Yvonne Trevino

Yvonne Trevino (born January 18), is an American former women's kickboxing and boxing champion from Peoria, Arizona, United States.^[1]

Background

Trevino was popular among boxing and kickboxing fans during the 1990s, especially in the Southwestern United States and in her Native home state of Arizona. Her popularity led her to have a loyal following as well. Trevino modeled the meaning of dedication and discipline along with the desire to succeed in any sport she encountered to learn.

Trevino grew up the third child in a family of four children. As children for entertainment they would always come up with outdoor activities that were often sport challenges and physical obstacles courses that kept them actively competitive with each other around the home. Trevino athletic potential was noticed early by her fourth grade school teacher Ms. Gehring, who encouraged Trevino to ask her parents permission to stay after school and participate in sports. Trevino said being involved in sports was a good turning point in her life it kept her focused, disciplined and out of trouble. Married young while attending college on athletic scholarship, Trevino unexpectedly became a divorced single parent never returning to finish college. Becoming a kickboxer after watching a women's match on TV and was intent on mastering a new challenge. She talked her way into some pretty tough gyms. On one occasion a head trainer matched Trevino with an advanced fighter who was told to go hard on her. When the fighter exposed an opening Trevino said she got the living air kicked out of her. It took all her strength to stand back up gasp for air, regain her composure and not walk out defeated. It convinced Trevino to work harder on strategy and improving her defense. Most gyms were preparing guys for the golden gloves competitions with dreams of Olympic gold medals and future lucrative professional boxing careers. Trevino could only imagine the possibilities for women to display their pugilist talent.

Trevino searched for a trainer with experience in a southpaw left-handed fighting stance and who could keep her diverse in both hand skills and kickboxing styles. She began training at Fairtex Muay Thai Camp in Chandler Arizona where she trained religiously competing in both Muay Thai Kickboxing and Boxing events earning her first WIBF flyweight World Boxing title and IMTO International Muay Thai Kickboxing title. After several years the Fairtex Muay Thai Camp unexpectedly closed doors and relocated to San Francisco, California. Choosing to move to Las Vegas to stay near her family Trevino trained briefly with Jeff and Roger Mayweather for the ABC Wide World of sports WIBF title defense. After a falling out with a manager in Las Vegas, Trevino moved to Los Angeles, often training at several gyms in search of a trainer to help with her left-handed boxing style. Unsuccessful in her search, Trevino returned to Arizona and had her family train and corner her fights. Trevino believed several factors plagued women fighters over the years. Trevino believes the lack of lucrative payouts made it impossible for women fighters to pursue their passion for the sport. The lack of main stream media exposure made most fighters unknown to the general public. After working a full-time job in the Arizona heat and defending and losing several world titles, Trevino felt the need to retire after having spent nearly ten years in the fight arena and said she was extremely proud of her accomplishments.

Career

According to State Boxing Commission rulings only registered licensed boxers who participated in sanctioned boxing matches were recognized professional bouts. Kickboxers were known as Martial Artist and matches were not recognized in combination with sanctioned boxing records. The documentation presented reflects boxing commissioned sanctioned bouts and known kickboxing recorded matches combined.

Yvonne Trevino first became known as "the terminator" in the early 1990 kickboxing scene competing in her first kckboxing match against fighter Lamour Myriah on May 15, 1993 in Phoenix Arizona. Trevino immediately entered another kickboxing match on May 25, 1993 winning against a well known tough Tucson Arizona fighter Lonnie Shelby. On June 19, 1993 in California in a kickboxing match Trevino went on defeating well known martial artist Cynthia Prouder in a decision. On July 10, 1993 both Trevino and Lonnie Shelby rematched each seeking a chance at earning an Arizona State Championship Kickboxing title with the bout ending with Trevino winning by decision. Then on Aug 28,1993 in Arizona Trevino fought Yvonne Chavez in a local kickboxing match defeating Chavez with a decision.

On September 18, 1993,an invitation as a last minute replacement fighter Trevino immediately joined the professional women's boxing ranks with a surprising four-round decision win over Chris Kreuz in Davenport, Iowa. On November 19, 1993 Trevino determined to build her fight record by winning a kickboxing bout against Lapin Padilla for the United States IKBA International Kickboxing Association title.In her second boxing bout, against the stunt double debutante Bridgett Riley, with a decision win over Trevino in Laughlin, Nevada on April 8, 1994. A year later on April 20, 1995, at the Aladdin Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada Trevino was invited for an opportunity to fight in the first all women's card for the new WIBF Women's International Boxing Federation in her third boxing bout. Trevino caused what perhaps could be described as women's boxing first major upset, technically knocking out the popular and well known Germany fighter Regina Halmich ringside doctors stopped the fight after Regina suffered a major cut under her eye from a four round, knock down action. Trevino had suffered a broken left hand in the first round worried the fight would be stopped she continued on and became the new Women's International Boxing Federation WIBF world Flyweight champion.^[2] On January 11, 1994 in a kickboxing match against a California fighter Fredia Gibbs who was stunned early in the bout by Trevino ending the match with a controversial draw favoring Gibbs. On August 27, 1994 in Burbank California Trevino excepted another kickboxing rematch against Fredia Gibbs, again Gibbs came out with an decisioned win. On Jan 17th,1995 Trevino met for the first time the explosive Korean fighter Kym Messer in an action packed kickboxing match with Messer winning the match that was stopped in the 9th round. On November 25, 1995 Trevino headed to Las Vegas Nevada to fight in a Master Toddy's production for a Muay Thai kickboxing match defeating UK opponent Anne Quinlin with a devastating knee to the face damaging the UK fighters nose and forcing the match to be stopped by ringside doctors in the second round. A month later on December 9, 1995 at the Table Mountain Casino in Fresno California Trevino anxiously re-matched Messer for(IMTO) International Muay Thai Organization Championship title belt sanctioned by B John productions. Trevino brought home her first women's Muay Thai Championship title to Fairtex Muay Thai Camp in Chandler Arizona with a win defeating Kym Messer.

