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5'8" junior lightweight Kara "KO" Ro (really Kara Olivia Rheault,
but pronounced
the same way) was born on November 9, 1975 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. She grew up
in Northern Ontario but has lived most of her adult life in Windsor, Ontario, just
across the river from Detroit, Michigan. Kara moved there to study Psychology
and then Business at the University of Windsor.
Kara always enjoyed sports, and she excelled in
basketball, tennis, volleyball (in which she captained the U of Windsor Women's
Team). She began boxing after her second year at the University of Windsor,
when her hockey player boyfriend signed a contract to play in the NHL.
She told
Andre Courtemanche of Fightnews.com "I told him that lots of hockey
players learn boxing to be more aggressive. Originally, I went along to be
supportive, but quickly became addicted to the toughness the sport demands. To be honest, after
my first day in the gym, I couldn’t get out of bed for two days, I couldn’t laugh or cry because my back hurt so badly.”
But Kara soon found that she had a natural affinity for boxing and began competing
as an amateur.
Kara's first gym was the Border City Boxing Club, where retired world champion
Margaret Sidoroff also trained and now coaches. She also fought out of the Adanac Boxing Club.
At the Dayton Women's Invitational at Westwood Recreation Center in Dayton, Ohio on June 29, 2001
Kara defeated Stella Nijhof of New York by decision in a 125-lb bout. Later that year
she won her division in the 2001 Ringside tournament in Kansas City, defeating
then Canadian champion Donna Mancuso in her first bout. "After
that, I fought a tough Mexican girl and while I was in the ring, I heard someone
from the crowd yell, ‘that girl hits like a man!’ I was so happy when they
strapped the belt around me.” Kara went on to defeat another Canadian champion,
Wendy Broad, before turning pro in September 2002.
As a pro boxer, Kara trains at the Kronk Gym in Detroit with trainer
Javen "Sugar" Hill under the guidance of manager Emanuel Steward.
She made her pro debut on September 27, 2002 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan,
weighing in at 128½ lbs and winning a four-round unanimous decision over
southpaw Terri Blair (128½ lbs) of Louisville, Kentucky who fell to 2-2-0 (1 KO).
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On February 7, 2003
again at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan,
she won by a fourth-round TKO over Julia Day of Georgetown, Kentucky.
Day, who was
fighting for the second time in four days, was knocked down three times and also
had a point deducted for holding; she fell to
3-3-0 (1 KO) with this loss to Kara. |
Julia Day was no match for Kara in Ro's second fight!
 On June 27, 2003 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan,
Kara (130 lbs) won a clear four-round unanimous (40-35,40-35,40-46)
decision over pro debut fighter Kim Colbert (128 lbs), who she also sent to the
canvas during the fight (see the picture at left).
On August 30, 2003 at Sam's Town Casino, Tunica, Mississippi, Kara TKO'd Melissa Rodriguez in the
first round. Rodriguez was making her pro debut.
On September 2, 2003 at Mountaineer Race Track in Chester, West Virginia,
ESPN2's Tuesday Night Fights doubled as a crime scene when
Kara (134 lbs) gained her first TV exposure in a mismatch with
winless Leona Tanner (135 lbs) of Weirton, West Virginia. Ro totally dominated the first round
and nailed Tanner with straight right 0:15 into the second, producing a TKO.
Tanner, a former Toughwoman contestant, fell to 0-4. Her last pro fight before
facing Kara had been in June 2002, when she was
KO'd in just 40 seconds by Amy Burton.
On December 5, 2003 at the Polk County Convention Complex in Des Moines, Iowa,
Kara TKO'd Sarah Schneider of Cameron, Missouri in the third round, dropping
Schneider's record to 1-1 (1 KO).
On March 12, 2004 at Edgewater Casino in Laughlin, Nevada,
Kara (132½ lbs) won a six-round unanimous (59-55,59-55,58-56) decision over
Blanca Luna (5'2", 130½ lbs) of Las Vegas, who fell to 4-3-1 (0 KO).
On April 2, 2004 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan,
Kara TKO'd Talia Smith of Ohio at 1:29 in the fourth round. According to WBAN's
insider, Smith had been knocked down three times with the last knockdown
resulting in the stoppage. The loss dropped Smith's record to 3-4-0.
On August 28, 2004 at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan, Kara (134½ lbs) won a
clear (60-54) six-round unanimous decision over Angie Poe (135½ lbs) of
Denver, Colorado. Poe fell to 3-3-0 (2 KO).
Kara dominated Renee Richardt Douglas
© Copyrighted photo by Dan Graschuck
On November 19, 2004 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit, Michigan,
Kara (132 lbs) won by a fourth-round TKO over Renee Richardt Douglas (132 lbs)
of Fenton, Missouri. I'm told that Douglas tried to make a fight of it for a
while, but Kara Ro was too strong and quick for her. Douglas fell to 11-4-1 (4
KOs) while Ro improved to 11-0 (7 KOs). (For more photo coverage of the fight by
Dan Graschuck, see
Photo Gallery #230
on the WBAN Member Site).
 On February 18, 2005 at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit, Kara (132
lbs) easily won the WIBA Intercontinental Lightweight title with a
79-72,79-74,78-73 eight-round decision over veteran
Tracy Byrd (129 lbs) of Detroit. Ro had more power in her punches and
sent Byrd to the canvas with a long right in the sixth, while Byrd was
unable to get inside Ro's defense often enough. Byrd fell to 13-8 (4 KOs). (For more photo coverage of
the fight by Wyoman Mitchell, see
Photo Gallery #245
on the WBAN Member Site).
On June 10, 2005 at the State Fair Grounds in Detroit, Michigan, Kara won
the vacant WIBA Lightweight title with a convincing (99-91,98-92,| 98-92)
10-round unanimous decision over Miami-based
Belinda Laracuente of Puerto Rico.
The taller Ro stalked
Laracuente throughout, landing body shots and left hooks fairly
consistently. Laracuente tried to use movement and counterpunching to outfox
her younger opponent, but wasn’t busy enough to win many rounds.
The experienced and
elusive Laracuente to 21-9-2 (9 KOs).
According to the WIBA, on May 12 2006 Kara advised the WIBA that she would
retire and relinquish her WIBA titles. She was the #5 ranked lightweight in
WBAN's rankings on May 1, 2006.
Kara Ro vs Kim Colbert, September 2006
On September 15, 2006 at Little River Casino in
Manistee, Michigan, Kara ended her retirement by winning a six-round
unanimous (60-54) decision over Kim Colbert of Southfield, Michigan. Kara
improved her pro record to 14-0 (7 KOs) while dropping Colbert to
2-11-0 (2 KO's).
Kara can be contacted by email at
kara_ro@hotmail.com.
 Other Kara Ro links
For fight reports, up-to-date boxer records and huge digital photos, go to
the WBAN Member Site
Page last updated:
Friday September 30, 2011 |
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