RPM Boxing - Women's Boxing Home Page

9-9-05
Ann Wolfe Helping Out with Relief Efforts from
Hurricane Katrina

(Austin, Tx. September 9, 2005) – 8-time World Champion Ann Wolfe says she has been assisting and visiting with victims of hurricane Katrina at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. Currently, more than 4,000 people are being housed there. Wolfe is particularly helping out the kids by feeding them, spending time with them, as well as opening her home and gym as a place to get away.

Wolfe was scheduled to fight her first man in Biloxi, Ms. October 15, 2005, but that event has been postponed.

Wolfe says she is now turning her focus on helping the hurricane victims to rebuild their towns. Wolfe's spokesperson Dana Venard said, "Biloxi has done so much for Ann, and New Orleans is like home for her, so now she wants to give back." Wolfe is planning to hold several exhibition matches to raise money. Her first stop will be Austin, then San Antonio, Houston, Dallas and possibly outside Texas.

Ann said when she walked into the Convention Center many of the victims recognized her right away. Ann said most of them asked her about fighting Laila Ali.

Wolfe said she spent three days visiting, laughing and folding clothes.

Ann told them that they can make it, just like she did. “I can relate to a lot of what they (the hurricane victims) are going through being homeless and having nothing. It makes me realize just how much God has truly blessed me. I can talk to them and tell them that I have been there, and there is a chance for them to start over” said Wolfe. "I know I can't save everybody, but if I can save a couple of kids or do my hands-on part then I know I've done a piece of the puzzle to help these devastated cities and people rebuild."

Waco, TX (2-23-05) - Ann Wolfe stunned the female boxing world today by agreeing to fight a man in her next fight. The fight will be televised on Pay-Per-View and will be held at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in early July.

RPM Boxing, managers for Wolfe, said the fight is sanctioned by the Mississippi Boxing Commission against a TBD opponent. The opponent will be a male, super middle weight with boxing experience who must be approved by the commission.

RPM Boxing said Ann’s career is almost at a standstill “not because she can’t fight, but because no other qualified woman in the world will fight her”. RPM Boxing shrugged off suggestions that Laila Ali might still fight Wolfe. Brian Pardo, owner of RPM Boxing said “Laila Ali will never get in the ring with Ann simply because she knows Ann will put her to sleep in round one!” Pardo said Ali is no longer a consideration for Ann. “Ali is no more than a side show now.” Pardo said.

Ann Wolfe said, “I make my living as a professional boxer. I must be the baddest woman on the planet because no one will fight me, especially after they saw me knock out Vonda Ward in the first round. I might as well fight men. At least, they aren’t afraid to get in the ring with me.”

Wolfe said she has trained with male fighters for years. “I spare with heavy weights to gain strength and I spare with middle weights for speed. Most of my sparing is open. So, if I do it for training, I might as well do it for my career.” Wolfe said.

Promoter Tony Dane said it would be a great fight. “Ann has one of the hardest rights in the business, male or female. If she connects, you’re going down. On the other hand the man might be stronger, we’ll see. But, I assure you, this will be a serious bout no one will want to miss.”

Waco, Texas December 1, 2004 – RPM Boxing said today that it appears the fight that many boxing fans have been waiting to see is finally going to happen, Laila Ali vs. Ann Wolfe.

Prize Fight Promotions says they have secured sponsorship and locked in a date of Saturday, May 7^th 2005 at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Prize Fight Promoter Brian Young said he is very excited about the fight between Ali and Wolfe. He also said, “Yahya has done a great job with Laila’s career. Laila says she’s not afraid to fight Ann, so now it’s time to step up and fight. This is Ali’s opportunity to prove she is the best.” Young also said the fight will air on PPV and will have a seven bout undercard.

RPM Boxing said that it is high time these two champions met to decide once and for all who is the real world champion in women’s boxing.

In this highly anticipated fight, RPM Boxing said Ann Wolfe is grateful to Prize Fight Promotions for putting on this major fight in women’s boxing. Ann Wolfe will be defending her IBA World Light Heavy Weight crown against her undefeated nemesis, Laila Ali. RPM Boxing said Ali, herself a champion, will take on the only credible female boxer in her weight category. And, Ali will put to rest the persistent rumors that she has been dodging Ann Wolfe, who many think is the greatest female fighter on the planet.

