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5'8" 140-lb Lisa Holewyne was born in Hawaii
on March 10, 1966 and moved to Texas when in seventh grade.
She graduated from Spring Branch High School in Houston in 1984 and from the University
of Texas with a BBA in 1989.
Lisa was an outstanding athlete in both softball and track while she was in high school.
Her all-round athletic abilities led her track coaches at the University of Texas to encourage her to
compete in the seven-event heptathlon, which includes the 100-meter hurdles,
high jump, shot put, 200- and 800-meter races, long jump and javelin.
After taking up boxing, Lisa won several
regional Golden Gloves titles before she began to fight professionally
in 1998. Her goal is "to be the best and raise the sport of female
boxing."
 On June 19, 1998 at the Orleans in Las Vegas,
Lisa (143 lbs)
won her pro debut with a unanimous (40-36, 40-35, 40-36) four-round decision over veteran kickboxer
Robyn Covino (146 lbs) of Hollywood, California. Covino fell to 1-3
as a pro boxer after building a 40-2 record as a kickboxer.
On June 27 1998 in Dallas, Texas,
Lisa (143½ lbs) won a
majority decision over Tina (Albertine) Bryan (142½ lbs).
In August, 1998, in Yuma, Arizona, Lisa battled to a draw over
four rounds with
Vicki Woods of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Woods was 5-3-1 (4 KO) after this result. On September 23, 1998 at the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Bingo and Casino in Worley, Idaho,
Junior welterweight Sarah Schmedding of Spokane, Washington
won a very close and hard-fought six-round majority decision over Lisa. Holewyne staggered Schmedding in the third, but Schmedding
pressed the fight harder overall and moved her record to 6-1 with the win.
On October 17, 1998,
a capacity crowd of 1360 in the Umpqua Grand Ballroom
at the Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort in Canyonville, Oregon
saw Vicky "Hurricane" Woods (142 lbs) of Chattanooga, Tennessee win
a six-round split (59-55, 59-55, 57-57) decision over Lisa (143 lbs) in a
rematch of their fight the previous August.
This was a rugged fight that left Woods battered and bloody
as she moved her record to 7-3-1 (4 KO) while the unmarked Holewyne slipped
to 2-3-1 (2 KO). .
On December 17, 1998 in Reseda, California,
Lisa won by TKO in the third round over
Robyn Covino of Hollywood, California in a rematch of their earlier bout.
Holewyne moved to 3-3-1, Covino fell to 1-7.
On January 29, 1999 at the Music Hall in Austin, Texas, on the
undercard of her gym-mate Anissa Zamarron's
battle with Italy's Francesca Lupo for the vacant
WIBF straw-weight title, Lisa (143 lbs) fought a three-round exhibition
bout with another gym-mate, Snodene Blakeney
(139 lbs).
On March 20, 1999 at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California:
Lisa (139 lbs) won a four-round unanimous 40-36 decision over
Julie Birdsell (136 lbs) of Woodland Hills, California, who fell to 0-4.
On May 7, 1999 in Austin, Lisa scored a first-round TKO over
Randi Saenz of Tyler, Texas, who fell to 0-3 with her third straight KO loss.
On July 31, 1999 at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California, junior welterweight
Leah Mellinger of Lancaster,
Pennsylvania moved her record to 10-5-1 with
a ten-round unanimous (96-93, 97-93, 97-93) decision over Lisa. This bout, for a little-known PBI title,
was the main event of a six-bout card.
On October 9, 1999 at Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort in Canyonville,
Oregon, Danielle Doobenen (140½ lbs) of Venice, California TKO'd Lisa (139 lbs)
in the fourth round.
On November 20, 1999 at the Paradise Casino in Yuma, Arizona,
A crowd estimated at approximately 2,000 saw Lisa win
a four-round unanimous decision over Brenda Drexel of Seguin, Texas.
The first two rounds were close but Holewyne started to dominate in the third.
Drexel charged in with her head down and was cut over her right eye.
Holewyne knocked Drexel down in the fourth round on the way to the
decision. Drexel fell to 1-6.
On December 4, 1999 at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City, Oregon,
Lisa won a second-round TKO over
Jennifer McCartney of
San Diego, California when McCartney was unable to answer the bell for the third round.
McCartney's record fell to 2-5-1.
On February 25, 2000 at the Music Hall in Austin, Texas,
Brenda Bell Drexel continued the
winning ways she had found in her victory over Summer DeLeon
by taking a four-round majority decision from Lisa in a 141-lb bout
that reversed the result of their November 20, 1999 match.
Drexel moved to 3-6 with this win.
On March 25, 2000 at Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort in
Canyonville, Oregon, Lisa (140 lbs) lost a six-round majority decision in a
rematch with Danielle Doobenen (139 lbs) of
Venice, California, who is trained by Lucia Rijker's trainer Freddy Roach.
