Vonda Ward

Vonda Ward

Medal record
Competitor for  United States
Jones Cup
	1993 Jones Cup Taipei, Taiwan	Team Competition

Vonda Ward (born March 16, 1973, Macedonia, Ohio, United States) is an American female boxer who was also a well known NCAA basketball player.

Before boxing

Ward grew up in a sports-oriented family, as her father, Larry Ward, is a famous harness racer.

Ward played basketball at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights and was twice named Ohio's "Ms. Basketball."^[1] She made "Parade All American" teams twice. She was recruited by Division I universities across the United States.

In 1991, Ward accepted a basketball scholarship at the University of Tennessee. While a member of Pat Summitt's Lady Vols, Ward played in one NCAA basketball championship game (1995) during her college career at Tennessee, losing to the University of Connecticut. She competed with USA Basketball as a member of the 1993 Jones Cup Team that won the Bronze in Taipei.^[2] After her college career ended in 1995, Ward played for a professional basketball club in Germany. She later played for the American Basketball League's Colorado Xplosion.

Boxing career

After a broken leg cut her professional basketball career short, Ward turned her attention to boxing.

Ward's boxing debut occurred on January 15, 2000, when she knocked out Faye Steffen in round one at LaPorte, Indiana. Her first four fights all ended in first round knockout wins for Ward.

On April 27, 2000, she met Genevia Buckwalter in New York. Buckwalter became the first fighter to make it out of the first round against Ward, but Ward still won on a second round knockout.

Ward's next five rivals did not make it past the second round, with two first round knockouts and three second round wins. At this point of her career, she had a streak of twelve knockout wins in a row.

On February 2, 2001, she met prospect Kisha Snow as part of the state fair celebrations in Columbus, Ohio. Snow came into the fight undefeated after six bouts, and she and Ward engaged in a four round war, but Ward made Snow her thirteenth straight knockout victim. Then came Carley Pesente, on June 16, at Kansas City, Missouri. Pesente lasted two rounds.

After one more win, Ward challenged for the IBA's world's Heavyweight title on August 16, 2002. Ward became the champion, but saw her knockout win streak gone when she outpointed Monica McGowan in ten rounds at Canton, Ohio.

Ward defended her title successfully with an eighth round knockout over Kathy Rivers on December 6 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland. On March 1, 2003, she and Martha Salazar made their Las Vegas debut, with Ward taking a four round split decision win in a non-title bout.

After one more win, Ward unified her IBA world Heavyweight title with the WIBA's by defeating Salazar in a rematch, held on July 11 in Canton. Ward won by decision.

On May 8, 2004, Ward fought a nationally televised championship bout with Ann Wolfe in Biloxi, Mississippi. At one minute and eight seconds of the first round, Wolfe knocked out Ward with a devastating right to the chin-made even more devastating by the fact that Ward inadvertently jumped forward into the impact of the punch-leaving Ward profoundly asleep on the mat for a few minutes. This first round knockout defeat caused her to lose her title and her undefeated status. Ward had a neck concussion because she hit the canvas with her neck when she fell, and she was hospitalized after this bout.^[3][4]

On December 12, 2004, Ward returned to the boxing ring, knocking out Marsha Valley in four rounds in Cleveland.

Ward's boxing record stands at 23 wins and 1 loss, with 17 wins by knockout.^[5]

Professional boxing record

23 Wins (17 knockouts, 6 decisions), 1 Losses, 0 Draws, 0 No Contests[6]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Win	23–1	Carlette Ewell	UD	10	2008-02-23	Chapparells Community Center, Akron, Ohio
Win	22-1	Martha Salazar	UD	(10)	2007-02-10	Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio	Won inaugural WBC World female Heavyweight, Retained WIBA World Heavyweight, & IBA Female Heavyweight titles.
Win	21-1	Cassandra Giger	UD	(10)	2005-07-15	Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Win	20-1	Elizabeth Kerin	KO	2 (10), 1:33	2005-04-29	Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio	Won WIBA World Heavyweight, & IBA Female Heavyweight titles.
Win	19–1	Marsha Valley	TKO	4 (10), 1:47	2004-12-10	Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Loss	18–1	Ann Wolfe	KO	1 (10), 1:08	2004-05-08	Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi	Lost WIBA World Light Heavyweight title & For vacant IBA Female Light Heavyweight title.
Win	18–0	Martha Salazar	UD	(10)	2003-07-11	Civic Center, Canton, Ohio	Retained WIBA World Light Heavyweight & For vacant IBA Female Light Heavyweight titles.
Win	17–0	Jeanine Tracy	TKO	8 (10), 1:40	2003-03-14	Avalon Events Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Win	16–0	Martha Salazar	SD	(4)	2003-03-01	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	15–0	Kathy Rivers	TKO	8 (10), 1:40	2002-12-06	Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio	Retained WIBA World Light Heavyweight & IBA Female Light Heavyweight titless.
Win	14–0	Monica McGowan	UD	10	2002-07-16	Civic Center, Canton, Ohio	Won WIBA World Light Heavyweight & vacant IBA Female Light Heavyweight titles.
Win	13–0	GiGi Jackson	TKO	4 (4), 1:48	2002-02-22	Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Win	12–0	Carley Pesente	TKO	2 (4), 1:28	2001-05-16	Ameristar Casino, Kansas City, Missouri
Win	11–0	Kisha Snow	TKO	4 (4), 1:05	2001-02-02	Celeste Center, Columbus, Ohio
Win	10–0	Katie Courtney	TKO	1 (4)	2000-12-28	Willoughby, Ohio
Win	9–0	Marjorie Jones	KO	1 (4), 1;02	2000-10-19	The Cosmopolitan, Wickliffe, Ohio
Win	8–0	Sharon Thomas	TKO	1 (4), 1:24	2000-09-23	Packard Music Hall, Warren, Ohio
Win	7–0	Jeanine Tracy	TKO	2 (4)	2000-08-24	Columbus, Ohio
Win	6–0	Lisa Redding	TKO	1 (4), 0:31	2000-07-17	Station Casino, Saint Charles, Missouri
Win	5–0	Genevia Buckhalter	TKO	2 (4), 1:22	2000-04-27	Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, New York
Win	4–0	Lana Jock	KO	1 (4), 0:52	2000-03-24	UAW Hall, Parma, Ohio
Win	3–0	Nicolyn Armstrong	KO	1 (4), 0:59	2000-03-11	National Guard Armory, Findlay, Ohio
Win	2–0	Mattie Brumley	TKO	1 (4), 1:20	2000-02-29	Pepsi Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana
Win	1–0	Faye Steffen	KO	1 (4), 1:45	2000-01-15	Civic Center, La Porte, Indiana	Professional debut.

References

External links

• Vonda Ward's official website
• Professional boxing record for Vonda Ward from BoxRec