HISTORY OF
WOMEN'S BOXING

January 29, 2005 - Silverton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Elena "Baby Doll" Reid, 117,  stopped Lakeysha Williams, 120.5,  with a single body shot to continue her quest for a junior bantamweight world title on Saturday.  In an all-women fight card, Reid, 23, showed a full house at the Silverton Casino what women's boxing is all about with a convincing performance over a bigger but not stronger opponent.  "This was Elena's best performance," said Chris Ben, who trains Reid.  Using quicker combinations and a tighter defense, the left-handed fighter Reid out-punched and never stepped backward against Williams (8-7-3) who often fights at featherweight.  It was the second time they fought. In their last meeting Reid won by unanimous decision two years ago.  "This was a much easier fight this time," said Reid (16-1-5, 5 KOs), who fights out of Las Vegas. "The first time we fought I was the one moving. This time she was the one moving and it was much easier for me."  Firing lead left hands and quick three-punch combinations, Reid snapped Williams head back repeatedly. Williams tried to use her jab to keep Reid from landing but was walking into right hooks.  In the fifth, a single left hand to the solar plexus dropped Williams who writhed in agony. The referee Richard Steele counted her out at 1:59 of the fifth round.  Williams, who fights out of Philadelphia, said she was at a handicap for the fight.  "I think they should have given us more time to get adjusted," William said regarding her arrival to Las Vegas the day before the fight.  Reid was exhuberant with her knockout victory.   "I love boxing," Reid said with many fans driving from Arizona to see her fight.   Though Reid fought for a very small purse, it was a sacrifice she made to get back into the ring.   "All I want is a chance to fight for the world title," said Reid, who seeks a match against Mariana Juarez or Regina Halmich. "All my training is paying off."   If there is any question about Reid's ability to fight the best in the world, the always happy Phoenix native proved she belongs among the elite prizefighters in the world and is willing to face anyone from flyweight to bantamweight.  "I've waited for a long time for a chance to fight for the world title" said Reid who came within a judge's decision of winning a world title against Germany's Halmich last summer.  And about her victory.  "I love throwing those body shots," she said.   As Reid signed autographs for her fans, her trainer Ben looked at her and gave a quick assessment of her victory.   "That was her best performance," said Ben. "She's seeing all the shots coming and she's not getting hit any more."  The only shots Reid wants to take are world title shots.   Last week, a Southern California promoter tried to make a fight between Reid and Juarez, but the Mexican fighter's team decided against it.  "It's hard finding fighters in her weight class that want to fight her," said Ben. "She always has to fight girls that are bigger than her." No matter, Reid found the right combination to stop her taller and heavier opponent.  "All of the training I do is paying off, the fights are getting easier," Reid said.  Other results:  Shelly Burton, 158, UD6 over Elizabeth Kerin, 162; Aasa Sandell, 168,  UD4 over Bose Ljoala, 172.5; Daria Hill, 139, TKO5 over Angie Poe, 136; and Jennifer Salinas, 120,  by UD4 over Sharon Gaines, 121.  There were about 1,000 at the event. Jessica Rakoczy was featured as the ring announcer. (Report by David A. Avila)

January 28, 2005 - DeCarlo's Banquet and Convention Center in Warren, Michigan
There were two women’s matches on the undercard. Detroit’s cruiserweight Cheryl Muhammad won by TKO1 over Alexis Harrison. Both were making their pro debuts. In a second match, Junior middleweight Ingrid Hays, now 4-0-1, had a four-round majority draw against pro debuter Veronica Rucker of Cleveland, Ohio. Source: Mike Brudenell / Detroit Free Press news story   

January 28, 2005 - Heinz Field Terrible Tent,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Junior lightweight Shakurah Witherspoon, 125, won a four-round majority decision over Leslee Perella, 129.5. Witherspoon is now 11-38-1 (4KO), and Perella is 2-1-0 (2KO).

January 27, 2005 in Hollywood, California
Suswella Roberts won by TKO1 over Laura Roland, pro debut.

January 26, 2005 - at the Ameristar Casino, in Kansas City, Missouri
Chevelle Hallback won by TKO in the second round, but NOT without a fight by Kim Colbert!  In what was called a fierce battle between these two, the fight had a lot of action.  Colbert stunned Hallback in the second round, and knocked her down to the canvas, with Hallback taking an eight count!  Well, the gloves were off 'so to speak' after that little episode and Hallback went after Colbert with a "Fist of Steel". During that time, Colbert landed a couple of bombs with a left hook, but then she began to take some heavy hits by Hallback, and the ref stopped the fight.  The crowd booed at the early stoppage because Colbert was still returning some fire.  According to WBAN's insider, after the fight, Colbert took a punch at Hallback, and the fight was on again outside the ring.  Security was called to stop the donnybrook. WBAN's insider said that Colbert was "fearless" against her much more experienced opponent.  In a second women's bout, at the Ameristar Casino, in Kansas City, Missouri, Jerri Sitzes won by a six round unanimous decision over Lisa Pederson. Sitzes dropped Pederson in the second round, but throughout the fight, it was very competitive and entertaining. Scores, 60-52, 60-53, 60-52.

January 22, 2005 - Rio Gallegos, Argentina
The "Tigresa" Marcela Acuna won the vacant WIBA Featherweight World title over Maria Andrea Miranda when she stopped Miranda by 1:37 TKO in the third round.  Miranda was down three times in the third round.

