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5'2" featherweight Rhonda Luna from Rowland Heights, California. She was an accomplished softball player at the
University of California, and saw boxing as a way to keep her competitive juices
flowing.
Her career is being a
school English teacher and softball coach in suburban Los Angeles. She prepared
for her career as a pro boxer by gaining extensive amateur experience. She had
14 amateur bouts and twice won the National Blue and Gold Tournament before
turning professional. "I think I paid my dues in the amateur level," says
Luna.
She made her pro debut on her 25th birthday,
April 24, 2003 at the Marriott Hotel in Irvine, California, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Rosa Ponce
of El Cajon, who was also making her pro debut.
On
June 19, 2003 at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, Rhonda (127 lbs)
won by a third-round TKO over pro debut fighter Mayra Trevino (124½ lbs) of Orosi.
On
August 8, 2003 at Sports Arena, Pico Rivera, California, Rhonda won a
four-round unanimous decision over Miriam Rosario of México City,
México (fighting out of Los Angeles)
who fell to 2-2-0 (0 KO).
On
October 30, 2003 at Marriott Hotel in Irvine, California, Rhonda won a four-round unanimous decision
over unranked Kimberly Reed of Granada Hills, California, who fell to 1-9-1 (0 KO).
On March 25, 2004 at Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, a
crowd estimated at 2800 saw Rhonda (127 lbs) win a six-round unanimous
(60-54,59-55,58-56) decision over Amber Gideon (124½ lbs) of Chicago, Illinois.
They traded on even terms at first, with Luna landing from longer range while
Gideon tried to work inside and smother Luna's punches. As the fight progressed
both fought in flurries, matching the other's tempo. Luna worked Gideon's body
effectively and set up hooks and uppercuts but Gideon replied with a right that
landed effectively at times. Gideon began to tire in the later going, allowing
Luna to seal the win despite taking some hard rights from the Chicagoan.
Gideon, a 2002, 2001 and 2000 USA Boxing national champion who
reached the 60-kg semifinals in the 2001 AIBA world championships, fell to 1-1-0
(0 KO) with the loss. "I'm disappointed in myself, I thought I could do a lot better. She didn't fight
the way I expected her to fight," said Luna, who prepared for the fight with
sparring against Mia St. John,
Mariana Juárez and recent Golden Glove champion
Danny Martinez. "She threw me off with her lunging. The best thing I can say is at least I won though I didn't perform to my
capabilities, and I know now I can go six rounds."
Gideon, 33, was optimistic despite the loss. "I knew coming into the fight this was her hometown, I
couldn't leave any doubt that I beat her or I wasn't going to win. I
thought it was a hard fight, Rhonda is a good fighter, she was very aggressive. I thought I gave a good show.
People have been coming up to me to tell me I did well. That makes me happy ...
it's not going to stop me from fighting other people in their home town. I don't
want to be that kind of fighter."
On June 19, 2004 at
the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, Rhonda won a
four-round unanimous (40-36 on every score-card) decision in a toe-to-toe battle
with Lisa Martin of Oceanside, California.
Luna came out throwing jabs to the
head and body, then unleashed a steady stream of lead rights to back
Martin up in the opening round. The two exchanged hard rights and
effective combinations in the second round, with the crowd cheering
them on. Luna came out aggressively to start the third, throwing
punches from all angles and snapping Marti's head back with powerful
hooks. Despite this, Martin held her ground and traded, and neither was
significantly hurt. Both landed well in the fourth, but Luna had been
busier, especially at the ends of the rounds, and she won a clear
decision. Despite this, she said the wasn't satisfied with her
performance. “I can do better,” said Luna. “I’m learning but I know I
can do better and should do better.” Martin, who won a bronze medal in the
2002 U.S. Amateur National championships in Scranton, Pennsylvania, fell to 1-2
(0 KO) with this loss.
On September 30, 2004 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles,
California, a crowd estimated at 1000 saw Rhonda win a four-round unanimous
(40-36) decision over Cindy Christian from Oklahoma.
Luna was the aggressor throughout the fight and controlled the action with her
combination punching and defense. Her left hook snapped Christian;s head back
several times. Christian fell to
0-2-1. "I was pleased the way I fought," said Luna, "I wasn't wild and
I was much more aggressive. I was surprised she lasted so long, she was a game
fighter."