On July 7, 2000 at the Pechanga Entertainment Center in Temecula,
California, Lisa won a four-round decision over Gloria Ramirez of El Paso,
Texas. On September 29, 2000 at Pechanga Entertainment Center in Temecula, California,
Lisa won a fourth-round TKO over Michele Vidales (141 lbs) of Spring Valley, California, who
slipped to 3-3 (3 KO's). Fightnews.com reporter Ralph Gonzalez wrote that Holewyne
"totally outclassed" Vidales.
On October 28, 2000 at Chumash Casino in Solving, California,
Lisa won the WIBF Intercontinental Junior Welterweight
title with a ten-round unanimous decision over Vicki Woods
of Chattanooga, Tennessee, who fell to 9-10-2, (6 KO's). Holewyne battered Woods steadily from the opening round.
The Tennessee fighter was bloodied by the third but continued to
keep coming back for more. Holewyne won the bout going away with
the crowd chanting "Lisa, Lisa, Lisa". Two of the judges saw
her winning all 10 rounds.
On January 25, 2001 at the Centennial Garden Arena in Bakersfield,
California, Lisa (140 lbs) moved to 12-7-1 (5 KO's)
with a majority (58-56,58-56,57-57) six-round decision over Brenda Bell Drexel
(5'2½", 138 lbs) of San Marcos, Texas
who fell to 4-9-1. I'm told that the shorter Bell controlled the early rounds, but
that Lisa eventually solved her style and did enough for the win. There were no
knockdowns in a tough match between two contrasting styles (which led to
frequent clinches and tie-ups) but plenty of solid punches were landed by both fighters.
This bout was the night's co-main event, and one correspondent tells me it was
"a very worthy match" for that ranking. Lisa told me her
take on the result, saying "by the end of the fight I had the 'never back
up girl' with her butt in my corner and fifteen unanswered punches in her face. Oh
and for the record she did not hit me with anything noteworthy except her
head."
Marischa Sjauw and Lisa Holewyne battle for
the WIBF Welterweight title
On April 21, 2001 at Chinook Winds Casino and Convention Center, Lincoln City, Oregon,
Lisa weighed in at 141¾ lbs and won a ten-round
unanimous decision over four-time world champion
Marischa Sjauw (5'5", 141¾ lbs)
of the Netherlands to take the vacant WIBF Welterweight title.
The scorecards were 99-93,99-94,97-94 for Holewyne; Sjauw slipped to 18-5-1 (5 KO's).
On August 3, 2001 at Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington,
Lisa won by TKO over
Cheryl Nance of Greensboro, South Carolina at 1:12 in the fifth round of a
scheduled six-round non-title bout. Nance fell to
5-6 (5 KO's)
On November 17, 2001 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada,
Christy Martin (144 lbs) of Orlando, Florida
moved her record to 44-2-2 (31 KOs)
with a 10-round unanimous (99-91,98-92,98-92) decision over
Lisa (146 lbs). Martin fought one of her best
fights to slip many of Holewyne's punches and control her with combinations.
Martin also rocked the Texan several times
with her patented booming right. Still, Holewyne put up a good fight
throughout an entertaining bout.
On August 16, 2002 at Sunset Station in San Antonio, Texas, Lisa (144 lbs) won an eight-round
unanimous decision over Britt Van Buskirk (144 lbs) of
Carbondale, Illinois. The veteran Van Buskirk fell to 10-16-2 (5 KOs).
On October 3, 2002 at Strahan Coliseum, South West Texas State U., San Marcos, Texas,
Lisa (145½ lbs) won an eight-round unanimous (80-72,79-73,78-74)
decision in a rematch with
Britt Van Buskirk (140 lbs) who fell to
10-16-2 (5 KO). Holewyne was tagged a few times but had Van Buskirk hurt several times throughout a very skilled
and competitive fight.
On November 2, 2002 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Sumya
Anani (144 lbs) of Kansas City knocked Lisa (144 lbs) out at 0:59 in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round bout for
the vacant IBA world welterweight belt. Anani, who was also the WIBA Junior Welterweight and IFBA Intercontinental Junior
Welterweight champion and previously held the IBA Lightweight belt, progressed to 21-1-1 (8 KO) with the win.
(See the Fight
Photo Gallery by Dan Graschuk).
Lisa battles Sunshine Fettkether for the WIBF title
© Copyrighted photo taken by Mike Blair
On April 26, 2003 at Swinomish Northern Lights Casino, Anacortes, Washington, Sunshine Fettkether
(143 lbs) of Mesa, Arizona won by a TKO over Lisa (147 lbs) at 0:19 in the
eighth round after knocking her down twice. The bout had been scheduled for 10 rounds.
