HISTORY OF
WOMEN'S BOXING

March 30, 2004 Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Germany
Super Featherweight Ina Menzer, 126 3/4, stopped Zsanett Eröd, 130 in the third round with a TKO. ite

March 27, 2004 - Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Georgetown Guyana
Alicia "Slick" Ashley, 121,  won an eight-round unanimous decision over Shondell Alfred, 111.  Also in a huge-weight difference matchup, Lisma De Silva, 228, won a four-round unanimous decision over Sharon Ward, 170, who was making her pro debut.

March 27, 2004 -Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut 
Jaime Clampitt, 137, 13-2-0 (5KO), stopped Lanie Ellis, 136, 9-2-0, in the fourth round by a TKO. The fight was scheduled for 10-rounds, for the IWBF - NABA World belts.

March 27, 2004 - Savannah, Georgia
Donna Lee Biggers, 128, Stopped Lynn (Brandy) Smith, 128, in the second round of a scheduled four rounder.  On this same card,   Heavyweight boxer David Rickman left his stool hoping to win an undercard match against Earl Ladson at Jarrell's Gym Saturday night.  Instead, Rickman lost his life.  The 29-year-old from Fernandina Beach, Fla., who suffered a knockout in the fourth round Saturday, was pronounced dead Monday morning at Memorial Health University Medical Center, according to Chatham County deputy.  

March 27, 2004 - Lincoln Theatre, in Washington,
District Of Columbia
Lightweight Multi-world title holder Isra Girgrah, 131, 27-3-2, won a six-round unanimous decision over Shakurah Witherspoon, 132 ½, now 10-34-1 (3K0) in a scheduled six-rounder...Who would have guessed that Girgrah would win this one?

March 26, 2004 - Ft. Cheyenne Event Center, in North
Las Vegas, Nevada   There were two women’s bouts that donned the card. In the co-main Ana Marie Torres, 120,  of Mexico,  stopped Lakeysha Williams, 119,  in the fourth round with a TKO in a scheduled eight rounder. Torres affectively threw body punches and was impressive with her technical abilities. On the undercard in a scheduled six-round bout, Canadian Olivia Pereira, 135,  won by a unanimous decision over Utah’s Betty Stephens, 135.5. Final judges scoring was 60-54 on all cards. 

March 26, 2004 - Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona
On the undercard, Phoenix flyweight Becky Garcia, 104 1/4,  stopped Gina Abel, 103, Alan, Oklahoma,  20 seconds in the first round with a TKO. In the second women's bout that was supposed to be on the card did not take place between Mia St. John and Imelda Arias, when Arias came in at 149 lbs, which was much heavier than the weight limit of 135 lbs.

March 26, 2004 -Ceret Tatuapé, San Paolo, Brazil
Davila Miura Ferreira won by a four-round unanimous decision over Eleide Alves da Silva.

March 25, 2004  - Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, and promoted by Golden Boy Promotions  
Rhonda Luna, 127 lbs.,  now 5-0-0, of Southern California, won a six-round unanimous decision over Amber Gideon, 124.5, of Chicago, now 1-1.  In one of the oldest boxing arenas in the country Rhonda Luna put the pressure on Chicago's Amber Gideon and won a unanimous decision. But it wasn't easy.  Before more than 2,800 people at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, Luna and Gideon fought a closely matched contest that saw no one take absolute command in any round.  "I'm disappointed in myself," said Luna (5-0) who won by scores  60-54, 59-55, 58-56. "I thought I could do a lot better."   Both fighters were tentative in the opening round and kept their distance. It was a prelude to the entire fight as each fighter flurried when the other flurried. In between the two fighters kept their pace and feinted.   "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 Juarez and recent Golden Glove champion Danny Martinez. "She threw me off with her lunging."  Gideon was out-punched in the first round as Luna landed several left hands. But in the second round, Gideon landed a hard jab that seemed to give her confidence to open up with her combinations and perhaps win her the round.   "I thought it was a hard fight, Rhonda is a good fighter," said Gideon (1-1) a National Champion as an amateur fighter three times. "She was very aggressive."  Luna, 25, stalked Gideon all six rounds but no fighter dominated any round against each other. It was a few landed punches that made the difference in each frame.  "I knew coming into the fight this was her hometown," Gideon, 33, said. "I couldn't leave any doubt that I beat her or I wasn't going to win."  In the fifth round Gideon found a home for her right hand while Luna attacked the body. Then suddenly Luna opened up with her own right hand.   The final round saw Luna go to Gideon's body once again as Gideon countered with solid right hands. Both traded blows and tried to get that last punch in at the bell.  Despite losing the decision, Gideon was optimistic about her future as a professional prizefighter.  "I thought I gave a good show. People have been coming up to me to tell me I did well. That makes me happy," said the featherweight fighter who suffered her first loss. "But 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."  Meanwhile, Luna expressed some joy in winning, but graded her own performance below average.  "The best thing I can say is at least I won though I didn't perform to my capabilities," Luna said. "And I know now I can go six rounds." 

