Female Fight News July 9, 2018 California Heat, Cornejo, Estrada, Miller
By David A. Avila
Extra sunny California takes center stage for a number of marquee female match ups this weekend.
Maricela “La Diva” Cornejo (11-2) meets Samantha Pill (3-0) in a middleweight clash set for six rounds at the Novo Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Friday July 13. The Golden Boy Promotions fight card will be televised by ESPN and the ESPN+ apps.
Despite fighting for a premier promoter Cornejo has been more or less flying under the radar with two of her last three fights taking place in the tropical beaches of Mexico. It’s not a bad thing.
“I love fighting in Mexico,” said Cornejo, though born and raised in the state of Washington is of Mexican heritage. “I have a lot of fans there.”
Now she returns to Los Angeles where another strong base of fans is located and where Golden Boy headquarters is situated. And once again Cornejo’s fights will be televised.
Because of the newness of having female fights televised or streamed, it seems recently that almost every week since April a woman’s fight is being shown in some form of media outlet.
Cornejo, 31, has been one of Southern California’s more popular fighters and along with her manager Nancy Rodriguez, the pair is always visible at boxing youth events or similar publicly attended festivities. Their looks don’t hurt either.
When 5,’10” tall Cornejo arrives at an event her shocking black hair and strong fashion sense stand out. Fans flock to her looking for autographs and selfies and the bilingual prizefighter has no problem communicating to young and old.
Communication is key for Cornejo.
As a fighter or person Cornejo has a very strong sense of loyalty and also has that sense of respect for elders and leadership. It’s a quality that’s strong in Latino culture. She also possesses the ability to articulate through words her exact sentiments.
What she wants is an opportunity to fight the best.
“I’m not getting younger,” Cornejo says. “It doesn’t matter who I face.
Though the brunette middleweight only had four amateur fights and a Baker’s dozen prizefights, she’s confident about her abilities.
So far Cornejo has faced many top contenders and unknown talent that were previously ridiculed by others. But as time passed the world quickly realized that the Mexican fighter’s former foes like Kali Reis, Irais Hernandez and others were much better than expected.
Now Cornejo faces another unknown in a West Virginia fighter who has a three-inch height advantage and is undefeated. It will be up to Cornejo to discover what Pill has to offer in the boxing ring.
“It’s a higher risk not knowing who they are,” she says. “She is going to be way longer way bigger than me. She is a tall woman. She’s a big woman and I’m excited about it. I don’t take anyone for granted.”
Cornejo feels that others in her weight class take her for granted. It’s why she prepares every day in extreme heat in the heart of the desert city Indio. Even the scorpions don’t come out in the sunlight where temperatures regularly soar over 117 degrees.
Lately, the zeal for combat has increased for the middleweight, especially after meeting one of the greats of the sport Lucia Rijker.
“It’s a shame all these other women who paved the way did not get the opportunity to be on television,” said Cornejo with Rijker, and others in mind. “They put their lives at risk. They now gave us the opportunity to be on television.”
Cornejo’s fight with Pill will be televised by ESPN or shown on the ESPN app. The doors open at 3 p.m. on Friday at the Novo Theater in L.A. Live.
Seniesa Estrada
After a few postponements the agile undefeated Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada (13-0) will oppose Ecuador’s Jhosep Vizcaino (7-6) in a six round light flyweight bout at the Novo Theater. It will also be shown by ESPN.
Estrada, 26, is ranked high in the talented light flyweight division and has problems finding opponents in the U.S. It’s a skimpy division in this country but is filled with large numbers in other countries. The main problem is finding an opponent with a visa.
Next week the other flyweight in Golden Boy’s roster Marlen Esparza is scheduled to fight in Cancun, Mexico. It will be shown on ESPN app. Both Esparza and Estrada are headed for a showdown. No need to hype this fight much more, it’s going to happen this year.
Don’t be surprised if they fight each other more than once in the next 12 months.
San Francisco
Northern California’s Raquel Miller just fought two weeks ago and she’s back in the boxing ring on Saturday.
Miller (6-0) and Tiffany Woodard (4-10-3) meet in a six round fight at the historic Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. Now hooked up with DiBella Entertainment, the super welterweight or middleweight fighter now is entrenched in one of the most attractive divisions in female boxing.
Miller could meet a number of others while the going is hot for middleweights. The timing couldn’t be better.
More Female Fight News
Argentina
Yanina Lescano (2-0) won by split decision over Amanda Lopes (1-5) after four rounds on Saturday July 7. The lightweight fight took place in Colon.
