Vonda Ward

Vonda Ward

Medal record
Representing  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.

Early life and basketball career

Ward grew up in a sports-oriented family; 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 one minute into the fourth and final round. Ward then face 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 as Monica McGowan lasted ten rounds at Canton, Ohio.

Ward defended her title successfully with an eighth round knockout of 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 one seconds of the first round, Wolfe knocked out Ward with a devastating right to the chin, which was even more devastating by the fact that Ward inadvertently jumped forward into the impact of the punch, leaving Ward unresponsive on the mat for a matter of 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. On February 2010, Ward won the inaugural WBC female heavyweight title, defeating Martha Salazar for the third and final time by unanimous decision.

Ward announced her retirement on 2010.^[5] Her boxing record stands at 23 wins and 1 loss, with 17 wins by knockout.^[6]

Professional boxing record

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