March 24, 2004-Kansas City, Missouri
Sharon Gaines won by four-round unanimous decision over Nikki Lawson. 

March 20, 2004, Oakland Arena, in Oakland, California
Blanca Hilder, of San Francisco, California had a four-round draw with Tracy Carlton of Compton.  Both were making their pro debut.  "America's Bad Girl" Tonya Harding, 3-2-0 (0KO), of Vancouver, Washington, pulled out of the fight on this card just hours before showtime.  Harding was first set to fight Blanca Hilder, who would have been making her pro debut.  But Harding did not want to fight her according to news sources.  Then the promoter found another female boxer, Tracy Carlton of Compton, California, who would have also made her pro debut, and Harding pulled out of that match.  According to the Contra Times News, Harding was paid $12,000 in advance. 

March 20, 2004 - Catán, González Catán, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Paola Casalinuovo, from Argentina TKO1 Brazil's Tereza Da Silva, in a scheduled Middleweight four-rounder.  Casalinuovo was interviewed by WBAN a couple of years ago, when she expressed frustrations of not being able to fight in her native country. 

March 20, 2004 - Barackpoore Compresive School,  Barackpoore, Trinidad W.I. - promoted by Temuldass Boodram
Iva Weston, 142, won by a TKO over Crystal Lessie, 175, in a scheduled non-title six-round bout.  Fitzroy Richards told WBAN, "Iva Weston is one of the world ranked boxer in Trinidad. She fought all her fights at 135lbs. She will be fighting all her fights in future at 140 lbs.  Bout was sanctioned by the Trinidad & Tobago Boxing Board of Control.  Source:  Fitzroy Richards, Rep. of the WIBA in Trinidad & Tobago. 

March 20, 2004 - Palais des sports, Lyon, France
Myriam Lamare, 136 3/4, won a six-round unanimous decision over Borislava Goranova, 136 3/4.

March 19, 2004 - Olympic Theater, New York
Ann Marie Saccurato won a four-round unanimous decision with pro debuter Liz Mooney.  Final judging was 40-36 on all score cards.

March 19, 2004 -Poza Rica, Mexico
Maria Altamirano, pro debut, won by TKO1 over Luz Salgado, pro debut.  Logged on records site

March 19, 2004 - International Ballroom, Houston, Texas
Joanna Pena-Alvarez won a eight round split decision over Anissa Zamarron, of Austin, Texas.  Pena-Alvarez just came off of a recent loss to Regina Halmich of Germany. In a second bout, Pro debuters Akondayne Fountain, 157.5,  won a four-round majority decision over Alicia Collins, 159.

March 19, 2004 -Majestic Star Casino, in Gary, Muncie, Indiana
Kristy Follmar, now 11-1-0 (8KO) of Indiana, stopped Carrie Crawford in the second round with a TKO, in a scheduled lightweight four-rounder. 

March 18, 2004-Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, California
In the heavyweight division, Marsha Valley, 183.5,  won a split decision over Martha Salazar, San Francisco. Valley improved her record to 10-8-4 (4KO). Salazar is now 6-3-0 (1KO). In a second women's match, Claudia Valenciana, 151, now 7-1-0 (4KO) Oxnard, California, TKO2 Melissa Rodriguez, 146.