The Ali/Wolfe fight will take place at the same venue in which a crowd of thousands saw Ali put down a heavily out powered Christy Martin. And, it is that same venue in which a crowd of thousands saw Ann Wolfe destroy Vonda Ward with just one solid punch to the jaw mid way through the first round. The KO, which was caught on tape, has been played several times as perhaps one of the most stunning KO’s in boxing history.

Ann Wolfe says she respects Ali and what she has done. But she said, “That’s not going to stop me from knocking her out early in the fight. I may just do it in round one, if she doesn’t run from me.”

Regardless, this is perhaps the most polarized fight among fans according to RPM Boxing. “Many fans think Ali will win while many others say Ann will win. At least now, Ali is standing up to her legacy and on May 7, 2005 we’ll all know who the real champion is”, said Brian Pardo, Wolfe’s long time manager and mentor.

Was it an Ali Shuffle to victory or an invitation to her next opponent? Ann “Brown Sugar” Wolfe did the Ali Shuffle, not once, but twice during her fight against Cassandra Geigger. Geigger spent the vast majority of her time in this fight in a defensive position with her gloves at her temples. She did not throw any punches in the first round.

In the second round, Geigger decided to explore her offense but quickly learned of Wolfe’s effective counter punching power.

In round three, Wolfe looked more relaxed and very confident. She continued to pursue Geigger until moving to the ropes. As Wolfe remained on the ropes and Geigger threw a few punches Wolfe appeared to be unphased. Wolfe left the ropes by pushing Geigger off forcefully and then pounding on Geigger with draining head and body combinations. She also slipped several of Geigger’s punches with effective head movement followed by a taunting Ali Shuffle.

In round four Wolfe faked a left jab and delivered a strong right to the ribs. Wolfe delivered a double jab, right, left hook combination that forced Geigger to drop to her knee. The round ended just after Geigger completed the nine count.

In the fifth, Ann overwhelmed Geigger once again with a jab, right hook to the body, and right hook to the chin combination that once again dropped Geigger to her knee. Throughout the entire fight Wolfe looked fresh by throwing continuous strong jabs. She also managed to get in one more Ali Shuffle before the bout ended which may well have been an invitation to her next opponent. Ann Wolfe moves to 18-1-12 ko’s. Geigger’s record is now 6-4-6 ko’s.

Waco, Texas August 26, 2004 – Now available in stores near you is the latest issue of Esquire Magazine featuring an article on IBA Light Heavy Weight Champion Ann Wolfe.

Top Esquire writer and avid boxing fan Scott Raab sparred with Wolfe in May of this year. He wanted to get a first hand feel (literally) of what it was like to square off with one of the greatest female boxers in the world. And Ann did NOT disappoint. The Champ delivered some quality shots on Raab before tapping some noogies on his head and smooching him on both cheeks.

The article centers more on Raab’s preparation and training to face off with Ann. He is humorous but honest about his experience during the sparring session. He writes, “I think she might’ve moved some furniture around in there.”

Raab also mentions the on going wrangling to try and put on the biggest fight in women’s boxing between Laila Ali and Wolfe. He says, “Wolfe—sweet as peach cobbler till she steps inside the ropes—will whup Ali’s butt.”

Ann Wolfe was recently crowned IBA Light Heavy Weight Champion after knocking out undefeated Heavy Weight Champion Vonda Ward.

Waco, Texas July 22, 2004 - YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! That’s the only thing RPM Boxing could say when they checked out Laila Ali’s opponent for her next bout on the undercard of the Mike Tyson fight.

Recent reports have it that Ali will be fighting a girl by the name of Monica Nunez (9-1-4 ko’s) from the Dominican Republic. RPM checked out this girl’s record and found that most of her opponents barely had any fights or no fights at all. Not only that, but Nunez has fought girls at weights as low as 119lbs. And, she has never fought at Light Heavy Weight.

Once again Laila Ali has proven that she is avoiding Ann Wolfe by not getting in the ring with her. RPM said they never received any phone calls or offers from the Ali camp about the July 30 card.

The question still remains, when is Laila Ali going to fight Ann Wolfe? And doesn’t it make sense for one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing to be on a big-named men's card?

