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Christina (Tina) Leadbeater (2-4), of
Westville, New Jersey, will face Karen Dulin (1-4, 1 KO), of Mystic,
Connecticut in a four round featherweight bout on Friday, February
26 at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in Dover, Delaware. This fight will
be a rematch, with Leadbeater taking a four round split decision in
their first go.
Tina, who will turn 21 on February 10, began boxing as a way to get
in shape. Her trainer, Joe Jesus, said, “She was in the gym taking
karate lessons, and she asked me if I taught boxing. I told her
yes.” Tina trains at Ali Fitness in Woodbury New Jersey.
“I had a couple of amateur fights,” said Tina. “I found myself
training and training to win that trophy, and my opponent ends up
not showing up. I got tired of that and decided to turn pro. I am
only twenty years old. There is no rush.”
Regarding her upcoming fight, Tina said, “I want to use more
movement, to use the ring more. Fighting at Dover Downs is close to
home for me. I’ve been traveling a lot, to Tampa, to Denver. It is
exciting for me to have my people come and see me fight.”
When she is not boxing, Tina attends Gloucester County College in
Sewell, New Jersey, and volunteers at an animal shelter.
Tina turned pro on April 26, 2008, and won a four round majority
decision over Valerie De Frietas at the Waterfront Palace Hotel in
Morgantown, West Virginia. The scores were 39-37 and 39-37 for
Leadbeater, and a 38-38 draw.
“I was nervous, yet excited,” recalls Leadbeater of her pro debut.
“I got head-butted for the first time. My right eye was swollen, but
not cut.”
On August 1, 2008, Tina fought Tracy Hutt at the Cisco Arena in
Oaks, Pennsylvania, and dropped a four round unanimous decision. The
scores were 40-36 and 39-37 (twice), in favor of Hutt.
“I lost that one. I’m not gonna lie,” she said. “I was fighting in
front of family, and I was nervous and not focused.”
On August 29, 208, Tina bounced back with a four round split
decision victory over Karen Dulin at the Mohegan Sun Casino in
Uncasville, Connecticut. The scores were 39-37 (twice) for
Leadbeater and 39-38 for Dulin.
“I was never intimidated by Karen. She has a nice jab and some
movement,” said Tina.
On March 27, 2009, Leadbeater lost a four round unanimous decision
to Jenna Shiver at the A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa, Florida.
The scores were all 40-36 in favor of Shiver, who was more
experienced, having fought twelve times to Leadbeater’s three
entering the bout.
“I felt that I could have won that bout. I thought I landed more
power shots,” said Tina.
On May 2, 2009, Tina was stopped in three rounds by the vastly more
experienced Jennifer Salinas at the Patriot Center on George Mason
University in Fairfax, Virginia. The time of the stoppage was 2:05.
“It was a TKO, not a knockout,” recalls Leadbeater. “She was slick,
and smart, and she knew her way around the block. I almost had her
in the first round. She caught me with a right hand on my left eye
in the third round. I couldn’t see, so I took a knee and the bout
was stopped.”
On October 30, 2009, Tina lost a unanimous five round decision to
hometown fighter Brittany Cruz at Red and Jerry’s in Denver
Colorado. The scores were 50-45 and 49-46 (twice) in favor of Cruz.
“She ran the whole fight,” said Tina. There is a difference between
running and moving, and she was literally running. The neutral fans
in the crowd were chanting for “The Jersey Girl”, me.”
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