Holewyne won the early rounds behind an effective jab and good combinations, but
Fettkether stuck to a strategy of taking Holewyne's shots and wearing her down
with powerful left and right counters. Fettkether began to turn the fight
her way when she dropped Lisa to her knees with a hard combination (but then had
a point deducted when she continued to throw punches with Lisa kneeling on the
canvas). Fettkether became more aggressive after this. Holewyne's
combinations were no longer able to keep her at bay and she took a knee near the
end of the seventh, prompting the referee to visit her corner between rounds to
see if she wanted to continue. Sunshine then rained leather on Lisa early in the
eight, prompting the TKO. Fettkether added the WIBF
title to the WIBC belt that she won by defeating Mitzi Jeter in December, and
improved to 6-2-2 (3 KO).
(For more of Mike Blair's
photos of this fight see WBAN
Photo Gallery #68 on the WBAN Records Site) On June 13, 2003 at Thunderbird Casino in Norman, Oklahoma,
Lisa (145 lbs) won a six-round unanimous decision over veteran Britt Van Buskirk (147 lbs) of Carbondale, Illinois. Holewyne improved
to 17-9-1 (5 KO) with the win while Van Buskirk fell to 10-19-2 (5 KO).
On August 23, 2003 in Oroville California, Lisa won a six-round decision over Kelly Whaley in a welterweight
bout. Whaley fell to 4-11-0 (1 KO).
On October 4, 2003 at Swinomish Northern Lights Casino in Anacortes, Washington,
former IFBA featherweight champion Layla McCarter (5'4", 137½ lbs) of Spokane, Washington won
a clear ten-round unanimous (100-89,98-92,98-92) decision over Lisa (140 lbs) for the GBU Junior Welterweight title.
McCarter's counterpunching skills and quickness allowed her to outbox the taller Holewyne,
who tried to come forward throughout the fight but only caught up to McCarter in
the fourth. McCarter finished the fight with a flurry of combinations that
brought the crowd to its feet. McCarter improved to 17-9-4 (2 KO).
Lisa Holewyne trading with Eliza Olson
© Copyrighted photo taken by Mike Blair On November 8, 2003 at Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville, Oregon, Eliza Olson (137 lbs) of San Bruno, California won a six-round unanimous
(59-55,58-56,60-55) decision over Lisa (140½ lbs). This was Eliza Olson's second bout in just over a week, and improved her record to 7-2-1 (2 KO) while dropping Holewyne to
18-11-1 (5 KO).
(For more of Mike Blair's
photos of this fight see WBAN
Photo Gallery #122 on the WBAN Records Site)
Lisa takes the GBU title with a win over Sunshine Fettkether
© Copyrighted photos taken by Mike Blair
On December 12, 2003 at Yakima Legends Casino in Toppenish, Washington, Lisa rebounded by winning the GBU
Welterweight title with a clear ten-round unanimous (98-92,99-91,98-92) decision over Sunshine Fettkether
of Mesa, Arizona. Holewyne, now trained by Don "Pops" Billingsley, dominated and bloodied Fettkether using good
movement and quick combinations. Fettkether had a bloody nose as early as the second and her left eye was closing
in the fifth. Holewyne tired in the late rounds but she had done more than enough for a convincing win against the
fighter who had TKO'd her in the eighth the previous April. Holewyne improved to 19-11-1 (5 KO) while Fettkether
fell to 8-4-2 (4 KO).
(
In January 2004 WBAN named Lisa Holewyne its "Fighter
of the Month".
On March 27, 2004 in Anacortes, Washington, Lisa (154 lbs) won a six-round
unanimous decision over Brenda Bell Drexel (165 lbs).
On April 24, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California,
Sumya Anani (142 lbs) won a
six-round unanimous (60-53) decision over Lisa (144 lbs) in front of a
reported 17,000 fans. Anani, who had stepped up at short notice to
substitute for Lucia Rijker after a year out of the ring, showed no ring
rust at all. She pressured Holewyne throughout the fight moving forward
steadily with her duck and weave style. Holewyne backed off looking to
counter but Anani stepped up the pressure in the second and third, scoring
with her left while Holewyne countered with her right. Holewyne was knocked
down by a hard left in the third round, but she battled on gamely and was
able to tie Anani up to survive the round. Anani went to Holewyne's body in
the fourth while Holewyne countered with uppercuts and clinching. Anani
continued to pursue relentlessly and land combinations for the rest of the
fight but she could not put Holewyne away as Lisa focused more on defense
and looked to land her counter right. Anani improved her record to 23-1-1 (9
KO) with this win. “She’s a tough girl. A real good fighter”, said
Anani after the fight. “She fought me differently this time,” Anani said.
