Historic Women’s Pro Boxing Week Coming Up – by Sue TL Fox

(JUNE 4) Women’s boxing history will be made this month when an all-women’s pay-per-view card, “Finally,” is supported the night before by an all-women’s nationally televised show, Fox Sport Network’s Best Damn Championship Fight Night Period. A total of six world championship bouts will be held for seven different world titles – 6 International Female Boxers Association (IFBA) and one International Boxing Association (IBA). 

WBAN will also be having a history-first for the sport at the PPV event on June 13, 2008, when WBAN will give out their first elite Award WBAN Belts. These Award belts will be given to the winner of the Holm vs. Sanders bout, and the Garside vs. Hallback bout in addition to these fighters fighting for a sanctioned IFBA World title belt—Holm, Sanders, Garside, and Hallback are all rated #1 in the world with Dee Williams Independent Ratings.  It has long been our feeling that, given the number of championship belts, another level of special recognition is necessary in the sport and the WBAN belt is one way to fill that need. We hope that this highly prestigious award will recognize and represent a gold standard for the sport of women’s boxing. We hope this is just one of many steps that WBAN and the boxing community will initiate to enhance and promote the future success of the sport of women’s boxing. More]

Fox Sports Net’s Best Damn Championship Fight Night Period  -Thursday, June 12, 2008 – 7 PM/ET
Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut

10 Rounds – IFBA World Junior Featherweight Championship
Lisa “Bad News” Brown (14-3-3, 4 KOs), Toronto, Canada vs. Alicia “Slick” Ashley (14-7-1, 1 KO), Westbury, New York

10 Rounds – IFBA World Flyweight Championship
Elena “Baby Doll”  Reid (19-4-5, 5 KOs), Las Vegas, NV vs. Crystal Hoy (3-1-2, 2 KOs), Las Vegas, NV

6 Rounds – Junior Featherweights
Melinda Cooper (18-0, 10 KOs), Las Vegas, NV vs.
Donna Lee Biggers (19-7-1, 16 KOs), Shelby, NC

6 Rounds – Junior Featherweights
Jeri Sitzes (14-7-1, 6 KOs), Springfield, MO vs.
Ella “Bam Bam” Nunez (6-3, 2 KOs), Jamestown, NY

6 Rounds – Middleweights
Jill Emery (8-2, 3 KOs), New York, NY vs.
Cristy Nickel  (7-6, 4 KOs), New York, NY

“Finally” Pay-Per-View
Friday, June 13, 2008 – 10 PM/ET (8 PM/MT)
Isleta Casino & Resort, Albuquerque, NM

10 Rounds – IFBA World Junior Middleweights
Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm (21-1-2, 6 KOs), Albuquerque, MN vs. Mary Jo Sanders (25-0, 8 KOs), Detroit, MI

10 Rounds – IFBA World Lightweight Championship
Chevelle “Fists of Steel” Hallback (26-5-2, 11 KOs), Tampa, FL vs. Jeannine “G9” Garside (7-0-1, 3 KOs), Windsor, Ontario, Canada

10 Rounds – IBA World Strawweight & IFBA World Mini-Flyweight Championships
Wendy “Little Thunder” Rodriguez (18-4, 3 KOs), Los Angeles, CA vs. Hollie “Hot Stuff” Dunaway (21-6, 10 KOs), Las Vegas, NV

10 Rounds – IFBA World Junior Flyweight Championship
Carina “La Reina” Moreno (17-1, 5 KOs), Watsonville, CA vs. Eileen “Hawaii Mongoose” Olszewski (5-0-1, 0 KOs), New York, NY