On December 16, 2004 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, California,
Rhonda won a six round unanimous (60-54) decision over Betty Stephens of Utah in
a featherweight bout. Rhonda remained undefeated at 8-0-0 (1 KO) while Stephens
fell to 3-2-0 (0 KO).
"She was tough just like all my opponents are," said Luna, who
fought cautiously in the third and fourth rounds of her second six-round
contest. "I let it play with my mind," said Luna, "I started
thinking maybe I should keep some reserves. I need a little bit more practice
fighting more rounds." Luna's trainer Victor Valenzuela had slapped her
across the face a couple of times to wake her up. "I almost hit him back,"
laughed Luna. Valenzuela said they had prepared Rhonda to go to the body and
worked on her firing straighter punches. "We worked hard on those things,"
said Valenzuela, "very few women attack the body." Luna stepped up
her pressure in the fifth and sixth rounds and Stephens responded by going toe
to toe with her in a rousing finish that had the crowd cheering them both on.
On February 16, 2005 at the Marriott Hotel in Irvine, California,
Rhonda won a hard-fought six-round 60-54,59-55,58-56 unanimous decision over
Margarita Espinosa of Los Angeles. Espinosa, in just her second pro bout,
pressured Luna by rushing in with body punches throughout the fight while Luna
opened up with her jab and fired combinations when inside Espinosa's reach. Both
were willing to trade at close quarters, often exchanging head-snapping shots.
The non-stop aggression of this bout prompted fans to shower the ring with money
after it was over. "I thought I gave the people a good fight," said
Luna, "when you're undefeated, everybody comes at you." Espinosa
said the crowd felt she won the fight. "Didn't you hear them?" she said.
"Everyone thought I won the fight. At least a draw." Luna's trainer
Victor Valenzuela said "these fighters have nothing to lose so they come at
her strong." Espinosa and Luna split the reported $190 dollars thrown
into the tin by the excited fans. Espinosa slipped to 1-1.
On April 28, 2005 at the Marriott Hotel in Irvine, California, Rhonda won a
six-round split (58-56,59-55,55-59) decision over Sosadea Razo of Santa Rosa,
California. Luna improved to 10-0-0 (1 KO) while Razo slipped to 2-5-0 (1 KO).
Rhonda battles Cindy Serrano for the WIBA title
© Copyrighted photo taken by Durell Wambolt
On December 10, 2005, at the Turning Stone
Casino in Verona, New York Rhonda (125¼ lbs) fought to a ten-round split
draw (96-94 Serrano, 98-92 Luna, 95-95) with Cindy Serrano (125¾ lbs) of
Brooklyn, New York for the vacant WIBA World Featherweight title. Rhonda
Luna is now 10-0-1 (1 KO) while Cindy Serrano is 12-0-1 (7 KO's).
On April 1, 2006 in Maywood, California, Rhonda won a
six-round unanimous (60-54,60-54,59-56)
decision over Lina Ramirez of Mexico. Luna, the more
skillful of the two, warded off the wild punching Ramirez, countering with
effective combinations. Rhonda improved her record to 11-0-1
(1 KOs) while Ramirez fell to 4-7-1 (1 KOs).
On February 8, 2007 at
the Marriott in Irvine, California, Rhonda Luna set the stage for an
upcoming world title challenge with a hard fought majority
(59-54,57-57,60-54) six-round decision over Sosadea Razo of Los Angeles.
Fans throw over $200 into the ring to show their appreciation for the two
females, who traded punches for the entire six rounds. Razo, with her
looping punches, bloodied Luna’s nose in the second round, but Luna’s right
cross consistently found the mark and by the third round Razo’s right side
was swelling. Both fighters staggered each other in the fifth and sixth
rounds with toe-to-toe exchanges. With the win, Luna goes to 12-0-1 (1 KO)
while Razo fell to 6-7-1 (1 KO).
