Latest Update on Rijker "Striker"! By Sue TL Fox

(NOV 30) WBAN has received a latest update on Lucia Rijker!  First off, the movie, “Million Dollar Baby” that is based on a woman boxer, starring Hillary Swank, will be premiering on December 15, 2004, and Rijker has a fight scene in the movie, along with 14 other women fighters.
Rijker trained Hillary for the "Title fight" that is in this movie,  where Hillary fights Rijker.  Also, Rijker worked as a technical adviser on the movie for a couple of the fights. Rijker has one scene with Clint Eastwood in a negotiation before the big title fight that is staged ....

(NOV 29) Congratulations to the new IFBA’s Jr. Bantamweight Champion Mariana Juarez, who was named WBAN’s December 2004 Fighter of the month!  Juarez, proving to be a tough competitor in this sport, fought In Young Lee this month in Korea, defeating her with a split decision for the IFBA belt.

(NOV 25) According to WIBA’s Ryan Wissow, Darys Pardo who was originally going to fight Sumya Anani on December 3, 2004, in Kansas City, Missouri, could not  fight, due to visa problems.  Anani’s new opponent will be New Mexico’s Stephanie Jaramillo.  Anani will be defending her WIBA World title in the co-main of this upcoming event.

(NOV 24) On November 25-28, 2004, in Hualien, Eastern Taiwan, there will be almost 100 women from 16 countries participating in the Women’s Boxing Taiwan International.  According to news sources, Taiwan has won the right to host the third Asian Women's Boxing Championship in 2005.

(NOV 23) Well, this last Friday, there was another "Matchup"  that almost fell short of the radar screen when Mary Elizabeth Ortega, a boxer with an extensive boxing background, with a 26-2-1 (5KO) record, fought a four-rounder against a boxer who had just one win under her belt, along with five losses.

(NOV 23) Tonight at the Pepsi Coliseum, Indiana State Fairgrounds, in the co-main event,  Kristy 'Rose' Follmar, 127, the current NABC lightweight champion will be fighting Franchesca Alcanter, 129,  of Kansas City, Kansas. The two will be fighting for a belt in an eight-rounder. r a belt in an eight-rounder.

(NOV 21) Last night at the Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio, Colorado, New Mexico's Jackie Chavez won a una. decision over Jayla Ortiz to become the newest IFBA World Champion.

(NOV 20) It should be safe to say that we all know that Donna Biggers can defeat Nicole Perkins.  She has now stopped Perkins THREE TIMES in the FIRST round in the three bouts they have had together in the last few months.ISN”T it NOW time to move on to other victims...ah, Boxers?   Full Story

(NOV 20) On Friday, November 19 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit, Michigan, Kara Ro (132 lbs) of Windsor, Ontario, Canada won by a fourth-round TKO over Renee Richardt Douglas (132 lbs) of Fenton, Missouri.  Douglas is now 11-4-1 (4 KOs) while Ro improves to 11-0 (7 KOs). 

On Thursday Novermber 18 at the Marriott Hotel in Irvine, California, on a Golden Boy Promotions card Julie Rubalcava of Westminster, California won a six-round split (60-54,60-54,55-59) decision over Elizabeth Cervantes, originally from Mexico and now from Lakeside California. I'm told this was a bantamweight fight that was mostly fought at a distance and over-cautiously by both girls, provoking some boos and catcalls from the crowd. The third round was apparently the only one to contain significant action as Rubalcava opened up and scored with frequent hard left hooks to Cervantes's head. For most of the rest of the fight Cervantes was content to stay as far as possible from Rubalcava, who showboated but pursued her only in spurts, much to the crowd's displeasure. Rubalcava remains undefeated at 4-0 (1 KO), while Cervantes drops to 1-4.

(NOV 20) Melissa “HAYMAKER” Shaffer is back in action! Off the radar screen for eight months, she gives women’s boxing fans a heads up on where she has been, and what she’s been doing. To read more on Shaffer check out the one on one interview with this boxer. Also get an update on Kim "Fireball" Messer who is working with her!

(NOV 19) The main event features Atlanta's only undefeated heavyweight, Tom Nguyen, as he puts his 3-0 (1 KO) record on the line against Tennessee''s Lafarrell Bunteng who is 7-1 with all seven wins coming by way of knockout.

(NOV 19) Tonight in Detroit, Michigan, on a Showtime card - Renee Douglas, 11-3-1,  of St. Louis Missouri, will be facing Kara Ro, 10-0-0 (6KO), of Canada, in a six rounder on the undercard. Ro trains at Kronk's Gym in Detroit, Michigan. ©Photograph of Kara Ro by Donald Wambolt.

(NOV 18) Former IFBA Flyweight Champion Kim Messer will return to South Korea on December 19th, only this time she will escorting Melissa Shaffer, who will meet Juhnee Kim for the vacant 108 pound IFBA title. Messer, the first women to win a women's world title in Korea, has been working with Shaffer for over a year to get ready for this opportunity.

It was minutes before entering the arena in Seoul, Korea to fight for the world title when a handful of people entered Mariana Juarez’s locker room to give her a greeting. “No decision, you’re going to get knocked out,” said three different Koreans in English to a surprised Juarez. More 

(NOV 15) At a press conference in Caseros earlier this month, WIBF super bantamweight champion Marcela Acuña, who is now based in Tres de Febrero in the province of Buenos Aires and training at the Juan Carlos Lectoure gym with the likes of Raúl "Pepe" Balbi, Walter Damián "Bazooka" Díaz and Marcos Silvano "El Renegado" Díaz, announced that she expects to be challenging Sharon Anyos for her WIBF featherweight championship on the 10th December in Southport (Queensland, Australia.

(NOV 11) On December 3, 2004, at Earthlink Live, in Atlanta, Georgia, on the “Atlanta’s Firday Night Fights”, local boxers Janaya Davis, of Atlanta, will be fighting Ijeoma Egbunine, Smiyma, Georgia,  on the undercard in a four-rounder at 168 lbs., on the undercard.  Egbunine comes from the amateurs and has a 5-0 record.  The main event is heavyweights Tom Nguyen (3-0, 1 KO, Atlanta) vs Lafarrell Bunteng (7-1, 7 KO's, Memphis, TN). To purchase tickets online

(NOV 9) On November 18, 2004, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Califiornia, Molly McConnell (2-0-0), from Portland, Ore., takes on Tracy Carlton (1-5-1) in a four-round welterweight bout. This will be a rematch for the two. McConnell beat Carlton of Compton, Calif. in her first professional bout with a four-round unanimous decision.

(NOV 7) Last night at the Pavilion at Coushatta, in Kinder, Louisiana,   Valerie Mahfood, 161.5, stopped Yolanda Swindell, 163 3/4; 37 seconds into the second round by TKO.  Also,  Mia St. John, 131.5 won a four-round una. decision over Lana Alexander, 137, in a rematch.  Scores: 40-36, 40-36, 40-34.

(NOV 6) Cannot say that this was NOT predicted way before this match took place..Last night, Melinda Cooper took just 26 seconds of the first round, to stop Tracy Stevens in a mismatch at the Plaza Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(NOV 5) Last night at the SBC Center in San Antonio, Texas, Akondaye Fountain (161 kbs) of Houston TKO'd Trini Guzmán (169 lbs) of Houston at the end of the first round of a scheduled four-rounder. Fountain had knocked Guzmán down and Trini retired in her corner between rounds.   Fountain is now 3-0 (1 KO), while Guzmán falls to 1-3 (0 KO) with her second straight loss to Fountain.
Source: Dee Williams