One of an array of boxing experts and personalities throughout the film is our own Kelsey Jeffries. For more information, see http://dmboxing.com/WordPress/?p=234#more-234

The show was promoted by Roy Englebrecht, wth Arnold Berber handling matchmaking duties. All photos courtesy Marty Solis.

Melinda Cooper won by TKO over a determined Donna Bigger at the one minute mark of round 4 in a scheduled 6 round bout. The doctor stopped the fight after Biggers suffered major swelling under both eyes.

Elena Reid and Eva Knight battled to a crowd pleasing draw in their 6 round match-up. Reid and Knight had the fans screaming for more and both fighters were game for a potential rematch sometime in the future.

Jill Emery becomes the new IFBA Welterweight Champion over Angel Martinez in a great 10 round fight. Martinez suffered a potential injury and was removed to the local hospital for observation.

In the most action packed fight of the night Ela Nunez was awarded a decision over Jerri Stizes. Stizes knocked Nunez down in the 4th, but was not awarded the decision by the Moheagn Sun officials.

Finally, LIsa Brown retains her IFBA Jr. featherweight title by split decision over Alicia Ashley.

Lisa Brown 121.75
Alicia Ashley 121.75
IFBA Jr. Featherweight Bout 10 Rounds

Jill Emery 146.25
Angel Martinez 146.75
Vacant IFBA Welterweight Bout 10 Rounds

Jeri Sitzes 126
Ela Nunez 124.75
6 Rounds Featherweight

Elena Reid 112.5
Ava Knight 112
6 Rounds Flyweight

Melinda Cooper 120
Donna Biggers 120
6 Rounds Jr. Featherweight

Main Event:

LISA BROWN vs. ALICIA ASHLEY
14-3-3 (4 KO’s) 14-7-1 (1 KO)
Toronto, Canada Westbury, New York
(Current Champion)
IFBA Jr. Featherweight Championship of the World
10 rounds (122 pounds)

Co-Main:

JILL EMERY vs. ANGEL MARTINEZ
8-2 (3 KO’s) 6-4-1 (1 KO’s)
New York, New York Dallas, Texas
Vacant IFBA Welterweight Championship of the World
10 Rounds (147 pounds)

Undercard:

ELENA REID vs. AVA KNIGHT
19-4-5 (5 KO’s) 3-0-1 (0 KO’s)
Las Vegas, Nevada Chico, California
6 Round Flyweight Bout (112 pounds)

JERI SITZES vs. ELA NUNEZ
14-7-1 (6 KO’S) 6-3-0 (2 KO’s)
Springfield, Missouri Jamestown, New York
6 Round Jr. Featherweight Bout (122 pounds)

MELINDA COOPER vs. DONNA BIGGERS
18-0 (10 KO’s) 19-7 (16 KO’s)
Las Vegas, Nevada Shelby, North Carolina
6 Round Jr. Featherweight Bout (120 pounds)

Tickets on sale at Mohegan Sun Box Office.

IFBA World junior featherweight champion Lisa “Bad News” Brown (14-3-3, 4 KOs) and challenger Alicia “Slick” Ashley (14-7-1, 1 KO) headline Best Damn Championship Fight Night Period, presented by Cappiello Boxing in association with Hollybrook Regency, Inc., in the 10-round main event.

Emery-Martinez for the vacant IFBA World welterweight championship replaces the 10-round co-feature with Elena “Baby Doll” Reid (9-4-5, 5 KOs) defending her IFBA World flyweight crown. Reid’s original opponent, Russian invader Anastasia Toktaulova (12-8, 2 KOs), failed to get her visa issued and her replacement, Crystal Hoy, wasn’t approved because she’s still under suspension. Emery was already on the June 12th show, scheduled to face Crystal Nickel in a 6-round bout, but she gladly accepted a world title shot against Martinez. Reid now faces undefeated Ava Knight (3-0-1) in a 6-round non-title fight.

Pittsburgh-native Emery (8-2, 3 KOs), a graduate of Bucknell University, is a 3-time US Nationals champion, who now lives and fights out of New York City, where she is a physical training instructor. She captured top honors four years in the New York Daily News Golden Gloves Championship, won a gold medal in the 2004 Women’s World Boxing Tournament, and was named 2004 USA Boxing’s Female Athlete of the Year. As a pro, Jill was the winner of the first women’s pro fight in Ireland last June by eight-round decision versus Angel McKenzie in a shutout performance, winning all eight rounds on the scorecard.

Martinez (6-4-1, 1 KOs), fighting out of Dallas, has a deceiving record because she’d be 6-1 if not for four fights against Holly Holm, who, ironically, relinquished her IFBA World welterweight that Emery and Martinez are fighting for when she agreed to fight for the vacant IFBA World junior middleweight belt June 13 against Mary Jo Sanders. In addition to fighting a draw with Holm, Martinez holds a 10-round win by decision against former star Christy Martin.

Las Vegas’ undefeated mega-star Melinda Cooper (18-0, 10 KOs) fights for the first time in nearly 18 months versus KO artist Donna “Nature Girl” Biggers (19-7-1, 16 KOs), of Shelby, North Carolina, in a special 6-round junior featherweight bout.

