Shea Wins IFBA Title: Women’s Boxing – The Weekly Wrap Up

Headlining a card billed “Ice vs. Fire III”, NABA featherweight title holder Maureen Shea (24-2, 12 KO’s) became a two time world champion. The “Real Million Dollar Baby” defeated Angel Gladney (8-10-1, 6 KO’s) to win the vacant IFBA super bantamweight title at the Performing Arts Center, Oxnard, California. It was the first stoppage win for Shea in nearly three years. The Bronx native was all over her opponent from the start, dropping Gladney in the opening frame and keeping the pressure on throughout; she was just too much for Gladney, and referee Lou Moret had seen enough by the fourth frame and called an end to the bout.

Shea is a former interim WBC featherweight title holder as well as a two time NABA featherweight champ. In 2009 she suffered back to back stoppage defeats, but came back to win 11 straight contests, this weekend’s bout included. In 2004 she trained with actress Hillary Swank under the guidance of Hector Roca, preparing Swank for what would be an award winning performance in the movie “Million Dollar baby”. The following year, she took second place in the New York Golden Gloves tournament. Gladney turned pro in 2009 and started out with a record of 6-0-1 in her first year, since then however, she’s went 2-10 with losses in four world title bouts.

In Indio, California, Chantel Cordova (13-5-1, 3 KO’s) won the vacant NABF super flyweight title with a 10 round decision over Patricia Alcivar (7-3, 3 KO’s). This is Cordova’s first title: in 2011 she was stopped by Arely Mucino in a bout contested for the IBF flyweight title. Alcivar is the New York State flyweight title holder, and came in off a knockout loss to Eileen Olszewski for the IFBA flyweight belt.

Late last week, the UFC announced that it had signed former world boxing champion Holly Holm. Holm (33-2-3, 9 KO’s) is a former world champion in the light welterweight and welterweight divisions, holding titles for the IFBA, WBA, WBC, GBU, WIBA, IBA, and WBF organizations. Her final bout was a 10 round decision over Mary McGee in her hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico where the majority of her fights were held. As a mixed martial artist, Holm is undefeated in seven contests with six knockouts and holds the Legacy FC bantamweight title. She was also a professional kickboxer with a record of 2-1, 2 KO’s. There’s already been talk of a match up against undefeated UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey (10-0, 2 KO’s, 8 SUB).