January 22, 2005 - at the Fitzgerald’s Casino, Tunica, Mississippi
Cristy “Code Red” Nickel, now 7-1-0 (4KO), won a six-round split decision over Mariem “Punchenella” Brakache, now 2-2-0 (1KO), in a rematch. Final judges scoring was 57-56, 57-56, 56-58.  Nickel said after the fight, "A win is a win. Sometimes they're not always pretty. I found a way to win and that's all that matters. There's nothing wrong with a close fight. We battled; people got their money's worth and it was a good fight. Every boxer envisions a pretty win. Every boxer wants to win by KO. But when the competition is as good as it was Saturday night, it turns into a war. You can't always have Kodak moments every fight."

January 22, 2005 - Coushatta Casino Resort Pavilion, in Kinder, Louisiana 
In front of 3,000,  Sumya "the Island Girl" Anani, 143 1/2, defeated Belinda Laracuente, 136 1/2, in a 10-round unanimous decision, and successfully defended her IBA Welterweight World title.  Final judges scores were 100-90, 97-93, and 99-91.

January 21, 2005 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Monica Mwakasanga won a four-round decision over Jackline Joseph, pro debut.

January 21, 2005 - Reliant Center, Houston, Texas
ESPN2 card
In front of a sellout crowd of 3,300, in a women's match on the undercard, super middleweight Akondaye Fountain, 168, now 4-0-0 (2KO). stopped pro debuter Krystal Davis, 175, in the third round. 

January 20, 2005 in Jefferson City, Missouri
Christine Rambo, pro debut, won by a four-round unanimous decision over Ashley Ratliff, pro debut.

January 20, 2005 - Capitol Plaza Hotel, Jefferson City, Missouri
In a women's match on the undercard, Liz Drew, 142, now 8-7-0 (2KO), of Troy, Missouri, won a six--round majority decision over Lois Teobold, 137, now 1-1-0 (1KO). Promoted by Bruce Schuester. Final judges scores 58-56, 57-57, and 59-55.  

January 15, 2005, Benton Convention Center,  in Winston,  Salem, North Carolina
Under Promotions of Ring of Dreams, in the co-main, Carlette 'The Truth' Ewell, 173,  won a four-round unanimous decision over Leanna Owens, 172.  The final judges scores were 39-37, 39-37, and 40-36.  Ewell improved her record to 8-3-0, and Owens is 1-2-1. The main event featured multi-belt champion Randy Griffin.

January 15, 2005 - Germany
Germany's Regina Halmich, 111 1/4,  now 46-1-1 (15KO), successfully defended her WIBF title against Marylin Hernandez, 111 1/2,  (now 3-4-0 (1KO) Official Fightfax record). Judges scores were 100-92, 100-92, and 100-91. - On the undercard, Super Bantamweight Alesia Graf’s, 117 3/4,  opponent, Dayana Santana, 118 1/2,  was a willowy girl from the Dominican Republic with plenty of sass but an unorthodox style and no idea how to cope with a fighter like Graf, who let her burn herself out throwing haymakers into her guard and flailing the air. Santana was quick on her feet and shuffled and moved well enough in the earlier rounds, but she had nothing in offence. Throughout the first two three rounds, Graf weakened her with body shots and hurt her with powerful lefts. By the fourth, Santana was clearly demoralized and tried for the first minute just to stay out of range. Graf gestured as if to say: “Are we here to fight or dance?” That shamed her into a confrontation she would regret: in the second half of the round, Graf coolly beat her up, trapping her repeatedly on the ropes and hitting her with everything in her arsenal, including a wicked right hook to the liver when she tried to turn away.  Half way through the round break, Santana plucked up the courage to tell her corner men she wanted to quit. They tried to talk her out of it, but you could hear her wailing voice pleading with them over the German commentary. When she couldn’t convince them, she put her foot down: “No voy a pelear!” (“I’m not going to fight!”) “Then I suppose we’ll have to throw the towel in,” came the reply. But they didn’t. Graf came out for the fifth and Santana stood her ground. Or rather sat it. Then her trainer began unfastening her gloves. and finally – with unconcealed reluctance -- the other guy in the corner produced a towel, rather the way you produce your driving licence when you get stopped for speeding. Fight ended in fifth round TKO.  Other results:  Julia Sahin, 112,  won a 10-round unanimous decision over Maja Frenzel, 111 1/2,  for a German Flyweight Championship. There was a vast gulf in technique and athleticism between Sahin and Frenzel, but despite that, Sahin hadn’t the power to put her away. Neither woman lives from boxing, but whereas Sahin, with her long amateur experience, knows exactly what’s she doing in the ring (what Michael Timms tells her, most of the time, it should be said) and really looks the part as a professional, Frenzel did rather look like someone for whom boxing was just a whim. One of those incomprehensible whims that have people asking: “Why on earth does she do it?”  In real life, it turns out, she’s a nurse. “She’ll be administering aspirins to herself tomorrow,” said the commentator. She was administered a beating tonight, but you had to admire her courage. 100-90, 100-91, 100-90, the scores;  Super Middleweight: Natascha Ragosina, 167 1/2,  won a four-rounder by decision over Borislava Goranova, 157 1/2; and in a flyweight bout, Susianna Kentikian, 112,  won a four-round decision over Iliana Boneva, 112 1/2. (

January 14, 2005 - Agua Caliente Casino, in Rancho Mirage, California
Flyweight Melinda Cooper,  110½ , now 14-0-0 (9KO), of Las Vegas, Nevada,  stopped  Anissa Zamarron, now 16-12-2 (4KO), of Austin, Texas, 39 seconds of the ninth round. Cooper  earned her first world title,  and became the new IBA's (112 lb.)  Flyweight World Champion. Looks like this may be the first women's match of the new year, along with Figueroa vs. Hayden that took place in Chicago, Illinois. 

NO FIGHTS PRIOR TO JANUARY 14, 2005
SLOW START FOR 2005!