Despite the fact that her next opponent Delia Gonzalez, a well-known boxer from New Mexico, also fought in the first women's 1995 WIBF sanction bouts, disappointingly both fighters were refused a sanctioned world championship bout by then managed WIBF organization(Jimmy Finn) on June 1, 1996 in Las Vegas. The two opponents went on and fought to a four-round technical draw (tie). On September 21, 1996 in Laughlin Nevada a boxing match with Christine Sullivan of Texas the fight being stopped in the third round Trevino won a TKO decision. Inactive for about a year Trevino excepted a nationally televised bout on ABC Wide World of Sport matched against Brenda Rouse a fighter from the stable of well known professional boxer Tommy Morrison the bout being stopped in the first round after Rouse against the ropes failed to respond to a flurry of punches.^[3] On April 29, 1997 in Tempe Arizona in a boxing match against fighter Akiya Griggs who seemed to be overwhelmed, the bout being stopped in the first round with Trevino winning the match by TKO.

On May 17, 1997 during the launching of the new all women's card the IFBA International Female Boxing Association in Indio Califionia with Trevino winning after several questionable knock downs ruled as slips, she obtained a first round Technical knockout win over Jolene Blackshear who suffered a major cut under her eye in the bout. On August 2, 1997 in Biloxi Mississippi a boxing match with Trevino obtaining an opportunity at a vacant IFBA World Bantamweight title belt (Trevino disappointingly being stripped of her first 1995 WIBF flyweight title belt by the WIBF Sanctioning Federation) Trevino forged ahead and went on to become the new IFBA Bantamweight World champion defeating Suzanne Riccio in a ten-round decision. Following six months of inactivity on February 15, 1998 in Biloxi Mississippi Trevino returned to the boxing ring in a title defense of her IFBA's world bantamweight championship belt against the debutante Bridgett Riley the bout ending with Trevino losing her IFBA title by decision being out pointed by Riley.

On August 8, 1998 at the Spirit Lake Casino in North Dakota Trevino lost a split decision to Para Draine who was holding the current IWBF World flyweight title. Then on November 17, 1998 in San Antonio Texas Trevino again lost a six round unanimous decision to Kathy Williams a well trained Canadian boxer. On April 15, 1999 in a rematch against Delia Gonzalez in Las Vegas Nevada Trevino won a 6 round unanimous decision. Immediately following on May 28, 1999 in Las Vegas Nevada a set rematch against Suzanne Riccio-Major of Pittsburg with the crowd watching see-saw knock down action with Trevino winning the bout by TKO with the official stopping the bout with Riccio-Majors against the ropes failing to defend herself during a flurry of unanswered punches. Following two years of inactivity Trevino entered her last known bout on May 6, 2001 in Phoenix Arizona at the Celebrity Theatre losing the match against a tough current featherweight WIBF champion Kelsie Jeffries . Determined to turn the tide in her career Trevino began training in the Brazilian Jui Jitsu style to refine her ground fighting technique with Absolute Competition Gym.Trevino enjoying the idea of fighters bringing all their arsenal to the ring in cage fighting. With dividing her time between training in the ring and full-time employment Trevino surprised many of her fans when she announced retirement to focus on family being a parent and the importance of further completing an education towards a professional working career.

Yvonne Trevino Sanctioned Boxing record stands as of 9 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw equals 15 bouts total. Trevino having earned two World Boxing Championship titles. The WIBF Flyweight World Championship Title and the IFBA Bantamweight World Championship Title. Including several title defenses, Trevino was never knocked out in her professional fighting career.

Yvonne Trevino Kickboxing and Muay Thai martial arts record stands as 9 wins, 2 losses,and 1 draw equals 12 bouts total. Trevino having earned an Arizona State Kickboxing Title, the (IKBA) International Kickboxing Association Featherweight Title, and the first Fairtex Muay Thai Camp female to win 1995 (IMTO) International Muay Thai Organization Kickboxing bantamweight title in Fresno, California.

References

External links

• Bio at Women's Boxing Archive Network
• Womensboxing.com