Hines Stopped In Two At Kokomo
From Staff Reports 

KOKOMO, IN - Little Rock bantamweight Brianna Hines had
the most experience, but Tabitha Hayes apparently had the heavier punch. 

In her professional boxing debut, Hayes knocked out Hines at 1:29 of the second round Saturday (Oct. 18) at the Johanning Civic Center. The bout was scheduled for four. 

Hines (1-2, 1 KO) dropped her second straight fight since she won her March debut by a second-round TKO over Ft. Smith, AR's Traci Castillo (0-1). 

The Hines-Hayes bout was on the undercard of the six-round light heavyweight main event between Pennsylvania's Brian Cohen and Kansan Ray Cunningham. Cohen (7-1, 6 KOs) knocked out Cunningham (5-10, 5 KOs) at 28 seconds of the second round. 

Frustrated Hill Loses By Decision
From Staff Reports 

GARY, IN - Russellville, AR featherweight Kerri Hill suffered her fifth straight defeat by unanimous decision Saturday night (August 2) at U.S. Steel Yard. 

Hill (1-11, 1 KO) lost to Chicago's Evette Collazo (4-0, 2 KOs). All three scorecards had Collazo winning the four-rounder, 40-36. 

Hill said she was the actual winner of the fight. 

"I know (Collazo) didn't win that fight. It was one of those hometown decisions. I had her on the ropes several times," Hill said. "I was the one pressuring her." 

There were no knockdowns in the fight and neither fighter was seriously hurt. 

"She had some pop, but nothing ever rattled me," Hill said. "Every time she threw a hard punch, I was there to answer back. I did more pressuring this fight and took less time between punches." 

Hill has lost seven bouts by unanimous decision, and one by majority decision. She has three losses by TKO. 

"Yes, the unanimous decision losses are frustrating," Hill said, but it's a case of being in other peoples' home town a lot of times. There's been cases where I just lost. I admit to that. In my heart I know I won this fight."

Team Dunaway: We Were Robbed
From Staff Reports 

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Things didn't quite go as planned for Hollie "Hot Stuff" Dunaway Friday night (June 13) in her rematch against Wendy Rodriguez on the "Finally" card at Isleta Casino & Resort. 

A native of Van Buren, AR, who is currently living in Las Vegas, Dunaway entered Friday's fight with utmost confidence after winning a convincing eight-round unanimous decision last year against Rodriguez. But Rodriguez fought less aggressively in that first meeting by laying on the ropes a good part of the fight. 

But Rodriguez chose to mix it up more with Dunaway Friday night. And she was awarded with a contoversial split decision victory. Rodriguez won 96-94 and 98-92 on two cards, while Dunaway claimed a 96-94 edge on the third card. 

The Dunaway-Rodriguez bout was one of four women's bouts with world titles on the line. In the main event, Holly Holm upended Mary Jo Sanders by 10-round unanimous decision, and won the IFBA Light Middleweight title. Holm improved to 22-1-2, 6 KOs, while Sanders fell to 25-1, 8 KOs. Sanders is the daughter of former NFL player Charlie Sanders.

Dunaway Eyes
KO Against
Rodriguez

Editor 

Hollie "Hot Stuff" Dunaway hasn't let the bright lights of the big city blind her.

 

In fact, the frenetic pace of her adopted hometown of Las Vegas only mirrors Dunaway's furious fighting style.
 

A native of tiny Van Buren, AK, Dunaway (21-6, 10 KOs) is the WIBF/GBU/WIBC minimumweight world champion. She takes on LA's Wendy Rodriguez (18-4, 3 KOs), the IBA Junior Flyweight champion, Friday night (June 13) on "Finally" Pay-Per-View women's card from Isleta Casino & Resort, in Albuquerque, NM. The vacant IBA Strawweight and IFBA Mini-Flyweight world titles are on the line.

 

Dunaway enters the 10-round fight with the confidence of having soundly defeated Rodriguez 15 months ago in Missouri. Dunaway won an eight-round unanimous decision (80-72 X 2 and 79-73. Dunaway said everything is pointing to an even bigger victory.

 

"In the first fight, I gave her a lot of respect. I knew I could beat her. I learned two weeks before the fight I was going to be on the card. Now I'm bigger and stronger and I'm not going to give her as much respect, and look for that knockout," Dunaway told Deep South Boxing after weighing in on Thursday.

 

Dunaway tipped the scales at 104 pounds, one pound under the contract weight of 105 pounds. Rodriguez weighed 101.1 pounds.

