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WBAN AWARDS 2003
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Fighter of the
Year
Kelsey "Road Warrior"
Jeffries
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| There is
no doubt why Kelsey Jeffries has been named WBAN's 2003 Fighter of
the year. Jeffries has had eight fights, winning 7 out of the
8, with her only loss this year to Jo Jo Wyman, who she also
defeated this year. She took on some very tough opposition,
including defending her IFBA Featherweight World title belt twice.
Runner-Ups: Ann "Brown Sugar" Wolfe, Isra Girgrah, Laila Ali
Honorable Mentioned: Sunshine Fettkether, Layla
McCarter, Ada Velez, and Jenifer Alcorn, Valerie
Mahfood. |
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Highest
Achievements
of the Year
Ann "Brown Sugar" Wolfe |
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Ann Wolfe faced her
only loss this year when she fought Valerie Mahfood in what was
picked by boxing fans as the best televised women's fight of the
year. Wolfe has demonstrated that she also gives back to the
sport and the community. She opened up a boxing gym for kids
this year in Texas. Runner-Up: Isra Girgrah
Honorable Mentioned: Kelsey Jeffries, Layla McCarter,
Melissa Del Valle, and Naquana Smalls.
WBAN Member's Photo Fight Galleries on Wolfe Gallery #4,
Gallery #88, Video Streaming Gallery #89, Gallery #93 |
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Most
Inspirational
of the Year
Sumya "Island Girl" Anani |
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Sumya Anani did not
get many opportunities to fight this year - in fact, she got one
fight---and that ended in a win for her in two minutes. But
Regardless, Anani talks about issues in the sport even if those
issues are controversial, and she is a positive role model for other
women boxers. Runner-Up: Ann Wolfe Honorable
Mentioned: Sunshine Fettkether, Layla McCarter
WBAN Member's Photo Fight Galleries on Wolfe Gallery #92,
Gallery #74 (her coverage of the Ali-Martin fight before she had her
"Credentials pulled." , Gallery #47, |
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THE BUSIEST
Boxer of the Year
Stephanie "All Action" Dobbs
| Stephanie Dobbs, 8-12-2
(5KO), 102 lobs., of Moore, Oklahoma, IS THE BUSIEST Pro
Female Boxer of the year in 2003. Dobbs has had 13 fights,
that included fighting Anita Christensen in Denmark! Dobbs
loves to box, and she is training very hard to improve in the sport.
Dobbs has fought just about any and everyone in her weight class.
Dobbs' ring name is "All Action", but WBAN calls her a lil'
spitfire, because when you see footage of her, she is not only "All
Action", but she is gutsy like a spitfire! |
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Top European Fighter
Regina Halmich
| German Female boxer
Regina Halmich, 43-1-0 (15KO), remains one of the most popular and
noted boxers in her country. Halmich has been on many
television programs, magazines, and this year she was named by the
German Magazine MAXIM in their sports section as "Woman of the Year
Award." |
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Top Amateur
of the Year
Chris Martinon |
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Chris Martinon, 17,
of California, won the USA Boxing Nationals earlier this year.
Chris had
actually entered the open division at USA Nationals and beat
national champ Stella Nihoff in the first match, But that win was
disqualified when it was discovered she was not old enough. Chris
re-enter the tournament and the won that division, and was
ultimately named "Best Boxer".
Martinon just
recently won the open division of the National PAL Tournament.
Runner-Up: Naquana
Smalls |
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Best-Kept Secret
Woman Boxer
Valanna McGee
So WHO IS the
Best-Kept Secret woman boxer for the year 2003? Well, ask no
further, because it can be no other than Valanna McGee! McGee,
23. a featherweight, with a 4-2-0 record, from Sacramento,
California, has taken on some of the toughest foes in her boxing
career thus far! Check this out....McGee has her pro debut
against Eliza Olson...Ouch, that is a tough start.... With
only a 2-1 record McGee steps through the ropes against IFBA World
champion Kelsey Jeffries and loses by only an eight-round split
decision! So folks...BE ON THE LOOKOUT for this "Best-Kept
Secret" because WBAN's prediction is that McGee will not be a secret
for long! |
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Top Rookies
of the Year (Tied)
Carina Moreno - Mary Jo
Sanders
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Carina Moreno,
23, 3-0-0, works out at the Watsonville Police Activities League
under the tutelage of Rick Noble. Carina is a formal three-time
member of the U.S. national Women's Boxing Team. Moreno won the
2001 Championships for the same event. In August 2002, Moreno won
her third-straight national title at the U.S. Women's National
Boxing Championship in Scranton. Moreno made her pro debut in July,
and almost did not get on the "Riot of the Hyatt" when not one boxer
would step forward to fight her. Finally they did find an
opponent, and Moreno won the fight with a unanimous decision.
Mary Jo Sanders,
6-0-0, fights out of Detroit, Michigan, and in less than one year
has already fought six times! Sanders is definitely a rising
star on the scene and will be tough foe for many boxers in the sport
today.! Sanders made her pro debut in February 2003, and has
been going strong ever since! |
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Busiest Rookie
of the Year
Hollie "Hot Stuff" Dunaway
| Hollie "Hot Stuff"
Dunaway, 110 lbs., of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, has had NINE fights
in the year 2003, making her pro debut in February! She has
been busy for a new fighter, accumulating a 6-3-0 record.
Dunaway did not come from the amateurs. |
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The Most Unexpected
Rookie Of the Year
Tonya "America's Bad Girl"
Harding
| Tonya Harding, ice
skater turned boxer, began her boxing career in the year 2002,
when she fought an exhibition match against Paula Jones on
"Celebrity Boxing." This year in February, Harding
made her pro debut, and has fought five fights this year,
accumulating a 3-2-0 record. The news media buzzed in a frenzy when
Harding, best known as an Olympic ice skater turned to boxing.
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Top Televised Fight of the Year
Ann Wolfe vs. Valerie Mahfood
| The Ann Wolfe vs.
Valerie Mahfood rematch in the year 2003 won "Hands down" when the
overwhelming votes by boxing fans went to this fight! Wolfe
and Mahfood fought on the same card as the Ali - Martin fight on
Pay-Per-View. |
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Top Untelevised Fight of the Year
Jo Jo Wyman vs. Laura Serrano
| This fight SHOULD have
been televised---it wasn't. Jo Jo Wyman fought Laura Serrano
in July of 2003, and she won by a six-round unanimous decision over
Serrano. Wyman dropped Serrano in the second and fifth Round. |
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Biggest Upsets of the Year
Lisa Holewyne defeating
Sunshine Fettkether
Very few people thought
that Lisa Holewyne could pull a win after being stopped by Sunshine
Fettkether the first time that they fought earlier this year, but
Holewyne changed trainers and worked out hard to rematch with
Fettkether. Holewyne defeated Fettkether and gained a GBU
Welterweight belt in the process!
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Galina
Ivanova defeating Daisy Lang |
In November of
2003, Oberfrankenhalle, Bayreuth,
In a big upset, Super Flyweight Galina Ivanova (Gumliiska) won a ten-round unanimous decision
and becoming the new WIBF Super-Flyweight champion over Daisy Lang.
Not many thought that Ivanova, at 9-9-1 would defeat
Lang, 17-1-1, but she won convincingly with final judges scores
at 96-94, 99-91, an 97-93. |
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