passed away in 2019. In her time of fighting as a
professional boxer, she had 23 fights. She fought many of the
top female boxers from her career that spanned from 1997 - 2001 with
a 9-11-3 (6KO) record.
Mericia
Quinones Amateur Boxer
Passed Away
On June 13, 2019, Mericia
Quinones, 27 years old passed away. WBAN was deeply
saddened to hear the news on Mericia Quinones. WBAN had a story written on September 18,
2013, entitled, " Through the Tragic Floods of
Colorado Emerges a Triple Threat"....
Full Story
2019 WBAN Fighters
of the Month Special Mention!
Katie
Taylor /Jan
Amanda Serrano/Feb
Mikaela Mayer/Mar
Katie Taylor/Apr
Claressa Shields/May
Mary com/June
WBAN would like to give a
special mention to the female boxers who were our top picks
throughout the year of 2019, as our "Fighters of the Month".
When you consider all the many fights that go on each month with
the high amount of professional female boxers on the scene, it
is very difficult to be picked as a "Fighter of the month".
Congrats to each of these female boxers who was WBAN's
top picks for each month!
Top Fights for the Year
of 2019 Amanda Serrano vs. Heather Hardy
Katie Taylor vs. Delfine Persoon
Mariana Juarez vs. Carolina Duer
Jackie Nava vs. Marcela Acuna
Seniesa Estrada vs. Marlen Esparza
Claressa Shields vs. Christina Hammer
Jelena Mrdjenovich vs. Vissia Trovato
Erin Toughill vs. Maricela Cornejo
Sarah Bormann
vs. Lotta Loikkanen
Rosalinda
Rodriguez vs. Shelly Barnett
Jessica Chavez vs. Guadalupe Martinez Guzman
Katie Taylor vs. Christina Linardatou Did WBAN Missed one? Send link to
WBAN to view video of a fight you feel should be listed ----Email:
wban100@aol.com
Check out some of the Top "Cool" Stories of the year!
Celebration of Claressa Shields to be
Held Saturday in Hometown of Flint, Michigan
Source: Press Release
April 25, 2019
Undisputed middleweight world champion
Claressa Shields will be honored in Flint, Michigan this
Saturday, April 27 as her hometown recognizes her
achievements inside and outside of the ring. "I'm so proud
of Claressa for all she has accomplished in her young career
and no one is more deserving of being honored by their
hometown," said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita
Promotions, who promotes Shields. "Through every step of her
life Claressa has been a role model in Flint and all around
the world. This is an exciting day for Claressa and Flint
and we can't wait to see her continue to achieve all of her
dreams."
Full
Story
Pioneer Boxer: Pat
Emerick, 2019 IWBHF Inductee Confirmed!
The International Women's Boxing Hall of
Fame is excited to announce that 88 year old Pioneer Female
Boxer PAT EMERICK (aka: Pat Lancaster Landreth) and one of
our 2019 IWBHF INDUCTEES who fought in the late 1940's-50's
has confirmed that she will be in attendance and will be
HONORED at our 2019 INDUCTION CEREMONY EVENT that will be
held AUGUST 30th.
.Full
Story
Tiara Brown named 2019 Officer of the
Year by Metropolitan Police Department
Source: PR
March 8, 2019
Undefeated female boxing star and
fulltime police officer Tiara Brown (7-0, 5 KOs) has been
named the 2019 Officer of the Year by the Metropolitan
Police Department of Washington, D.C. Brown is a four-year
veteran on the force under Chief of Police, Peter Newsham.
Brown was recently featured on the Steve Harvey talk show,
which hailed her as a “real life super hero” for her work as
a police officer and in community relations while finding
success as a boxer. Artist Robert Ayala captured that
sentiment in a comic book-style rendering.
Full Story
Geaux Ginny! Virginia Fuchs, Proud
LSU Alum, And 9 Others Claim Victory At Olympic Boxing Trials
Source: Karen Rosen/Team
USA
December 17, 2019
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Virginia Fuchs
was training Saturday night and missed seeing Joe Burrow, a
fellow LSU Tiger, accept the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best
college football player. “I forgot it was on and my mom called
right away and said he won,” said Fuchs, who ran cross-country
for LSU before becoming a boxer. “I knew he was going to win.
There’s no one better than him right now out there.”
Full Story
Latest Update on Alex Love--from
Amateur boxer, to pro, and Law Enforcement!
by Sue TL Fox
November 8, 2019
WBAN had the pleasure
of speaking with Alex Love earlier this week---and we
wanted to give the latest update on what she is doing
now. I had the opportunity of watching her
fight in the amateurs, in Spokane, Washington when she
was one of only 24 female amateur boxers who could
compete in the Olympic Trials event that I attended at
that time.