 

"I'm going to come at her," Dunaway said. "If she is still standing after the sixth or seventh round, I'll put more pressure on her throwing combinations and sitting down on my punches. I have improved a lot since the first fight. My power shots have improved and my conditioning has improved. My work ethic for this fight has been great.

 

"(Rodriguez) fights on the inside real well,"  Dunaway said. "She'll let me get her in a corner. She can hold her own in the corner. I'll be prepared for that this time."

 

Dunaway said she looks to end fights with every punch.

 

"I hit hard. I'm a natural puncher," Dunaway said. "I don't paw too much. I throw every punch to make it hurt. I throw punches with bad intentions."

 

Dunaway said she feels stronger for this fight.

 

"I walk around at about 120 pounds," Dunaway said. "I got a little lazy at one time. But ever since September, 2007, I've gotten my weight right and haven't let it get out of control not having to lose 15 pounds."

 

A 2003 Van Buren High School graduate, Dunaway moved to St. Louis 18 months ago where she began training under former bantamweight world contender Harold Petty and Chris Tyler. Dunaway moved to Vegas at the first of the year and continues to train under Tyler.

 

In her last outing, in January, the 23-year-old Dunaway won the NABF Flyweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Sharon Gaines.

 

"My mother still lives in Van Buren," Dunaway said. "I get recognized everywhere I go when I'm there. I love it in Las Vegas. I took it in steps going from St. Louis to Las Vegas and not going from a small town to a big city right off, so it's not overwhelming. I like the hot weather and have gotten spoiled from the 24-hour lifestyle."

 

The "Finally" card is said to be the biggest card of any women's card. It includes five fighters who are ranked No. 1. Three other world title bouts are scheduled.  

 

"Women's boxing is on its way up, and still climbing," Dunaway said. "The show (Friday) will help it more and more. Officials are planning for 200,000 pay-per-views. The myth about women not being able to fight will be gone, not in some eyes, but it will be a big start."

 

Dunaway's manager, Ron Brand, has wagered $1,000 on a Dunaway knockout. If Dunaway wins any other way than a knockout, the wager goes to charity. Dunaway said she is planning on Brand collecting on his wager.

 

"I'm predicting a knockout," Dunaway said. "(The wager) is a little more incentive in this fight to punch a little bit harder."

Dunaway Has 3 Pounds On Rodriguez
From Bob Trieger
Full Court Press 

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Van Buren, AR native and current Las Vegas resident Hollie Dunaway (21-6, 10 KOs) weighed in a pound under the contract weight of 105 pounds Thursday for Friday night's (June 13) bout against Wendy Rodriguez (18-4-3, 3 KOs). 

The weigh-in is leading up to Friday's "Finally" card, which features four women's world championship bouts. A 2003 graduate of Van Buren High School, Dunaway has four world titles to her credit. 

Hollie Dunaway (104) vs. Wendy Rodriguez (101.1)
(For vacant IBA World Strawweight & IFBA World Miini-Flyweight Championships) 

Venue: Isleto Casino & Resort, Albuquerque, NM
Promoter: Fresquez Promotions
Television: Produced and distributed by Integrated Sports for live viewing in the United States and Canada (10 p.m./ET) on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN DEMAND, TVN, Shaw Communications, DirecTV, Bell Expressvue and StarChoice for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.

Dunaway Looks To Top Rodriguez Again
From Bob Treiger
Full Court Press 

ALBUQUERQUE - May 7 - IBA junior flyweight champion Wendy “Little Thunder” Rodriguez will be seeking revenge June 13 when she fights one of only four opponents to ever defeat her, Hollie “Hot Stuff” Dunaway, in their 10-round bout for the vacant IBA Strawweight belt on the “Finally” pay-per-view event, airing live (9 p.m.CT from Isleta Casino & Resort in Albuquerque, NM.

 

Rodriguez (18-4, 3 KOs), of Los Angeles, lost an eight-round decision March 15, 2007 to Dunaway (21-6, 10 KOs), the reigning WIBF-GBU/WIBC Minimumweight title-holder and NABF Flyweight champion, fighting out of Las Vegas by way of Van Buren, AR.

 

“I hadn’t fought in more than a year,” Wendy explained. “I thought we were fighting at 102 pounds, so I got down to that weight, but they upped it to 105, and then 107. I took the fight anyway but mentally I wasn’t into it. I was real rusty.”

 

 “Finally,” promoted by Fresquez Productions, Inc., is being produced and distributed by Integrated Sports for live viewing in the United States and Canada (9 p.m. CT) on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, TVN, Shaw Communications, DirecTV, Bell Expressvue and StarChoice for a suggested retail price of only $24.95.

