Saturday, June 11, 2005

Jackie Chavez defends IFBA boxing title vs. old rival

Jeremiah Torres of Belen also on Española fight card

News-Bulletin Reports

Las Vegas Jackie Chavez will be putting her International Female Boxing Association Super Bantamweight world title on the line this Sunday in Española when she faces old rival Audrey Vela of Austin, Texas. The Chavez-Vela fight is the co-main event for what is being billed as "World Championship Sunday" at Ohkay Casino.

Chavez, 21, a Los Chavez native who began her training at Tony Rosales Karate and Kickboxing Academy in Los Lunas, brings an 8-0 record, including three knockouts, into the bout. Vela is also unbeaten. She is 5-0 with one KO to her credit.

Interestingly, the two have met before under different circumstances. As a 16-year-old, Chavez traveled to Vela's hometown to fight for a national kickboxing title. It was a close bout, but Chavez won by decision.

"A tough match," she recalled recently to the Albuquerque Journal's Mike Hall. "If it had been boxing, I honestly have to say she was the better boxer than I was."

Now it is boxing, and though Chavez has fought more bouts as a pro, Vela is the more experienced boxer.

"I think she even competed for nationals, regionals, stuff like that. I know she had a lot of amatuer boxing," Chavez said.

Shortly after taking Vela's kickboxing title, Chavez, who now makes her home in Albuquerque and works for UPS in Rio Rancho, turned pro as a boxer in 2001. She earned the IFBA belt by out-pointing Santa Fe's Jayla Ortiz in a fight in Ignacio, Colo., last November.

"When I won I was shocked," she said. "I'm still trying to absorb that I won. But that's over. I've got to bust my butt and get ready for anybody who comes up against me."

Chavez, who is now trained by Albuquerque's Ray Sanchez Jr., said she plans to go back to the style she used in earlier fights.

"I've got to stay busy. One of my biggest fall-backs is that I lost my aggressiveness," she said. "My first two fights I was very aggressive. Then I was coming up against boxers and realized, 'Hey, I've got to quit getting hit so much.' I pulled back from my style. Now I need to let it go."

The co-main event features Mia "the Knockout" St. John (40-5-2, 17 KOs), who will be defending her IFBA lightweight title against Liz Drew (9-7, 3KOs). Another fight between female boxers pits Española's Monica Lovato (3-1, 1 KO) against Stacy Lammers (0-2).

Billed as a "special attraction," Belen's Jeremiah "Jet" Torres (7-7, 1 KO) will take on Albuquerque's Vicente "Pigosito" Garcia (6-2, 4 KOs).

The first fight of the day will be Santa Fe's Beto Perez (1-0, 1 KO) against Las Cruces' Steve Losoya, who will be making his pro debut.

Also on the card is a bout between Albuquerque's Mike Connolly (2-1, 1 KO) and Las Cruces' Ric Ponce (2-3).

The first bell is at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are priced from $25 to $65.

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