International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame 2023 and More News
By David A. Avila
If women’s pro boxing is your favorite sport, as it is mine, travel to Las Vegas this weekend to watch the 10th year induction ceremony for the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame. It begins on Friday and culminates on Saturday with an extravaganza.
Dozens of former world champions like Kaliesha West and others who contributed to the longevity and survival of female prizefighting will be honored by the IWBHOF at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
It’s the event of the year for women’s boxing lovers.
Among those inducted in this year’s ceremony will be Jennifer Alcorn, Kaliesha West, Kim Messer, Leah Mellinger, Melissa McMorrow, Laura Ramsey, Sonya Lamonakis, Yvonne Trevino, Melissa Del Valle, Jill Diamond-Chastain, and Bruce Silverglade for last year.
Also, Daniella Smith, Sindy Amador, Maria Jesus Rosa, Rhonda Luna, Stacey Prestage, Judy Kulis, Lou DiBella, Jenny Reid, Esther Schouten, Suzy Taylor, and Agnieszka Rylik will be inducted into the hall of fame.
Special awards will be given to Regina Halmich, Sumya Anani, Marty Wynn, Stuart Breslow, Michael O’Neil, Layla McCarter and Chevelle Hallback.
The key speaker for the event will be legendary Christy Martin whose accomplishments are lengthy and still ongoing.
As a journalist I saw many of these fighters perform in-person. It was rare to find women’s boxing televised though it did occur. I witnessed Jenifer Alcorn meet Mia St. John at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California. It was a Top Rank card that also featured Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto in action on separate bouts.
Kaliesha West, Sindy Amador and Rhonda Luna are three others I saw in their pro debuts and eventually become world champions. Their persistence and dedication was inspiring to many future champions who saw them perform.
West, in particular, fought overseas or in other countries on many occasions. She accepted fights in Denmark, Mexico, Peru, Canada and in other fighter’s home cities. In a time when records were being protected, the Southern California fighter eagerly accepted prize fights against the best. Her father Juan West trained and managed her career and was a strong proponent for women’s boxing.
Judy Kulis headed the International Female Boxing Association sanctioning organization for 19 years. That organization helped legitimize women’s boxing worldwide and kept the sport thriving in a time when the major sanctioning organizations like the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO ignored women’s boxing. Under her guidance women’s boxing world title bouts spread worldwide including South Korea, Mexico, Australia and the USA of course.
Promoter Lou DiBella will also be honored and inducted into the hall of fame. DiBella continues to promote in New York and all over the USA. He helped launch the careers of many such as Amanda Serrano, Heather Hardy, Alicia Napoleon, and currently promotes Miyo Yoshida, Christina Cruz and Mikiah Kreps among others. He pushed to have Hardy’s fight with Shelly Vincent televised on FOX in 2016 when women’s boxing had virtually been shut out from television for many years.
All of these mentioned and the others contributed toward keeping female prizefighting alive. The sport continues to grow and its many fans can enjoy meeting these major contributors this weekend in Las Vegas.
For tickets and information go to: https://www.iwbhf.com/tickets.htm
World Title fights
Canada hosts the world title clash between Argentina’s Evelin Bermudez (18-1-1, 6 Kos) who defends the IBF and WBO light flyweight titles against former WBA and WBC titlist Kim Clavel (17-1, 3 Kos) on Friday Oct. 6, at Laval, Canada. It will be shown on FITE.TV.
Clavel seeks to usurp current champion Bermudez whose only loss came to Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle last year.
Bermudez captured the vacant title by defeating Mexico’s talented Tania Enriquez by decision this past March.
On Saturday morning, England’s Terri Harper (14-1-1, 6 KO) defends the WBA and IBO super welterweight world titles against former undisputed welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus (37-2, 9 Kos) of Norway. They will also be fighting for the vacant WBO title. The world title match takes place at Sheffield, England. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing event.
Harper makes her second title defense while trying to add the WBO version.