 

The greatest collection of women boxers on one show, including five independently No. 1 rated fighters, are scheduled to battle in four world title bouts on “Finally.”

 

The main event features the top two women boxers in the world today, Albuquerque favorite Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm (21-1-2, 6 KOs), recognized as the No. 1 welterweight in the world, against the world’s No. 1 middleweight, Detroit icon Mary Jo Sanders (25-0, 8 KOs), squaring-off in the 10-round main event for the vacant IFBA junior middleweight crown and universal pound-for-pound supremacy.

 

Rodriquez has a degree in child development and she works in infancy relationship, making home visits for play therapy with needy children who are sick. Wendy is a 4-foot-11 dynamo who is a true ring technician.

 

“Hollie is a counter puncher, tough and really strong,” Rodriguez added. “It’s going to be an interesting matchup of styles. I’m really excited about fight on this pay-per-view show with some of the best woman fighters in the world. Normally, men fight on shows like this and maybe there’s one women’s fight. Finally, we’re getting an opportunity like this and I think it’s going to take us to another level.”

 

WIBA & IBA Junior Lightweight title-holder Chevelle “Fists of Steel” Hallback (26-5-2, 11 KOs), fighting out of Tampa (FL), takes on WIBA Featherweight champion Jeannine “G9” Garside (7-0-1, 3 KOs), of Ontario (Canada), in a 10-rounder for the vacant IFBA Lightweight title. Hallback-Garside has all the makings of a female version of Gatti-Ward.

 

The WBC 2007 Fighter of the Year, WBC Mininumweight champ Carina “La Reina” Moreno (11-1, 5 KOs), of Watsonville (CA), faces WIBA Flyweight champion Eileen “The Hawaiian Mongoose” Olszewski (5-0-1), fighting out of New York City by way of Honolulu, in a 10-round fight for the IFBA Junior Flyweight crown. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

 

Tickets are priced at $50, $100, $150, $200, $350.00 and $500. The first televised bout is 6 p.m. CT.

Carrine Hamlett, left, jabs Nicole Woods.(Photo credit: Gail Janotta)

Lopez, 
Woods Capture Wins By Decision


By RANDY HAMMONS
Editor 


TUNICA, MS - Alejandra Lopez punched in bunches and earned a victory by unanimous decision over Brianna Hines Saturday, April 26 on Prize Fight Boxing's monthly "Fights At The Fitz" card at Fitzgerald's Hotel & Casino.                                                                     

Fighting out of Fort Smith, AR, Lopez won the four-round bantamweight bout by unanimous decision. Judges Reecia Mullens, Gerald Deming and Louis Henry all scored the fight for Lopez, 40-36. Deep South Boxing also saw it as a shutout for Lopez (2-3). Hines, from Little Rock, dropped to 1-1, 1 KO. 

From the punch count, it appeared Lopez was the more conditioned fighter. She let her hands go from the opening bell. Lopez immediately caught Hines with combinations and a solid right hand to the head. It was more of those combinations that sent Hines to the ropes as the bell sounded to end the round. 

Lopez maintained the pressure in the second round. A pair of right hands found their target. And a left-right-combination was followed by another right hand that rocked the head of Hines. 

The action slowed in the third round. Lopez didn't put as much pressure on Hines as the first two rounds, but she still managed to score near the end of the round on a stinging right that again drove back Hines. 

Hines threw few punches in the final round while Lopez continued to get her right hook in there from time to time. Just before the bell to end the fight, Lopez cracked Hines with a solid left hand. 

WOODS WINS DECISION:
Atlanta's Nicole "Notorious" Woods won a four-round unanimous decision over lanky Mount Vernon, NY's Carrine "Punisher" Hamlett in a welterweight scrap. 

The 30-year-old Woods, who improved to 4-2, scored a knockdown in the opening round via a straight right hand. Woods used a stiff jab and left-right combinations to keep the 38-year-old Hamlett (0-2-1) at bay for the remainder of the fight. 

Mullens and Deming favored Woods 39-36, while Henry had Woods winning 40-35. 

The women's bouts were on the undercard of the Chris Howard-Ricky Alexander lightweight main event. Howard knocked out Alexander in the second round. The bout was scheduled for six. 

The next "Fights At The Fitz" card is scheduled for May 24 and will be staged outdoors.

Dunaway Fights For Jr. Flyweight Title
FROM BOB TRIEGER
Full Court Press