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. Then came 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 when she outpointed Monica McGowan in ten rounds at Canton, Ohio.
Ward defended her title successfully with an eighth round knockout over 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 eight seconds of the first round, Wolfe knocked out Ward with a devastating right to the chin-made even more devastating by the fact that Ward inadvertently jumped forward into the impact of the punch-leaving Ward profoundly asleep on the mat for a few 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.
Ward's boxing record stands at 22 wins and 1 loss, with 17 wins by knockout.
Read more about this topic: Vonda Ward
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