Rhonda battles Kelsey Jeffries
© Copyrighted photograph by Mary Ann Owen
On March 22, 2007 at the Isleta Casino near Albuquerque, New Mexico,
Kelsey Jeffries (123 lbs) of Gilroy, California
won a ten-round split (97-93,94-96,96-94) decision over Rhonda (124 lbs)
defending her IFBA Featherweight world title. This was a non-stop action
bout, with Luna the heavier hitter starting the fight strongly, and Jeffries
throwing the sharper and quicker punches, warming up as the bout progressed.
Both threw nice combinations, effective jabs and body shots. In the fourth
round, Luna developed a large lump on her forehead, which got larger as the
fight continued. Jeffries had begun to find a home for her straight right
and showed excellent use of footwork and angles to penetrate Luna's defense.
The seventh round was one of the most “brawling rounds” of the fight, with
the two exchanging puches ferociously at the end of the session. Jeffries
pressed the action in the eight and ninth and the tenth was a barn-burner as
both unleashed everything left in their arsenal of solid punches. Jeffries
improved her record to 37-9-1 (3 KOs) with the win.
On November 20, 2008 at the
San Manuel Casino in Highland, California, Rhonda won a six-round split
(55-59,57-56,57-56) decision over Peruvian-born Kina Malpartida.
Malpartida fell to
8-3-1 (1 KO) with the loss while Luna improved to
13-1-1 (1 KO). On February 19, 2009 at the Marriott Hotel in Irvine, California, Rhonda (129¼
lbs) knocked out Tammy Franks (133 lbs) of San Antonio, Texas at 1:31
in the second round of a scheduled five-rounder. Franks fell to 2-7-1
(0 KO's) with the loss. On April 16, 2009 at San
Manuel Indian Casino in Highland, California, Rhonda won a
six-round unanimous (60-54,60-54.59-55) decision over Elizabeth Moreno,
who fell to 5-8-4 (0 KO's). On
September 10, 2009 at San Manuel Indian Casino in Highland,
California, Rhonda (131½ lbs) fought to a six-round majority
(57-57,57-57,56-58) draw with veteran Gloria Ramirez (130¾
lbs) of Sunland Park, New Mexico. The 36-year-old Ramirez, who
had been boxing professionally since 1193, moved her record to 10-15-7
(1 KO). On November 28, 2009 at Sangju
Gymnasium in Sangju, South Korea, Rhonda (128 lbs) lost a ten-round
unanimous (98-95,96-94,96-95) decision to Ji-Hye Woo (130 lbs) of South
Korea for the IFBA Junior Lightweight title. Woo improved to 11-1 (1 KO) with the decision.
On October 28, 2010 at San Manuel Indian Casino
in Highland, California, Rhonda (129 lbs) won a hard-fought
ten-round unanimous (96-94,98-92,97-93) decision over Ela Nunez (129
lbs) of Jamestown, New York for the vacant GBU Junior Lightweight title.
Nunez fell to 9-7-1 (2 KO's) with the loss.
Rhonda was named WBAN's "Fighter of the Month" for November 2010 on the strength of her win over Ela Nunez. On April 16, 2011 at Estadio Monumental in Lima, Peru, Peruvian-born Kina Malpartida (129 lbs) of Long Beach, California won a ten-round unanimous (100-90,100-90,97-93) decision over Rhonda Luna
(130 lbs) defending the WBA Junior
Lightweight title and avenging her earlier split decision loss.
Malpartida used her footwork and mobility to control the action and
withstood a late charge from Luna, who fell to 16-3-2 (2 KO's) while
Malpartida improved to 13-3-0 (3 KO's).
Rhonda
is trained by Victor Valenzuela, who trained former WBO Junior Welterweight
champion Zack Padilla.
Rhonda's boxing career is managed by her brother Jacob, who says
“We don’t want to just throw her in with anybody, not at this point,
we’re taking our time. She’s young.”
"I know that my
future is inside the classroom", says Luna, "however, my goal is to
become a future world champion. I'm hoping I can win a couple of world titles. I
know that I need to work extremely hard at what I need to do. I'm taking things
slowly and each fight one at a time. My timetable inside the ring will be as
long as I am able to fight."
Luna is looking forward to fighting a rematch with Kina Malpartida for the WBA Junior Lightweight title in April 2011.
On October 7, 2023, Rhonda Luna will be officially inducted into the
International Women's Bxoing Hall of Fame, at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
Page last updated:
Wednesday July 05, 2023 |
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