March 15, 2004 - Denver, Colorado
Terri "Lil' Loca" Cruz, 122.2,  showed why she is ranked #5 in the world. She worked behind a solid jab and dominated Susan "Hurricane" Nance, 119.6, over eight rounds. You have to credit Nance, as she took some very hard shots and never gave up. Cruz used a basic double jab and right hand to take over the fight early. By the third round Cruz had Nance worried about every feint she used and started leading her into big right hands. Nance was very stiff and mechanical but did manage to land some punches throughout the bout. Cruz ended the bout with her hardest shot of night, landing an overhand right at the bell that nearly knocked Nance down. It was good for Cruz to get the rounds in and know that she can go eight, as this was her first eight rounder. RMB scored it 80-72 a shut out for Cruz as did all three judges. Hopefully within the year Cruz can land a title shot as she seems to be nearly ready for it. by Chris Morris of RockyMountainBoxing.com  .

March 15, 2004 - Tijuana, México
Jackie Nava,  San Diego, California, KO1 Silvia Zuniga, Rio Colorado, México. Nava improved her record to 6-1-0 (5 KO).

March 14, 2004 - Pechanga Resort, in Temecula, California
(MAR 15) With revenge on her mind Stephanie Dobbs pounded out a six-round majority decision over Nina Ahlin, 103.5,  in a strawweight battle at the Pechanga Resort and Casino on Sunday.  Dobbs, 103,  (10-13-2) avenged a loss to Ahlin with a nonstop assault of the Atlanta-based boxer who was fighting for the first time in 11 months. Their last confrontation occurred in 2002 with Ahlin winning a four-round decision 57-57, 58-56, 59-55.  “It was early in my career I had just started boxing,” said Dobbs, who lives and trains out of Moore, Oklahoma. “I didn’t know that much.”  Ahlin (10-5-1) started the bout sharply with quicker and more accurate punching. Each time Dobbs advanced Ahlin seemed to beat her to the punch but the fighter known as “All Action” kept moving in.  In the second round with the crowd entranced by the action provided in the previous stanza Ahlin continued to move and counter. Dobbs never quit and maintained the pressure despite receiving counter rights.  Finally in the third round Dobbs pressure seemed to be slowing Ahlin. The punches that had missed their mark were now landing. Ahlin landed a thudding left but was met with retaliatory strikes from Dobbs who fired two sidewinder missiles that found their mark.  Ahlin’s corner advised her to step up the attack and not to brawl. She tried fighting from long-range but her legs seemed to lack the spring. Meanwhile Dobbs seemed fresh and had a slight smile on her face as if realizing that the momentum had changed. A big right by Dobbs found its mark but Ahlin struck back. Both found targets for their right hand in the most action-packed round of the fight.  But the energy needed to win the round depleted Ahlin’s reserves as Dobbs punches had more snap. With little resistance from Ahlin, Dobbs swarmed in for the attack and walked through Ahlin’s punches. Most of Dobbs rights were reaching the target while Ahlin tried to stave off the blows but was drained.  “I was real tired,” said Ahlin, 30, who was unable to walk back to the dressing room. The effects of not fighting for almost a year had been too much for the number one ranked strawweight. “I got caught on the ropes too many times.” Dobbs said it was satisfying to avenge her earlier defeat and was confident she would win. Logged on records site

March 13, 2004 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Alexandra Matheus stopped her Hungarian opponent Krisztina Poropzski  towards the end of the third round. She caught Poropzski with a left hook to the body, which sent her to to canvas. She repeated this a few moments later, and this time the Hungarian failed to beat the count. In the second women's bout, Frida Walberg had the upper hand in all four rounds of her bout with Viktoria Oleynik of Ukraine, but had to settle for a convincing points decision. All three judges scored the bout 40-36. 

