Boxing

Laila Ali, Lucia Rijker Added To Lewis-Johnson Fight Card

30.05 - Two of the world’s most talented and undefeated female boxers, Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) Super Middleweight Champion Laila Ali, and former Women’s International Boxing Organization (WIBO) junior welterweight titleholder, Lucia Rijker, will be featured in separate bouts on Saturday, June 21, at STAPLES Center, it was announced today by Gary Shaw of Lion Promotions.

Ali will defend her title for the third time in a rematch against two-time women’s champion and 2001 Boxer of the Year, Valerie Mahfood. Rijker will take on Jane Couch, who also is a two-time women’s titleholder.

The two matches will highlight the undercard of a historic fight card that features World Heavyweight Champion Lennox Lewis defending his title against World Boxing Organization (WBO) No. 5 and World Boxing Association/World Boxing Council//International Boxing Federation (WBA/WBC/IBF) No. 8 contender, Kirk Johnson. In the co-feature, former World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko will take on unbeaten Cedric Boswell. Lion Promotions, in association with Prize Fight Promotions, Duva Boxing and STAPLES Center, will present the historic card.

Ali (14-0, 11 KOs), of Miami Beach, Fla., is the second youngest of Muhammad Ali’s nine children. Like her famous father, the 5’10” Ali has quick feet, a stiff jab and a preternatural self-confidence. This dangerous combination of mental and physical strength has propelled Ali to an unbeaten record and a WIBA title since turning pro less than four years ago. In her ring debut on Oct. 8, 1999, she scored a 31-second knockout over April Fowler in Verona, N.Y. Following the bout, Ali struck a pose reminiscent of her dad as she stood over her stunned opponent with her fist cocked and a scowl on her face. Ali, who captured the WIBA super middleweight title on Aug. 17, 2002, with a second-round TKO over Suzette Taylor, successfully defended her crown the first time with an impressive hard-fought eighth-round TKO over Mahfood on Nov. 8, 2002. In her last start, Ali scored a fourth-round TKO over Mary Almager on Feb. 14.

Mahfood (13-5, 7 KOs) of Port Arthur, Texas, will make her first start since losing to Ali on Nov. 8, 2002. An aggressive crowd-pleaser, the popular Mahfood proved her toughness long before turning pro on July 18, 1997, as she went directly from high school to work at a maximum security, all male correctional institution in Texas. In just her ninth pro outing, Mahfood captured the Women’s International Boxing Federation (WIBF) title with a 10th-round TKO over Kathleen Rivers in Panama City, Panama.

Rijker (15-0, 14 KOs), of Van Nuys, Calif., by way of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has been involved in athletics from an early age. She learned judo at only six years old, was a softball champion at 12, fencing champion at only 13, and a kickboxing champion by age 16. In her professional debut on March 21, 1996, Rijker scored a first-round knockout over Melinda Robinson in Los Angeles. After registering consecutive opening-round TKOs in her next two contests, Rijker quickly became one of the most feared women in boxing. In just her 12th bout, the California resident captured the Women’s International Boxing Organization (WIBO) 140-pound crown with a fifth-round KO over Marcela Acuna in Ledyard, Conn. Returning to the ring following a 29-month absence, Rijker stopped Carla Witherspoon in the fourth round on Feb. 16, 2002.

Couch (19-4, 8 KOs), of Fleetwood, England, made British boxing history when she took on the British Boxing Board Of Control and won the right to have a boxing license. After turning pro at age 26 on Oct. 30, 1994, she captured the WIBF 140-pound belt in her fifth start with a 10-round decision over Sandra Geiger on May 31, 1996, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Couch, who made two successful defenses of the WIBF crown, won the Women’s Boxing Federation (WBF) junior welterweight crown by registering a 10-round decision over Maruscha Sjauwenwa on Feb. 20, 1999, in Thornaby, England. Couch has made three successful title defenses since capturing the WBF crown, including a 10-round decision over Borlislava Goranova on Dec. 8, 2002.