Yamila Reynoso (11-4-3) won by technical knockout in the fifth round versus Cristina Cuevas (5-8-2) on Friday July 6. The welterweight fight was held in Villa Ocampo.
On Friday July 13, super featherweights Ana Guachapani (9-0) and Alejandra Zamora (6-2) meet in a 10 round fight for the Argentine title in Pico Truncado.
Australia
April Adams (10-1-1) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Nurshahidah Roslie (8-2) on Saturday July 7. The WBO Asian Pacific super bantamweight title fight took place in Mansfield, Queensland.
Cherneka Johnson (10-0) knocked out Siriphon Chanbuala (12-6-2) in the second round on Friday July 6. The bantamweight fight was held in Flemington, Victoria.
Malakay Moukayber (1-0) beat Siriwan Thongmanit (6-12-1) by decision on Friday July 6. The super welterweight fight was held in Liverpool, New South Wales.
Canada
On Saturday July 14, featherweights Madison Blakely (0-0) and Dolores Garcia (1-1) meet in a four round fight at Belleville, Ontario.
China
On Saturday July 14, flyweights Hoi Ning Kwok (0-0) and Ying Ying Au (0-0) meet in a four round match at Hong Kong.
France
Myrian Dellal (16-8-3) beat Monica Gentili (6-9) by decision after six rounds on Saturday July 7. The lightweight clash took place in Marseille.
Georgia
Mari Tatunashvili (4-4-2) knocked out Sopio Tusiashvili (0-3) in the second round on Sunday July 1. The super lightweight contest was held in Tbilisi.
Germany
On Saturday July 14, bantamweights Aniya Seki (33-3-2) and Csilla Nemedi (8-1) meet in a 10 round contest for the WBC Silver, GBU, and WIBF titles at Offenburg. Also, super lightweights Verena Kaiser (10-1) and Mari Tatunashvili (4-4-2) meet in a six round match.
Italy
Vissia Trovato (11-1) beat Gabriella Mezei (9-14-3) by knockout in round two on Friday July 6. The featherweight fight took place in Milan.
Mexico
Yareli Larios (13-1-1) and Magaly Rodriguez (18-5-2) fought to a split draw after 10 rounds on Saturday July 7. The featherweight clash took place in San Rafael, Guadalajara. Also, Alondra Garcia 19-3-1) defeated Valeria Perez (10-4) in an eight round super flyweight match.
Montenegro
On Friday July 13, flyweights Elena Saveleva (4-0) and Nina Radovanovic (12-2) meet in an eight round fight at Herceg Novi.
New Zealand
On Saturday July 14, light heavyweights Lani Daniels (2-1) and Nailini Helu (2-3-1) meet in an eight round fight for the New Zealand title at St. Johns.
South Korea
On Friday July 13, flyweights Chan Mi Lim (2-5-1) and Myung Eun Lee (1-0-1) meet in a four round fight at Seoul.
Thailand
Urvashi Singh (3-0) knocked out Sumalee Tongpootorn (8-11-1) in round six on Sunday July 8. The bantamweight fight took place in Bangkok. Also, Jessebelle Pagaduan (10-1-1) beat Sarayanphong Theinthong (1-12) in six round light flyweight fight; plus Sumanthar Baenkham (4-4) defeated Supawadee Kabounram (0-3) in a super featherweight match.
United Kingdom
Kristine Shergold (6-6) defeated Kallia Kouroni (9-2) by decision to win the GBU and WIBF titles on Sunday July 8. The super featherweight title fight took place in Bracknell, Berkshire.
Kirstie Bavington (1-0-1) beat Elaine Greenan (0-1) in a four round super welterweight contest on Saturday July 7. The fight took place in Dudley, West Midlands.
USA
Selina Barrios (4-0) knocked out Aida Satybaldinova (3-1-1) in the fourth round on Saturday July 7. The lightweight clash took place in Corpus Christi, Texas.
On Friday July 13, middleweights Maricela Cornejo (11-2) and Samantha Pill (3-0) meet in a six round fight in downtown Los Angeles. Also, light flyweight contender Seniesa Estrada is also tentatively scheduled to fight Ecuador’s Jhosep Vizcaino (7-6) in a six round fight.
On Saturday July 14, super welterweights Raquel Miller (6-0) and Tiffany Woodard (4-10-3) meet in a six round fight at San Francisco.
Zimbabwe
On Friday July 13, super welterweights Stacey Copeland (4-0) and Mapule Ngubane 7-5-3) meet in a 10 round clash for the vacant Commonwealth title at Harare.
(Photo by Al Applerose)