March 13, 2004 - Mandalay Bay Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Vaia Zaganas, 104,  picked a bad night for the biggest fight of her career but the show must go on.  Still recovering from the flu and her monthly, Zaganas gutted it out against the brawling style of Japan's Yumi Takano at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Saturday. "I don't care if I was at my death bed I was still going to fight," said Zaganas, 28, fighting in her adopted hometown Las Vegas for the third time. "The doctor advised me not to fight but nothing was going to stop me."  Takano (9-8) entered the ring as a boxer known for advancing with both hands held high. But after training in Los Angeles recently, the Japanese fighter had a few tricks up her sleeve."I saw  tape of her from two years ago and she would fight aggresively with both hands in front of her face," Zaganas (15-3) said of Takano. "But she had her left hand down and would move her head side to side... that's why I don't take tapes too seriously."   Takano repeatedly tried to land overhand left hands from long range but ran into multiple counter rights in the first two rounds. And when she tried to ram her way inside the two would collide heads. An accidental butt in the first round led to a cut over Takano's nose.    The second round found Zaganas firing combinations at her attacking opponent. The most effective punches landed were counter right hands.  Finally in the third round Takano began to find a formula to get inside. Disdaining counter rights Takano landed several good left hands in the round in a close frame. Inside she was more effective and it looked like she could turn the momentum.   "Vaia loves to be aggressive and busy but in this fight she was smart and boxed from outside," said Chris Ben, her trainer. "She was smart."   With both fighters realizing the fourth round would be crucial, both fighters sizzled from the start to finish. Zaganas landed repeated rights and Takano landed thudding lefts. The crowd applauded their efforts.   "I knew she was a a brawler and I knew she would run into my rights," said Zaganas, the current IFBA strawweight title-holder. "She was real aggressive."    Zaganas, with a red mark over her left eye from punches, said she was caught a few times with punches but was never hurt.   "She hit me with some good shots," she said. "You're going to get hit with punches unless you're Roy Jones Jr."  In the fifth round the Canadian fighter began to tire from the expenditure of punches and from various maladies.  "I usually don't even train when I'm on my period. I get too exhausted," she said. "But nothing was going to stop me from this fight."   Zaganas kept Takano at the outside with jabs and slide-stepped to the side repeatedly. The Japanese fighter couldn't seem to get a solid shot but continued to fire lefts and rights.    The judges scored the fight a majority win for Zaganas 57-57, 59-55, 58-56.   "She didn't feel that great," said Ben her trainer who realized she was not 100 percent. "But she boxed and fought a smart fight."   Zaganas said her two losses to Luz Rodriguez were under similar conditions but she told herself to remain calm for this bouton the under card of Shane Mosley and Winky Wright.   "Relax, relax, that was my mantra," Zaganas said. "I kept telling myself that when you're relaxed your punches are sharp."   Zaganas is scheduled to fight in two weeks in Lake Tahoe possibly against Gracie Roca who has a win against her.   "I can't wait to fight her," Zaganas said.   

March 12, 2004-Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri
Holly Shores, St. Joseph, Missouri, now 3-0-0 (2KO), TKO1 22 seconds over  Rena Hill, now 0-2-0,  in a scheduled four-rounder.

March 12, 2004 - Farmers Market, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Hollie "Hot Stuff" Dunaway TKO3 Kathy Garman in a scheduled four-round Flyweight division.

March 12, 2003 – Indianapolis, Indiana - Exhibition
In front of over 7,700 hockey fans in Indianapolis, Indiana, Tonya Harding and her trainer put on an exhibition bout at a “Fight Night” promotion held by the Indianapolis Ice of the Central Hockey League. Local news sources reported, “Harding traded punches with her manager and trainer, Paul Brown, who wore huge gloves, which he used to absorb punches.” It was reported that many spectators booed Harding, when she was introduced as "America's Bad Girl." Harding’s comeback, "They boo me, but they're all paying my salary, I say 'Thank you' to them." Source:mercurynews.com

March 12, 2004 - 2004 Miller Lite Fight Night at the Tank, HP Pavilion, San Jose, California - Promoted by Sugar Ray Leonard Promotions In a six-round featherweight bout on the undercard, Kelsey Jeffries, 122,  won by a unanimous decision over Linda Tenberg, 123. 

March 12, 2004 -  Edgewater in Laughlin, Nevada Canada's (Kronk Boxing Team) Kara Ro, 132.5, now 7-0-0 (4KO) won a six-round decision over Blanca Luna, 130.5, Las Vegas. who fights out of Vegas.  Final Judges scoring was 59-55, 59-55, and 58-56.

March 12, 2004 -Palacio, Mexico
Jazmin Rosita Rivas won by TKO1 over Guadalupe Marroquin. 

March 11, 2004 - Ballroom Boxing - Burnie, Maryland
Angel McNamara, Cambridge, Maryland, KO'd Tera Fielding, Cleveland, Ohio 1:50 seconds of the first round. McNamara improves her record to 2-0-0 (1KO).