Lewis (40-2-1, 31 KOs), of London, England, is 14-2-1 in world title fights. He regained the WBC/IBF/International Boxing Organization (IBO) heavyweight titles on Nov. 17, 2001, by flattening Hasim Rahman in the fourth round of their rematch in Las Vegas. The sensational knockout victory was sweet revenge for Lewis, who had been stopped in the fifth round by Rahman on April 22, 2001, in Brakpak, South Africa. Since defeating Mike Tyson on June 8, 2002, Lewis gave up the IBF belt.

A three-time WBC champion, Lewis won his initial 25 starts. He captured the WBC title the first time with a 12-round decision over Tony Tucker on May 8, 1993, in Las Vegas. Lewis made two successful defenses before Oliver McCall dethroned the champion with a shocking second-round TKO on Sept. 24, 1994, in London. Lewis regained the title by scoring a fifth-round TKO over McCall in their rematch on Feb. 7, 1997, in Las Vegas.

Lewis made four successful defenses before taking on then-WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield on March 13, 1999, in New York. The majority of those watching felt Lewis had triumphed easily, but the bout ended in a controversial 12-round draw. Undeterred, Lewis rebounded to win a 12-round decision in the rematch the following Nov. 13 in Las Vegas. Lewis then successfully defended the titles three times before splitting the two fights against Rahman in 2001.

Johnson (34-1-1, 25 KOs), of North Preston, Nova Scotia, has won two consecutive bouts since suffering the first loss of his career at the hands of then-WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz on July 27, 2002. Johnson was disqualified in the 10th round after repeated low blows Overall, Johnson has won eight of his past nine decisions since fighting to a 10-round draw against Al “Ice” Cole on Dec. 8, 1998. The three-time Canadian national champion and 1989 World Junior Amateur Champion, who avenged the draw by outpointing Cole across 10 rounds on March 20, 1999, rebounded from the Ruiz bout to score a second-round knockout over Jeremy Bates on Dec. 7, 2002, in Las Vegas. In his last contest, Johnson registered a fourth-round TKO over Lou Savarese on Mar. 15, 2003, in Dallas.

Klitschko (32-1, 31 KOs), of Los Angeles, by way of Kiev, Ukraine, currently is the WBA and WBC No.1 heavyweight contender. The older brother of former WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir will attempt to gain his sixth consecutive victory. In his last outing, Klitschko became the first boxer to stop Larry Donald when he flattened “The Legend” in the 10th round on Nov. 23, 2002, in Germany. Nicknamed “Dr. Iron Fist,” Klitschko became the first heavyweight champion with a Ph.D. to capture a world belt when he won the WBO belt with a second-round knockout over Herbie Hide on June 27, 1999. On Nov. 11, 1999, the Guinness Book of World Records added Klitschko for becoming the fastest heavyweight to win 26 fights by KO in the least amount of rounds (60).

Boswell (21-0, 16 KOs), of Detroit, is a talented 32-year-old with impressive skills, punching power and movement. Long considered a top prospect, he will make his sixth start following a near three-year layoff (December 1999 – August 2002) that was due in large part to managerial problems. Boswell, who has recorded knockout victories in four of the five comeback outings, is coming off a fifth-round stoppage over Jim Strohl on Jan. 25, 2003, in Temecula, Calif. Prior to turning pro on July 20, 1994, Boswell played football for the University of Arizona. At 22, he learned the sweet science when he joined the Navy.

Tickets for the event are $950, $700, $450, $350, $250, $150 and $75, and are on sale at the STAPLES Center box office and through all TicketMaster locations.

Los Angeles last played host to a world heavyweight title fight 44 years ago when Floyd Patterson defended his world crown for the third time by scoring a 13th-round TKO over Roy Harris on Aug. 18, 1958, at the old Wrigley Field. The Lewis-Johnson world championship also represents the biggest heavyweight bout in the City of Angels since Muhammad Ali regained the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) championship in a rematch against Ken Norton on Sept. 10, 1973, at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif.

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