June 18, 2004; Move over Tim Witherspoon, the boxing highlight reels have a new timeless overhand right kayo. Most boxing pundits will have at one time or another witnessed the 6'3" former heavyweight champ's slaying of 6'5" Swede Giant Anders Eklund in the first round with a massive, perfectly timed overhand right 14 years ago. In fact, Samuel L. Jackson can be seen cringing at the sight of the once-in-a-lifetime kayo in the 1996 film, "The Great White Hype". But last month, there was an even more eye-popping slaying of a giant, courtesy of an overhand right. And it was delivered by a woman! That woman was of course, one of the most feared fighters in boxing, Ann "Brown Sugar" Wolfe.

With one sensational right, the 5'9" Austin, Texas warrior crushed previously undefeated 6'5 ½" "All American Girl" Vonda Ward inside of 70 seconds to capture the IBA light heavyweight title - her fourth title in four weight divisions. It was a shocking, literally career-ending knockout. Ward was unconscious before she hit the canvas. She was down for over 10 minutes, and eventually left the ring on a stretcher. She was taken to hospital, and for precautionary purposes stayed there overnight.

What made it such a classical knockout was that it was no 'freak', or 'lucky' punch. It was a blow that was perfectly calculated by the 33-year-old Wolfe.

"I think that when the regular boxing people look at the whole one minute, you can tell it wasn't a mistake punch, you can tell it was a set up, perfectly placed punch," Wolfe explained to BoxingTalk.com. "The first time I met Vonda Ward, I got up close to her - I didn't get up close to her to size her up, look at her, stare at her, nothing. I got up close to her to see where he chin met me at. Her chin was right over the top of my head. That's where I knew what to throw. I drew a circle on the bag, and when I'd crouch down I knew how high her chin was. So I wasn't fighting somebody 6'6". To me I was fighting somebody 6'3", because I'm trying to punch you in your chin."

When she finally squared off with Ward, Wolfe says she continued to make adjustments until she successfully landed the overhand.

"If you watch the tape, I tried to land it more than once," said Wolfe. "I threw, I slipped on the outside, and threw, but she was so tall my punch ended up hitting her shoulder. You know, her shoulder blocked it. So then I said, 'I'm gonna slip a little bit, and get her off balance.' That didn't work. Okay, so I said,' I'm gonna double jab to keep her off balance.' I did it like three times. Then I said,' I'm gonna go to the body a little bit.' So I hit her to the body, and then the double jab. Off the double jab, you can't even see it on television because I tried to look for it, I feinted my shoulder like I was gonna throw another jab. That's what she was gonna counter. She was gonna counter off my jab, which is what she thought I was gonna throw. So when she thought the double jab was coming, that's when I hit her with the overhand right."

That knockout blow, the 17-1 (12) Wolfe's team claim, was initiated, in flight, and delivered in an astonishingly quick time of 4/100s of a second. Almost impossible to believe, coming from a light heavyweight, but Wolfe's manager Brian Pardo insisted it is indeed true.

"It was the fastest overhand right punch I've ever witnessed and I know [the speed] because we still-framed the pictures of the knockout," he explained. "When Ann initiated the punch, the clock was reading 22/100s of a second. It was in flight so to speak at 23/100s and 24/100s of a second, and at 25/100s, Ann makes contact with the point of her chin and already it starts to turn. At 26/100s, the punch is already by her head, and her head has already snapped. It was an extremely quick punch."

Wolfe has always been known as a heavy-handed, raw punching knockout artist, but these revelations bring to the forefront something the boxing press has overlooked for the duration of her career - her speed. Many of her opponents have underestimated this quality she possesses too, oftentimes referring to her as "slow" and "flat-footed" in pre-fight interviews, only to be surprised inside the ropes.

"Everybody thinks I'm slow," said Wolfe. "But I'm extremely fast. I'm faster than you can ever imagine. And I know how to move away with my feet better than people think. I'm faster than what people think. That's part of my secret. They don't understand, I'm faster than they think with my feet, hands, everything. I've got more skills than people think, I've got better footwork than what people think, but because I don't have to always use those things, I use what I use to win the fights."

Ward's team may have made this common mistake of underestimating the abilities of Brown Sugar going into the fight. After all, the former IBA heavyweight champion did have another fight scheduled, and had her eyes set on a potential showdown with Laila Ali.

"I don't think that Vonda's team gave any thought whatsoever, even to the remotest possibly, that Vonda would lose the fight," said Pardo. "That struck me as being odd, especially with a heavy-handed puncher like Ann."

"Vonda had already set up other stuff to do before she fought me," added Wolfe. "She just assumed that she was gonna beat me, but see, I don't care who you are, until you step in that ring with me, you don't know nothing about me."