Also on the undercard in a pair of 6-rounders, junior featherweight contender Jeri Stizes (14-7-1, 6 KOs), of Springfield, Missouri, takes on always tough Ela “Bam Bam” Nunez (6-3, 2 KOs), fighting out of Jamestown, New York, while crowd favorite Jill Emery (8-2, 3 KOs) faces experienced Cristy “Code Red” Nickel (7-6, 4 KOs) in a junior middleweight bout. Emery and Nickel, both fighting out of New York City, are college graduates and physical training instructors. Another 6-round bout is being made. All bouts and fighters are subject to change.

Tickets are priced at $10.00, $25.00 and $40.00 and on sale at the Mohegan Sun box office or online at www.mohegansun.com.

Go to www.ifba.com for more information. The undercard will start a 7 PM/ET, followed by the first of three scheduled televised bouts beginning at 8 PM/ET.

Ashley (14-7-1, 1 KO), fighting out of Westbury (NY) challenges IFBA World junior featherweight champion Lisa “Bad News” Brown (14-3-3, 4 KOs) on Thursday evening, June 12 in the 10-round main event on Fox Sports Net’s Best Damn Championship Fight Night Period card at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Ashley moved to New York City from her native Jamaica with her family at the age of 11, fully intending to follow in the footsteps of her professional dancing father. A dance student since the age of six, she received scholarships to the renowned Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham schools. Her brother, Maurice, is the first and only black International Chess Grandmaster, and her other brother and head trainer, Devon, is 4-time World champion kick-boxer.

A devastating knee injury, however, prematurely ended Alicia’s dance career and could have destroyed her athletic ambitions as well. So, she got into karate to fill the void, excelled at it, and soon realized that she needed to develop boxing skills to successfully compete in kick-boxing, in which, she was 10-0-1 before switching to boxing in the mid-nineties.

“I started dancing when I was six with a goal to become a professional dancer,” the stylish southpaw said. “At 20, I partially tore the meniscus in my right knee and couldn’t dance anymore. I didn’t have surgery but took time off to go to college and get my degree in computer science. I’d always been in the spotlight and wanted to stay there. I started weight training and got into kickboxing. I kick-boxed against a boxer. I could drive my legs, but I didn’t move my head or punch. I freaked out and had to keep on the outside. I had the flexibility and discipline from dancing you need, but I knew that I had to learn how to box. I didn’t like boxing at first because I didn’t think there was art to it. I thought boxing was like Tyson knocking people out, but I learned the intricacies of the sport. I wish that I could have gone further in dance. I’d love to be on ‘Dancing With The Stars’ as one of the professionals.”

Ashley challenges Trinidad and Tobago born Brown, who moved with her family in 1988 to a suburb of Toronto. Brown is a late bloomer not having boxed until she was 26, after she watched Christy Martin fight Dierdre Gogarty on a Mike Tyson PPV card, as well in addition to being encouraged by her husband and former pro boxer, Errol Brown, who still serves as her head trainer.

“Lisa is strong, that’s the main thing,” Alicia evaluated her opponent, Brown. “I’m so much faster and speed will beat power. I’ve been trying to get a fight likes this for a while and I definitely looking forward to fighting in the 10-round main event on Best Damn Championship Fight Night Period on national television. This is what I’ve wanted so everybody can see what type of fighter – slick, entertaining. I’m a boxer, not a brawler, and I’m going to move and make you miss. That’s why a lot don’t want to fight me.”

On the undercard, Las Vegas undefeated star Melinda Cooper (18-0, 10 KOs) begins her comeback after nearly 18 months of inactivity against knockout artist Donna “Nature Girl” Biggers (19-7-1, 16 KOs), of Shelby, North Carolina, in a special 6-round junior featherweight bout.

Also featured is junior featherweight contender Jeri Stizes (14-7-1, 6 KOs), of Springfield, Missouri, who meets dangerous Ela “Bam Bam” Nunez (6-3, 2 KOs), fighting out of Jamestown, New York.

Tickets are priced at $10.00, $25.00 and $40.00 and on sale at the Mohegan Sun box office or online at www.mohegansun.com. The undercard will start a 7 PM/ET, followed by the first of three scheduled televised bouts beginning at 8 PM/ET.

IFBA
Since its inception in 1997, the IFBA has sanctioned more than 100 women’s title bouts and was the first to sanction all-women’s cards on cable and broadcast television, including ESPN2, USA Network, Pay-Per-View, Fox Sports International and on SBS, MBC and MBC-ESPN in Korea. With the help of various State Boxing Commissions, the IFBA established many of the rules used in the sport today. The IFBA is sanctioning four championship bouts June 13, featuring a showdown between Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm and Mary Jo Sanders for the vacant IFBA World junior middleweight title and pound-for-pound supremacy, live on pay-per-view television from Albuquerque. For more information, visit www.IFBA.com.

FSN
FSN is the nation’s leading provider of local sports. FSN’s 16 owned-and-operated regional networks and its affiliated networks reach more than 70 million homes across the U.S. FSN serves as the TV home to nearly two-thirds of all MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States. FSN also produces close to 5,000 live local events each year, including more than 1400 in high definition. In addition to its thousands of home team games and a wide variety of locally produced sports programs, FSN televises national sports events and programs, including Pac-10 and ACC basketball and Pac-10 and Big 12 football.