Boxing News Boxing News
An IFBA World welterweight title fight between Jill Emery and Angel Martinez has been added to Thursday night’s (June 12) Fox Sports Net’s Best Damn Championship Fight Night Period card at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
IFBA World junior featherweight champion Lisa “Bad News” Brown (14-3-3, 4 KOs) and challenger Alicia “Slick” Ashley (14-7-1, 1 KO) headline Best Damn Championship Fight Night Period, presented by Cappiello Boxing in association with Hollybrook Regency, Inc., in the 10-round main event.
Emery-Martinez for the vacant IFBA World welterweight championship replaces the 10-round co-feature with Elena “Baby Doll” Reid (9-4-5, 5 KOs) defending her IFBA World flyweight crown. Reid’s original opponent, Russian invader Anastasia Toktaulova (12-8, 2 KOs), failed to get her visa issued and her replacement, Crystal Hoy, wasn’t approved because she’s still under suspension. Emery was already on the June 12th show, scheduled to face Crystal Nickel in a 6-round bout, but she gladly accepted a world title shot against Martinez. Reid now faces undefeated Ava Knight (3-0-1) in a 6-round non-title fight.
Pittsburgh-native Emery (8-2, 3 KOs), a graduate of Bucknell University, is a 3-time US Nationals champion, who now lives and fights out of New York City, where she is a physical training instructor. She captured top honors four years in the New York Daily News Golden Gloves Championship, won a gold medal in the 2004 Women’s World Boxing Tournament, and was named 2004 USA Boxing’s Female Athlete of the Year. As a pro, Jill was the winner of the first women’s pro fight in Ireland last June by eight-round decision versus Angel McKenzie in a shutout performance, winning all eight rounds on the scorecard.
Martinez (6-4-1, 1 KOs), fighting out of Dallas, has a deceiving record because she’d be 6-1 if not for four fights against Holly Holm, who, ironically, relinquished her IFBA World welterweight that Emery and Martinez are fighting for when she agreed to fight for the vacant IFBA World junior middleweight belt June 13 against Mary Jo Sanders. In addition to fighting a draw with Holm, Martinez holds a 10-round win by decision against former star Christy Martin.
Las Vegas’ undefeated mega-star Melinda Cooper (18-0, 10 KOs) fights for the first time in nearly 18 months versus KO artist Donna “Nature Girl” Biggers (19-7-1, 16 KOs), of Shelby, North Carolina, in a special 6-round junior featherweight bout.
Also on the undercard in a 6-rounder, junior featherweight contender Jeri Stizes (14-7-1, 6 KOs), of Springfield, Missouri, takes on always tough Ela “Bam Bam” Nunez (6-3, 2 KOs), fighting out of Jamestown, New York. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.
Tickets are priced at $10.00, $25.00 and $40.00 and on sale at the Mohegan Sun box office or online at www.mohegansun.com.
Go to www.ifba.com for more information. The undercard will start a 7 PM/ET, followed by the first of three scheduled televised bouts beginning at 8 PM/ET.
