LEMOORE, CA — The Palace Indian Gaming Center that took place on April 18, 2003, gathered for a night dominated by the rising stars of women’s professional boxing. While the card featured a heavyweight TKO victory for contender Michael Grant over Gilbert Martinez, the evening belonged to the women, who delivered the most exciting bouts.
Girgrah Survives Serrano in Split-Decision
The main attraction of the female bouts saw Isra “The Raging Beauty” Girgrah (128 lbs) face off against the previously unbeaten Laura Serrano (124 lbs). What followed was an eight-round, toe-to-toe war that pushed both fighters to their limits.
However, the action in the ring was nearly eclipsed by the controversy at the judges’ table. Despite a 79-73 scorecard in favor of Serrano, the remaining two judges saw it 77-75 and 78-74 for Girgrah. The decision was met with boos from the California crowd.
Injury Halts Highly Anticipated Anani-Gibbs Rematch
The co-feature brought a tense rematch between Sumya “The Island Girl” Anani (141 lbs) and Fredia “The Cheetah” Gibbs (140 lbs). The opening round lived up to the hype, with both fighters immediately “throwing leather” in a high-volume exchange. However, the momentum was cut short when it was revealed that Gibbs had likely suffered a fractured hand during the initial melee. Unable to answer the bell for the second round, Gibbs was forced to retire, giving Anani the TKO victory and settling the score from their previous draw.
Non-Televised bouts: Zaganas and McCarter Shine
While the ESPN2 cameras stopped rolling before the final two matches, the live audience was treated to some of the night’s best technical displays:
Vaia Zaganas vs. Nina Ahlin: In a matchup that unfortunately missed the television broadcast, Vaia Zaganas (104 lbs) put on a dominant performance against Nina Ahlin (101.5 lbs). Zaganas controlled the tempo throughout the six-round contest, earning a unanimous decision with scores of 59-55, 59-55, and 58-56.
Layla McCarter vs. Lisa Lewis: Many ringside observers dubbed the final bout of the evening the “Fight of the Night”. Las Vegas’s Layla McCarter faced local Fresno favorite Lisa Lewis in a classic clash of styles. McCarter’s elite defensive movement allowed her to slip Lewis’s power shots consistently. After six rounds of high-level boxing, McCarter secured a unanimous decision.
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