March 11, 2004 - Coeur d'Alene Casino, Worley, Idaho
Betty Stephens, 125,  of Utah won a four-round unanimous decision over Carla Wilcox, 125.  Stephens is now 2-0-0 (0KO), and Wilcox is 4-5-0.

March 7, 2004 - Bulldog Event Hall, Karlsruhe, Germany
All Women's Boxing with on male kickboxing bout
Sandra Schreiber (Offenbach) TKO1 Anne Fitterer (Karlsruhe) (Verletzte Nase); Kea Neubauer (Karlsruhe) DR4 Monica Kube (Karlsruhe); Emmelie Rattinger (Karlsruhe) DR4 Juliane Lienhorst (Offenbach); Juliane Quasdorf (Karlsruhe) won a four-round unanimous decision over Marita Behringer (Stuttgart); and Birgit Schmidt (Karlsruhe) won a four-round unanimous decision Dagmar Schildt (Karlsruhe).

March 7, 2004-Msasani Resort Hotel, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Catherine Komba of Tanzania won a TKO4 over Bahati Kidila in a scheduled six round bout in the welterweight division.

March 6, 2004 - Cartagena, Colombia
Ana Pascal,  Colon, Panama TKO1 1:11 seconds over Rosa Maria Solano,  Bogota, Colombia. This fight was a scheduled 10-rounder, which is bewildering when you look at Solano's reported record going into the fight that was 0-0-1.

March 6, 2004 -Shooting Star Casino, Mahnomen, Minnesota
Kirstie Davis, 133, pro debut, won by TKO1 51 seconds, over Leshawnda Knox, 135, pro debut. 

March 6, 2004 "The Night Of The Queens" Italy - Amateurs
Ambra Vielmi  wins by split decision over Silvia Panzeri- Weight class - 52kg; Marianna Palumbo wins by unanimous decision over Giorgia Ferro - Weight class 54kg; Antonietta Capuano wins by unanimous decision over Eleonora Fedeli - Weight class 57kg; Tania Rebagliati  vs Irene Vicari didn't take place;Veronica Alfano vs. Fernanda Gallo didn't take place;  Professional fights: FIKB ITALIAN TITLE - 5 rounds x 2 minutes - Weight class 50kg Rita De Angelis wins by unanimous decision over Valeria Imbrogno; WAKO PRO WORLD TITLE - 5 rounds x 3 minutes Weight class 48kg; Sabina Ritter wins by a 2 round KO over Sonia Pereira (Sonia throws the towel); WAKO PRO WORLD TITLE - 5 rounds x 3 minutes Weight class 50kg; Stefania Bianchini wins by a 2 round KO over Dounia Tai (Dounia didn't continue the fight after a standing 8 count); WAKO PRO WORLD TITLE - 5 rounds x 3 minutes, Weight class 58kg; Laura Tavecchio wins by a 3 round KO over Safia Leahhni (Safia suffered a pain to her left ear, caused by a Laura's high kick, and she didn't continue the fight after a standing 8 count);

March 6, 2004 - Sam's Town Casino, Tunica, Mississippi
Dana Kendrick, Mississippi,  stopped Shannon Birmingham, Alabama, now 2-3-0, in the 0:53 seconds, in the 2nd round with a TKO. The fight was scheduled for four rounds. 

March 5, 2004 in Lastra a Signa, Italy
Maria Rosa Tabbuso won by TKO3 over Maria Naroszsnik.

March 5, 2004 - Regency Hotel, Denver, Colorado
Angie Poe, 144, TKO1 pro debuter Megan Roberts, 150, in a scheduled four-rounder. Poe is now 1-2-0 (1KO). 

March 2, 2004 - Pepsi Coliseum, in Indianapolis, Indiana
Kristy Follmar, of Muncie, Indiana, now 10-1-0 (7KO), won a six-round majority decision over Talia Smith, now 3-3-0 (3KO), of Cleveland, Ohio. Final judges scores was 57-56, 58-55, and 55-55.

March 2, 2004 - Hamburg, Germany
Former World Boxing Champion Daisy Lang, 116 3/4,  won an eight- round unanimous decision over Mariann Pampuk, 115 3/4,  who is now at 19 losses, no wins.  The local news reported that Lang had the upper hand in the full distance, but she couldn't find the form of  her former glory. In the second Women's Match, Alesia Graf, stopped Marinna Zhekova 130 3/4,  in the second round.