Full Story
33rd annual Ring 8
Holiday Event & Awards Ceremony Dec. 8 in New York
The 33rd annual Ring 8 Holiday Event and
Awards Ceremony will be held Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30
p.m. ET), December 8, at Russo's On The Bay in Howard Beach,
New York. Ring 8 has announced its 2019 award winners (see
complete list below), headlined by Fighter of the Decade
Amanda "Real Deal" Serrano (37-1-1, 27 KOs), of Brooklyn by
way of Puerto Rico; undefeated heavyweight contender
(Fighter of the Year) Adam "Babyface" Kownacki (20-0, 15
KOs), of Brooklyn by way of Poland; Legend Award winners
three-time, three-division world...Full
Story
One of Womens' Boxing Greatest
"Women" of All Time: Barbara Buttrick Retires approaching 90th
Birthday
Source: PR/Jimmy Finn
October 9, 2019
After a lifetime of service to the sport
of boxing, Barbara Buttrick has finally decided to hang up
her gloves. Coming up to her 90th birthday on December 3rd
Barbara believes it is time to call it a day. Since the sad
passing of her longtime business partner Jurgen Lutz in
June, Barbara has given much consideration to her position
as President of the WIBF and GBU. Hence, she has decided to
hand over full control of both organizations to Jurgen’s
close friend and successor Rainer Gottwald of Germany.
Full Story
Fredia "Cheetah" Gibbs: "Where
Are They Now" Segment on WBAN!
Source: Press Release/
Team Fredia
Photo Credit: Facebook
October 4, 2019
PHILADELPHIA, PA----- In
recognition and celebration of Gibbs’ legendary and
inspirational athletic career, a group of sports historians
from the Philadelphia area is planning a 6 FOOT BRONZE
STATUE of Gibbs to be unveiled in 2020. The Sculptor is
Jennifer Frudakis-Petry of the famed Frudakis family of
sculptors, whose clay model of the statue appears to the
right.
Full
Story
Wendy Sprowl: "Where Are They
Now" Segment
by Sue TL Fox
September 27, 2019
WBAN had an opportunity to meet
up with past female boxer Wendy Sprowl. She fought
professionally from 2000 to 2002, and fought under the ring
name of "Queen of Thunder." During her boxing career she was
a flyweight champion of the Americas and her place in local
boxing lore as the first Bay State woman to win an
international title.
Full Story
Beautiful Brawlers 9 at the Ring of
Fire in Brisbane, California - Saturday, August 31st!
Source: Press Release
June 8, 2019
Beautiful Brawlers 9 is set to
have another exciting year of an all-female amateur
boxing show that is slated for Saturday, August 31,
2019 at Ring of Fire Boxing in Brisbane, California.
There will be 30 pre-matched Championship bouts,
which include Olympic Hopefuls, National Champions
and some of the best..Full
Story
Jill Morley--Filmmaker and Boxer out
of Los Angeles to cover the 2019 IWBHF Induction/Ceremony Event
August 30th!
June 3, 2019
We are very excited to announced that Jill Morley a
Filmmaker and Boxer out of Los Angeles, California, will be covering
the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame (IWBHF) Induction
Ceremony event that takes place on August...Full
Story
WABC will be showcasing GB Vs USA
Wheelchair Boxing International First - November 2!
Source: Press Release
September 25, 2019
The WABC is looking to become the supplier of choice
for those individuals with disabilities who wish for an active life
with next to no physical/ Expenditure limitations. WABC is looking
for Business to join us. On the sporting side, the Business is
aspiring to enable new, or improve existing Olympic/Paralympic
standard events so that the participating athletes are better able
to independently participate. The Business is even aspiring to
enable sporting events between physically able and disabled people.
Full Story
Eight Female Bouts at Korakuen Hall
in Tokyo in an All Female Boxing Card
Photos and Results
by Samart
September 13, 2019
On September 12, 2019, at the Korakuen Hall, Tokyo,
Japan, there was an all-female boxing called called "Victoriva Vol.
5". In the following bouts, we list all the results,
including fight photos of the bouts on the full details of this
bout. WBAN would like to thank Samart for the excellent photos
and coverage of this all-female boxing card in Japan! Full Story
WBAN is looking forward to seeing
women's boxing continue to grow in popularity as we have
seen in 2019---let's see 2019 "Rock" in the sport!
Sue TL Fox
