Vonda Ward

Vonda Ward
Born	(1973-03-16) March 16, 1973 Macedonia, Ohio, U.S.
Height	6 ft 7 in (201 cm)
Boxing career
Born	Vonda Ward
Other names	All-American Girl
Statistics
Weight(s)	Heavyweight
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	24
Wins	23
Wins by KO	17
Losses	1
Basketball career
Career information
High school	Trinity High School (Garfield Heights)
College	Tennessee (1991–1995)
Position	Center
Career history
1996–1997	Colorado Xplosion
Medals Women's basketball Representing United States Jones Cup 1993 Jones Cup Taipei, Taiwan Team

Vonda Ward (born March 16, 1973) is an American former professional boxer and NCAA basketball player. As a boxer, she competed from 2000 to 2008 and held multiple heavyweight world championships, including the WBC title in 2007. She also challenged Ann Wolfe for the WIBA and IBA female light heavyweight titles in 2004, in which she suffered her only defeat, losing by knockout in the first round.

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." 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. 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. In 2012, she was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.

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.

On December 12, 2004, Ward returned to the boxing ring, knocking out Marsha Valley in four rounds in Cleveland. In 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. Her boxing record stands at 23 wins and 1 loss, with 17 wins by knockout.

Professional boxing record

24 fights	23 wins	1 loss
By knockout	17	1
By decision	6	0

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
24	Win	23–1	Carlette Ewell	UD	10	Feb 23, 2008	Chapparells Community Center, Akron, Ohio, U.S.
23	Win	22–1	Martha Salazar	UD	10	Feb 10, 2007	Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.	Retained WIBA and IBA female heavyweight titles; Won vacant WBC female heavyweight title
22	Win	21–1	Cassandra Giger	UD	10	Jul 15, 2005	Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.	Won vacant IBA female cruiserweight title
21	Win	20–1	Elizabeth Kerin	KO	2 (10), 1:33	Apr 29, 2005	Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.	Retained WIBA and IBA female heavyweight titles
20	Win	19–1	Marsha Valley	TKO	4 (10), 1:47	Dec 10, 2004	Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
19	Loss	18–1	Ann Wolfe	KO	1 (10), 1:08	May 8, 2004	Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.	For vacant WIBA and IBA female light heavyweight titles
18	Win	18–0	Martha Salazar	UD	10	Jul 11, 2003	Civic Center, Canton, Ohio, U.S.	Retained WIBA and IBA female heavyweight titles
17	Win	17–0	Jeanine Tracy	TKO	8 (10), 1:40	Mar 14, 2003	Avalon Events Center, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
16	Win	16–0	Martha Salazar	SD	4	Mar 1, 2003	Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
15	Win	15–0	Kathy Rivers	TKO	8 (10), 1:40	Dec 6, 2002	Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.	Retained WIBA and IBA female heavyweight titles
14	Win	14–0	Monica McGowan	UD	10	Jul 16, 2002	Civic Center, Canton, Ohio, U.S.	Won vacant WIBA and IBA female heavyweight titles
13	Win	13–0	GiGi Jackson	TKO	4 (4), 1:48	Feb 22, 2002	Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
12	Win	12–0	Carley Pesente	TKO	2 (4), 1:28	May 16, 2001	Ameristar Casino, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
11	Win	11–0	Kisha Snow	TKO	4 (4), 1:05	Feb 2, 2001	Celeste Center, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
10	Win	10–0	Katie Courtney	TKO	1 (4)	Dec 28, 2000	Willoughby, Ohio, U.S.
9	Win	9–0	Marjorie Jones	KO	1 (4), 1:02	Oct 19, 2000	The Cosmopolitan, Wickliffe, Ohio, U.S.
8	Win	8–0	Sharon Thomas	TKO	1 (4), 1:24	Sep 23, 2000	Packard Music Hall, Warren, Ohio, U.S.
7	Win	7–0	Jeanine Tracy	TKO	2 (4)	Aug 24, 2000	Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
6	Win	6–0	Lisa Redding	TKO	1 (4), 0:31	Jul 17, 2000	Station Casino, Saint Charles, Missouri, U.S.
5	Win	5–0	Genevia Buckhalter	TKO	2 (4), 1:22	Apr 27, 2000	Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York, U.S.
4	Win	4–0	Lana Jock	KO	1 (4), 0:52	Mar 24, 2000	UAW Hall, Parma, Ohio, U.S.
3	Win	3–0	Nicolyn Armstrong	KO	1 (4), 0:59	Mar 11, 2000	National Guard Armory, Findlay, Ohio, U.S.
2	Win	2–0	Mattie Brumley	TKO	1 (4), 1:20	Feb 29, 2000	Pepsi Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
1	Win	1–0	Faye Steffen	KO	1 (4), 1:45	Jan 15, 2000	Civic Center, La Porte, Indiana, U.S.

External links

• Vonda Ward's official website
• Boxing record for Vonda Ward from BoxRec (registration required)