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Light
welterweight TaTina “
Lil Tyson “ Anderson was born on July 10, 1985 in
Las Vegas, Nevada. She is 5 foot tall with a very chiseled
physique. She is a single mom raising her seven-year-old daughter
Nisia. She has five sisters and four brothers and a family that
includes Tina’s parent’s
Tina and Earl and many loving aunts and
uncles who totally support her in boxing.
Sports are Tina‘s life. At the tender age of five she ran track under
the supervision of Coach Tony Stephens. She participated in the Junior
Olympics for fours years consecutively and received many awards in
School for track and basketball, including the inner city games. Tina
also played Football with the Las Vegas Showgirls as a running
back and full back. If it was competitive Tina was there participating.
Tina
is a very dedicated athlete who goes to the gym religiously,
Maria
Lomax, a world class bodybuilder and nutritionist, took Tina under her
wing and helps her with her diet and weight
training conducive
to boxing. Tina trains in boxing at LA Boxing for several
hours then
drives to Gold's Gym to train with Maria, Tina feels an athlete must
train out of their comfort zone and always challenge themselves,
saying “I train
hard but there is always another fighter training even
harder, so I have to be at my best always . I box because I love the
sport and the discipline, I get a rush from it, I am free when I am in
that ring and I am the one that is in control."
Tina
trained with former pro boxing heavyweight Leroy Caldwell, Leroy boxing
career extended from 1969 to 1985. Tina’s grandfather introduced her to
Leroy and asked him if he would train her . Tina trained for three
years with Leroy at the famous Johnny Tocco's Gym
in Las Vegas, Nevada, where
many world champions trained, like Vic Darchinyan, Michael Grant, Hasim
Rahman and Jermain Taylor. Mike Tyson would stop by the gym frequently
to watch sparring and just hang out and talk to the fighters.
Tina was never in the
amateurs, she went right to the pros in 2008.
She
made her pro debut at 147 lbs on August 30, 2008 at Davis
County
Convention Center in Layton, Utah against debuter Sara Wells (141½ lbs)
of Las Vegas, winning by a TKO at 1:50 in the second round of
a
scheduled four.
On
July 17, 2009 at the Performing Arts Center in Redondo Beach,
California, TaTina (143 lbs) won by a fourth-round TKO over debuter
Mariama Everett (143 lbs) of California.
On August 21, 2009 at
the Performing Arts Center in Redondo Beach, California, TaTina (142
lbs) knocked out Tammy Franks (143 lbs) of San Antonio, Texas at 0:51
in the second round of a scheduled four-rounder. Franks fell to 2-9-1
(0 KO's) with the loss.
On
April 4, 2010 at
the Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona, Ku'ulei Kupihea (145 lbs) of
Honolulu, Hawaii won a four-round unanimous (40-36,39-37,39-37)
decision over Tina (145 lbs). Kupihea had
extensive amateur experience and was a southpaw
but Tina
did not have this information
going into the fight. Kupihea started fighting on
the inside
until she caught a hard stinging body shot, after that Kupihea kept her
distance and boxed. Tina
expressed that she would love a rematch because the next time she would
be ready for a southpaw! Kupihea improved to 5-1 with the
victory.
©photo: Mary Ann Owen
After
that fight Tina decided she needed a management team that
would
find her fights and give her more media exposure. She wanted to
concentrate on training 100% and not worry about finding fights. After
discussing it with Leroy she had to make a break and changed gyms and
found a new trainer because of their differences.
Butch Gottlieb/Manager with
Anderson - ©photo: Mary Ann Owen
She
thought it would be better to start with a new trainer, someone that
will reevaluate and take her to the next level. At the advice of her
new manager she was directed to Rodney Crisler at L.A. Boxing in
Henderson, Nevada. She and Rodney hit it off immediately, and she felt
very comfortable with Rodney. She was able to communicate
with him and learn many new boxing techniques. She and Rodney have a
very close fighter / trainer relationship, many things are left unsaid
as they just both know what is expected.
In 2010, Tina signed with Butch Gottlieb
of Infinity Boxing
LLC.
Rodney Crisler/Trainer with
Anderson - ©photo: Mary Ann Owen
Mike
Tyson watched Tina spar many times at Toccos Gym in Las Vegas, Nevada,
and he loved Tina because she would emulate his style of boxing. She
said I am a short fighter like Mike, so “If Mike can do it, I can do
it. I will be a force to be reckoned with!”
Mike would have a big smile
when he talked to Tina, he gave her instructions how to throw punches
effectively and he gave Tina her ring name “Lil Tyson” because of her
Tyson-like style. She has the discipline, heart and dedication to
proceed in her boxing career. She lives, eats and sleeps boxing. Tina
said that is a good outlet for anyone, women or man, it’s a good way to
keep them off the streets away from a bad environment, it gives a
person a sense of something different in life, positive surroundings
and a feeling of acceptance.
"Lil Tyson" poses with Mike Tyson
- ©photo: Mary Ann Owen
On April 8, 2011 at Buffalo Bill's Star Arena in Primm, Nevada
on
a Golden Boy undercard. Tina (139 lbs) fought Lissette Medel
(138
lbs) of Maywood, California in a four round barn burner.
The fans
were on
their feet cheering for the fighters as they fought on the
inside without any break for the entire four rounds.
Both fought so well it ended as
a majority draw (39-37 Anderson,38-38,38-38). Medel moved her
record to 4-1-1 (0 KO's).
©photo: Mary Ann Owen
On May
19, 2011 at a private boxing show at the exclusive Lakeside Golf Club
in Burbank, California, Tina (139 lbs) went four rounds with
Miriam
Nakamoto (138 lbs) of Los Angeles. They fought in the
presence of "Rocky" himself
- Sylvester Stallone - who was at ringside cheering the fighters on.
Tina
won
a split (40-38,39-37,37-39) decision, dropping Nakamoto's record to 2-3
(1 KO).
Tina was featured in September 2011’s issue of Ring Magazine, in the
women‘s
section.
©photo: Mary Ann Owen
On November 20, 2011 Texas
Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tina (136 lbs) TKO'd several-time
world title contestant Victoria Cisneros (132½ lbs) of Albuquerque, New
Mexico at 1:02 in the third round of a scheduled four-rounder. WBAN's
Sue TL Fox stated that this was
"an action packed fight from beginning until the end".
Cisneros fell to 5-13-2 (1 KO) with the loss. WBAN named Tina its "Best Kept Secret" of 2011 for her performance during the year.
Tina has a full schedule
taking care of her
daughter, going to college
full time studying to earn a degree in Nutrition Science, Kinesiology
and Physiology, and training. She
tries to spend as much time with her daughter and her very
close
knit family who all support each other. An
entire section at her fights is taken up by Tina’s family and
church members. In her spare time she works on cars with her Bishop who
is also her Uncle. She also likes watching movies and just
being
with her
family. Tina’s mother tells her “Keep God first and
everything else will fall in place.”
Tina has the
discipline, heart and dedication to
proceed in her boxing career. She lives, eats and sleeps boxing
and loves the all-time favorites like
Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran. Sugar Ray Leonard , Tommy Hearns, Lucia
Rijker, Christy Martin,
Ann Wolfe and Laila Ali. She says that
boxing is a good outlet for anyone, women or man, a good way
to
keep them off the streets away from a bad environment, it gives a
person a sense of something different in life, positive surroundings,
and a feeling of acceptance.
Page
last updated: Sunday, January 1, 2012
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