Braekhus recently returned after an almost two-year absence and fought last December. Now she moves up a weight division to challenge Harper on her home turf. Can the former champion rekindle some of that old magic?
More Fight News
Austria
Denise Stanojev (8-0) knocked out Hasna Tukic (12-12) in the first round on Saturday Sept. 30. The lightweight fight took place in Vienna.
Belgium
Amy Naert (9-2) won by unanimous decision after six rounds versus Snezana Siljkovic (4-15-3) on Saturday Sept. 30. The light flyweight bout took place at Brugge.
Canada
Jennifer Williams (3-0) beat Carolyn Redmond (6-2) by unanimous decision after six rounds on Saturday Sept. 30. The super welterweight fight took place in Hamilton.
On Saturday Oct. 7, light flyweights Evelin Bermudez (18-1-1) and Kim Clavel (17-1) meet 10 rounds for the IBF and WBO world titles at Laval. Also, super lightweights Marie Pier Houle (8-1-1) and Cindy Reyes (4-1) meet 10 rounds; and featherweights Caroline Veyre (5-0) and Jessica Bellusci (4-0) meet eight rounds.
Colombia
Clarena Julio (3-1) won by knockout over Natalia Jimenez (0-1) in the fourth round on Saturday Sept. 30. The super lightweight bout took place at Santa Marta. Also, lightweights Angelica Araujo (0-1-1) and Paola Garcia (0-0-1) fought to a draw after four. Plus, Katerin Tobon (3-2-1) beat Lizeth Porto (0-1).
Denmark
On Saturday Oct. 7, featherweights Sarah Mahfoud (13-1) and Marcela Acuna (53-9-2) meet 10 rounds at Copenhagen. Argentina’s Acuna is a future hall of famer.
Germany
Lara Ochmann (11-2) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Leonie Giebel (14-1-2) on Saturday Sept. 30. The featherweight title match took place at Goslar.
Beke Bas (18-0) beat Eva Hubmayer (5-5-1) by knockout in the fourth round on Saturday Sept. 30. The lightweight fight was held at Buergerhaus.
On Tuesday Oct. 3, super bantamweights Phannarai Netisri (13-0) and Danielle Bennett (7-1) meet 10 rounds for the regional titles at St. Pauli.
On Saturday Oct. 7, bantamweights Saida Bukvic (7-0) and Angela Cannizzaro (6-20-1) meet six rounds at Falkensee.
Guatemala
Hilary Romero (1-3-1) defeated Yelmy Sanchez (5-3-2) by majority decision after six rounds on Saturday Sept. 30. The light flyweight match took place in Guatemala City.
India
On Saturday Oct. 7, flyweights Ramandeep Kaur (9-3) and Preeti Jangra (1-1) meet six rounds at Bangalore.
Japan
Honoka Kano (6-1-2) beat Minayo Kei (7-6-2) by majority decision after six rounds on Wednesday Sept. 27. The Japanese atomweight title bout was held at Tokyo. Also, Mayumi Nakano (5-1) beat Kaori Nagai (7-6-3). Bantamweight Hinami Yanai (3-2) defeated Nana Yamashita (4-2) in third; Minimumweights Shoko Saito (1-0-1) knocked out Reina Okonogi (0-2); and Natsuki Yamada (1-1-2) beat Aira Balboa (0-2-1) in four.
Mika Yagio (4-2-1) knocked out Ai Sugimoto (3-5-1) in the fourth round on Monday Sept. 25. The flyweight match took place at Tokyo.
Mexico
On Friday Oct. 6, light flyweights Camila Zamorano (4-0) and Sandra Chairez (0-2) meet six rounds at Hermosillo.
On Saturday Oct. 7, minimumweights Ashley Felix (2-0) and Danna Maldonado (3-1) meet four rounds at Tijuana.
Poland
On Thursday Oct. 5, minimumweights Ewelina Pekalska (7-1) and Aleksandra Madraszewska (0-0) meet six rounds at Lublin.