“She was moving a lot more in this fight. She’s improved her footwork, she
was giving more angles.” (See full WBAN
fight
report by Mara Castillon and WBAN
Photo Gallery #165 on the WBAN Records Site).
On August 19, 2004 at Aldrich Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, unbeaten
Mary Jo Sanders (5'7", 143 lbs) of Detroit,
Michigan TKO'd Lisa (140 lbs) at 1:55 in the ninth round of a scheduled
ten-rounder for Sanders's IBA Continental Light Welterweight title. Lisa
fell to 20-13-1 (6 KO's) while Mary Jo Sanders improved to a perfect 11-0 (3
KO's).
On February 26, 2005 at the Silver Reef Casino in Ferndale, Washington,
Shelley Burton (5'6½", 158 lbs) of Kalispell, Montana won a six-round
unanimous (59-55,59-55,59-55) decision over Lisa (158 lbs) in the card's
main event. Burton was able to negate Holewyne's reach advantage and skills
with potent power punching and constant pressure. Holewyne seemed less agile
than usual fighting at this higher weight. Burton improved her record to 6-1
(1 KO).
On June 18, 2005 at Win River Casino in Redding, California, Lisa won a
six-round majority (59-55,58-56,57-57) decision over Janae Archuleta Romero
of Denver, Colorado who fell to 4-12-1 (2 KOs). Holewyne improved to 21-14-1
(6 KOs).
On August 26, 2005 at Harrah's Rincon Resort and Casino in Valley Center
near San Diego,
California, Lisa was held to a 58-56,56-58,57-57 draw by Victoria Cisneros of Albuquerque, New
Mexico. Lisa's record moved to 21-14-2 (6 KOs) while Cisneros moved to 3-2-2
(0 KO's).
On October 8, 2005 at the Silver
Reef Casino in Ferndale, Washington, USA, Tricia Turton (148 lbs) of
Seattle, Washington won an eight-round majority (78-74,77-75,76-76) decision
over Lisa (150 lbs) for the Pacific Northwest Boxing Federation Women’s
Junior Middleweight Title. An insider covering the bout said that the fight
was close, although Turton landed the harder and more accurate shots. Turton
improved to 5-0-0 (2 KO's) with this win.
On November 19, 2005 at the
Northern Lights Casino in Anacortes, Washington, Tricia Turton of Seattle
won a clear eight-round unanimous (79-73,79-73,80-72) decision in a rematch
with Lisa. According to WBAN correspondent Mike Blair, "Turton, in only
her sixth professional fight is still rough around the edges. She left
herself open up the middle, but Holewyne simply could not let her hands go
to take advantage of that flaw. Turton was the aggressor through the fight,
easily controlling the action. Turton's big punch was a right hook, those
that landed knocked Holewyne back a bit, but Turton was probably most
effective simply sticking a jab in Holewyne's face, keeping her from getting
too close. Holewyne still has some power in her punches, and she threw some
wicked uppercuts that just missed Turton's chin. Lisa talked about the
possibility of one more fight in her home town, Austin, so her family could
see her fight, then retiring from the sport." Turton
improved to 6-0-0 (2 KO's) with this win while Lisa fell to 21-15-2
(6 KOs).
On December 5, 2005 at the San Manuel Indian Casino in Highland, California
Lisa TKO'd Martha Orozco Deitchman of Thornton, Colorado at 1:40 in the sixth round. According to
WBAN's correspondent "It was a dominating performance ... for the Texan.
Holewyne ... bore through Deitchman’s defense in workmanlike fashion and a two-fisted assault over
six rounds. From the first round Holewyne’s experience and
skill immediately proved the difference between the pair. But
Deitchman’s ability to take a punch and her uncanny ability to parry
blows while moving away saved her through most of the fight. A double
left hook in the sixth and final round enabled Holewyne to fire more
combinations and force Deitchman to the ropes. She couldn’t escape.
Referee David Denkins stopped the fight. Holewyne
took the fight at just four days' notice despite a large weight
advantage and Deitchman’s experience as a survivor. Though the Colorado
fighter did not win a round, she managed some clever counter-punches
throughout the fight. It just wasn’t enough."
Deitchman fell to 2-8-1 (0 KOs). It was the first
pro boxing card ever held in the casino.
On
December 17, 2005 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan
in front of over 5,000 boxing fans, Mary Jo Sanders
(152 lbs) of Detroit won a 10-round unanimous shutout (100-90) decision over
Lisa (155 lbs) in the card's Main Event.
Sanders improved to 19-0-0 (5 KOs) while Lisa fell to 22-16-2 (7 KOs).
In 2019, Lisa was inducted into the
International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame
(IWBHF), and became one of 12 inductees for 2019.
Page last updated:
Monday, 12 June 2023 |
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