07.05.04 – Keith Terceira: One of the best fights of the weekend will take place May 8th at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum when undefeated Vonda Ward (18-0, 15KO’s) battles Ann “Brown Sugar” Wolfe (16-1, 11KO’s) in the Main event. Ward is currently the IBA Heavyweight Champion and Wolfe is the NABA Super-Middleweight Champ.
These two will meet in the middle for the IBA Light Heavyweight Title. In what should prove to be the fight of the year as far as Women’s boxing goes. Ward has battled in the heavyweight ranks at times giving up as much as 60 lbs to here opponents while Wolfe has been indestructible since her loss in 2000 to Valerie Marfood in Houston riding a winning streak of 11straight while acquiring the NABA Super Middleweight title, WIBC Super Middleweight, WIBA Light Middleweight Title, IFBA Super Middleweight Title, and the IFBA Light Middleweight belt.
“Ann is currently walking around at 170 and can basically eat anything she wants at this point” Dana Yarbourgh who handles PR for Ann commented while Wolfe was in the ring training. “She looks great, feels great and definitely is where she needs to be at this point”
With her success at the lighter weights we asked what it was that made Ann decide to move up to face Vonda Ward.
“At this level there is not a lot of competition, so you have to take your opportunities when you can. Ward’s camp approached us about the fight and Ann will fight anyone. So it was a great match. We all feel that we are in this not for just women’s boxing but women’s sports which is struggling period. We appreciate Prize Fight Promotions for putting us as the main event and feeling that we were prestigious enough to make us the main event”
Vonda Ward took a few minutes out of her schedule to comment on the Showdown and her moving down to meet Wolfe in weight.
“My natural weight is at high seventies, low eighties so to get down to weight is not really that hard to do. I have done it gradually which is what is great, slowly over a two month period so my body gets used to it. This way it’s not going to hurt my performance at all.”
The difficulty for both fighters at this level to find quality competitors is there but Vonda had a solution for it.
“I am fortunate because where my weight is I’m between three weight classes. I have more variety and more opponents to choose from. It helps my game coming down in weight because I can face quicker fighters and faster fighters. It forces me up my level and makes me faster.”
“We have all worked hard to be on this Main Event, we are honored to be on the card with Mia St John and Butterbean. This is a good match for our sport. It’s going to be a tough brutal fight; I have a lot of respect for Ann Wolfe. She is a fighter that comes in shape all the time.”
Brian Young commented on the Main Event.
“These are the two best female fighters on the planet going at it. It is going to be an entertaining fight and we are happy to help make it a reality. It looks as if we are going to have four to five thousand fans at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum”
“There is no question that besides the Roy Jones Jr. fight and the Ali fight, this is in my opinion the second biggest female fight in history. Prize Fight Promotions is the first promoter in the State to put a women’s card in the Main Event that is how strong we believe in this sport. “