On Saturday Oct. 7, lightweights Barbora Mayerova (1-3) and Jana Putnova (0-0) meet four rounds at Popgrad; also super featherweights Nikola Izova (2-2-2) and Nikolett Szabo (0-6) meet four rounds.
Spain
Florencia Villarreal (1-0-1) won by majority decision after four rounds against Maite Botella (0-1) on Saturday Sept. 30. The bantamweight match took place at Elche.
Tanzania
On Saturday Oct. 7, super flyweights Lulu Kayage (8-10-4) and Mary Aina Abbey (10-0) meet eight rounds at Dar-es Salaam.
Thailand
Watcharaporn Namphon (7-1) knocked out Natchalika Uijaroen (0-5) in the first round on Saturday Sept. 30. The atomweight fight was held at Pattaya.
Sana Hazuki (10-8-1) knocked out Denisa Castle (3-4) in the fifth round on Thursday Sept. 28. The atomweight fight was held at Bangkok. Also, light flyweight Hin Ting Chan (3-0) beat Chutinan Khonghoi (2-4) by decision after eight rounds.
Chuyu Liu (3-0) defeated Nattarat Prempida (3-3-1) by decision after eight rounds on Wednesday Sept. 27. The light flyweight bout took place at Rangsit.
United Kingdom
Paige Murney (3-0) defeated Vaida Masiokaite (6-20-5) by decision after six rounds on Sunday October 1. The super lightweight match was held in Leicester, England.
Caroline Dubois (8-0) defeated Magali Rodriguez (22-7-4) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Sept. 30. The IBO lightweight title match took place at London, England. Also, bantamweight Francesca Hennessey (1-0 knocked out Sonia Klos (1-9) in the fifth round.
Ellie Scotney (8-0) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds against Laura Griffa (20-9) on Saturday Sept. 30. The IBF super bantamweight title match was held at London, England. Also, lightweight Rhiannon Dixon (9-0) defeated Katharina Thanderz (16-2) by decision for a regional title; Plus, super flyweights Shannon Ryan (6-0) beat Xenia Jorneac (11-7); and Maisey Rose Courtney (5-0) beat Martina Bernile (5-3-1).
Jade Grierson (2-0) beat Bojana Libiszewska (7-56) by decision after six rounds on Saturday Sept. 30. The super welterweight fight took place at Nottingham, England.
Beccy Ferguson (5-9) beat Kerry Orton (0-3) by decision after six rounds on Saturday Sept. 30. The lightweight match was held at Stoke-on-Trent, England.
Elizabeth Oshoba (5-0) defeated Nadua Flalhi (5-4) by decision after six rounds on Saturday Sept. 30. The featherweight fight took place at Swindon, England. Also, super bantamweight Elaine Harrision (1-0) beat Klaudia Ferenczi (20-103-9).
On Friday Oct. 6, super flyweights Emma Dolan (5-0) and Nicola Hopewell (3-0) meet 10 rounds for a regional title at Sheffield, England.
On Saturday Oct. 7, super welterweights Terri Harper (14-1-1) and Cecilia Braekhus (37-2) meet 10 rounds for the WBA and WBO world titles at Sheffield, England.
USA
Dialika Perkins (2-1) beat Joelle Flores (1-1) by split decision after four rounds on Saturday Sept. 30. The atomweight fight was held in Baltimore, Maryland.
Ivana Habazin (22-5) won by unanimous decision after six rounds against Timea Belik (7-1) on Friday Sept. 29. The welterweight bout took place in Hollywood, Florida.
On Thursday Oct. 5, lightweights Carla Torres (8-6) and Michaele Nogue (2-3) meet six rounds at Washington DC.
Uzbekistan
On Thursday Oct. 5, featherweights Shakhina Nematova (0-0) and Sabina Razzokova (0-0) meet four rounds at Tashkent.
Vietnam
Thi Vu Duyen (2-1) defeated Thi Kim Chi (0-1) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Sept. 30. The super featherweight bout took place at Ho Chi Minh City.