KALIESHA WEST HEADLINES SHANE MOSLEY'S BOXING CARD ON OCTOBER 6 IN CALIFORNIA
West
will contend for the vacant IFBA Super Bantamweight title in the main event of legendary
Sugar Shane Mosley’s fight card in Pomona, California.
MORENO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A. – On Saturday night, October 6,
2012, current World Boxing Organization (WBO)
Bantamweight Champion, Kaliesha “Wild Wild” West (Moreno Valley, California,
15-1-3, 4 KOs), will move up in weight when she faces Christina Ruiz (San
Antonio, Texas, 6-4-2, 4 KOs) at the Finish Line Sports Grill in Pomona,
California. West-Ruiz will be a 10-round bout for the vacant International
Female Boxing Association (IFBA) Super Bantamweight Title.
The contest will be featured as the main event of the boxing card entitled, “KO Cancer - Boxing For The Cure,” presented by Sugar Shane Mosley
Promotions, in association with Diamond’s Love Foundation and The Susan G.
Komen Foundation. The event was created to help the fight against cancer and to
increase cancer awareness. West-Cruz will receive coverage from several
outlets, including Verizon’s FOX International television channel, MundoFox, Ringside
TV, and Fox Sports Radio. Some
notable women's boxing match-ups featured on the undercard include Holly
"Lil Bear" Lawson vs. Tammie "The Tasmanian Devil" Johnson,
and Katarina "Guantes" De La Cruz vs. Blanca Reymundo.
Kaliesha West is happy about getting an opportunity to fight
so close to her hometown. She said, “I am going to have a lot of friends and family
come out for my fight. My last few fights have been in Mexico, so it feels
great to come home. I’m excited to make history, being the first world title
fight to be featured on Sugar Shane Mosley’s professional card. Women do belong
in the sport, fighting on the same cards with the men.”
Juan West, Kaliesha’s father, manager, and trainer, shared
his thoughts. “This will be Kaliesha’s first main event in the United States on
an all-boxing card. Kaliesha’s supporters will be able to attend the open
workout at her hometown high school to see her practice, and then come to fight
night on October 6th to see her perform.”
Kaliesha West discussed her progress in training camp. “Camp
has been going well. I’m training hard, working on my endurance, and hope to
put on a great performance.” Coach West added, “Kaliesha is right on schedule. I
can see her drive and determination to make a statement in this fight.”
Kaliesha talked about her opponent and said, “Christina Ruiz
is an aggressive fighter that fights with passion and determination. I have the
utmost respect for her because of her accomplishments in the sport of boxing
and I will not take this fight lightly.”
Juan West added, “I’ve followed Christina Ruiz for years and
was really impressed when she knocked out Emily Klinefelter. We respect her
punching power. Kaliesha has speed and Ruiz has power, and typically, speed vs.
power battles are exciting for the fans. Kaliesha will have to box impressively
on the inside, put together her combinations, and show professional poise. On
October 6th, she who wants it most will take home the IFBA Title belt.”
Following the success of the women boxers in the 2012
Olympic games, Kaliesha West wants to carry on the legacy of great female
fighters. She said, “Marlen Esparza, Claressa Shields, and Katy Taylor epitomized
what women’s boxing is all about. The women’s boxing events in London sold out
and were extremely exciting to watch. Claressa was able to dominate, even
though she had to move up in weight in order to compete. She’s a great
ambassador for the sport. I admired her will power to succeed and win the
gold.”
Juan West thought that the 2012 Olympics demonstrated the
high skill level now found in women’s boxing. “The skills displayed in the
Olympics are the result of these women having solid amateur boxing backgrounds.
In London, the women’s boxers captured hearts of the Olympic fans and their
performance hopefully opened doors for other amateurs and current pros in the
sport.”
On September 20, 2012, at 3:45pm, Kaliesha West will hold an
open workout at Canyon Springs High School. The workout will take place in the
school gymnasium and is open to the media and general public. Canyon Springs
High School is located at 23100 Cougar Canyon Drive, Moreno Valley, CA, 92557.
Kaliesha West would like to thank LaDonna Jempson and the MVHCC for helping
coordinate the open workout. West would also like to thank her Adidas
sponsorship for their support in helping Team West adequately prepare for this
fight.
Weigh-ins for Kaliesha’s
fight will take place on Friday night, October 5, 2012, at 5:30pm, during the
intermission of the KO Cancer Amateur Show, located at the Finish Line Sports
Grill. On Kaliesha’s fight night, Saturday night, October 6, 2012, the doors will
open at the Finish Line Sports Grill for boxing festivities at 2pm, with the
first fight starting at 6pm. Ticket prices are $100 (VIP) and $50. Tickets for Kaliesha’s
fight will be available for purchase
online by visiting http://knockingoutcancer.eventbrite.com or by calling
Diamond’s Love Foundation at (909) 622 9092. The Finish Line Sports Grill is
located at 2201 N. White Ave., Pomona, CA, 91767.
Similarly
to her father, Kaliesha West was born in South Haven, Michigan. At the age of
five, she relocated with her family to Moreno Valley, California, and she began
boxing five years later. In Southern California, she was a decorated amateur
boxing star. She competed as a member of the USA Boxing Program, winning 98
amateur bouts, and several championships, including the 2003 National Golden
Gloves. West opted to turn pro in 2006 when she received the news that women’s
boxing was not going to be showcased during the 2008 Olympic games.
Kaliesha
West began her pro career in 2006, when she was just eighteen years old. On
September 18, 2010, at age twenty-two, she won the vacant Women’s WBO
Bantamweight title on the under card of the Mosley-Mora Golden Boy Promotions
PPV by defeating Angel Gladney via a seventh-round knockout. The fight took
place at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and was held during the
Mexican Bicentennial Celebration. West, now twenty-four, last fought on April
14, 2012, when she defeated Claudia Lopez by unanimous decision, in Rosarito,
Mexico.
For
the latest updates on Kaliesha West, “Like” her official Facebook fan page at
http://www.facebook.com/OfficialKalieshaWest
Follow
Kaliesha West on Twitter: @kwildwildwest or http://www.twitter.com/kwildwildwest
For media inquiries or any further information, contact
Lorin Chvotkin of Team West by e-mail at Lbchoyas@yahoo.com or by phone at +1
(240) 498 1478.
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