Wolfe, as the latter comment indicates, is starting to grow frustrated. She has stood aside and listened to past and future foes trash-talk her, downplay her talents, and give their insights of how they're going to dispose of her. The most frequent and latest of perpetrators is Ali.

"They're starting to piss me off," revealed Wolfe. "At first I was a pretty much humble fighter, you know, I'm still a humble fighter, but don't start talking crazy about me. About how you're gonna whoop me. Like I was telling them, they said that Laila said she's gonna knock me out... I'm starting to take this to heart. Don't say what you're gonna do to me... I can say that Laila is overrated, but I'm not gonna know until I step in the ring with her what she really is about. So don't you say nothing about me until you step in the ring with me, and know what I'm really about. And when you're gonna look in my eyes and see that I'm a natural predator, and I don't mind hurting you, you gonna find I don't mind destroying you."

Sometimes these sorts of candid remarks may project the image of Wolfe as an abrasive person, but rest assured, she is everything but that. She is a compassionate, caring person.

"I'm the sweetest person you ever want to meet," Wolfe said. "If I have something and I see a hungry person, a hungry kid, I give it to them. I want to be touchable person. I love people, I love older people, I love kids, I love helping people trying to do something, you know, if I can help them, that's what I want to do. That's who I am."

Evidence of this compassion can be seen daily at the Ann Wolfe Boxing Gym, a non-profit boxing gym based out of her hometown, which Wolfe and her team established in August 2003. Wolfe, who has overcome homelessness and a trouble past herself, has an estimated 40-50 inner city kids, many from broken homes, training at the gym.

"Ann doesn't make any money off the gym, and all the kids have to do is bring a report card every six weeks, show they're in school and making passing grades, and they can train in her gym," explained Pardo. "Many of these kids wouldn't have a place to be if it wasn't for her."

The six-year veteran thrives on working with street kids, directing misguided souls towards a path where there is a future. Wolfe is fulfilled in this role, knowing that her mother who passed away when she was 18 didn't die in vain.

"My life has meaning. My mother always told me, she said, right before she died, 'Ann, live your life where you're gonna have some meaning. I'm 44 years old and I'm gonna die. And nobody is gonna know nothing about me.' And I told my mother, I said, 'You know what, through me, in some kind of way, I'm gonna make sure people know you got some meaning. You had me. I'm gonna make sure. I'm gonna make sure that your life is not lived in vain. You raised me to be who I am.' And so that's what I fight for."

"I don't want fame and fortune," she asserted. "I don't give a damn. I really don't give a damn about no belt either. What I'm gonna do with that? I'm not fighting for any of that."

Although only sixth grade educated, Wolfe is actually quite articulate - albeit in a different way to most. No, she's not book smart. But many of her cruel life experiences have shaped her into a streetwise, and life smart person. Unlike a substantial amount of world champions in the boxing business, she is very prudent with her purses. She has never been tempted by a high maintenance lifestyle.

"I thought I was dumb, or you know, not as smart, because I wasn't highly educated, but I found out a long time ago you can be educated and not smart," explained Wolfe. "And you can also be smart and not educated."

"She is not just smart in the ring," said Wolfe's PR Representative Dana Yarbrough. "You know, she might not have an education but she's highly intelligent… if you were to meet Ann in person, you would know exactly what I mean."

Wolfe's next fight, at this present time, is uncertain. BoxingTalk.com has been informed that there are talks going on between the Wolfe and Ali camps to promote the bout nearly all women's boxing enthusiasts have been calling for two years. The two were supposed to meet last February, however Ali's camp breached the contract by taking a January fight in Nigeria (which never eventuated). Subsequent negotiations fell flat, with on one occasion team Ali demanding an absurd purse of $2 million. Hopefully negotiations are more successful this time around.

Another fight that beckons for Wolfe is a battle with talented super middleweight, Erin Toughill. She was scheduled to meet Toughill in February, but a battle with the flu, which resulted in fever blisters on her lips, kept Wolfe from fighting. Pardo says they will be pursuing an outing with Toughill.

"She's got a respectable, growing record, and she thinks she ought to be able to fight Ann at super middleweight," he said. "We told her that we'd give her a chance, so I'm gonna look to get Erin Toughill into a fight with Ann if we can work it out next, probably mid-summer."

Wolfe expresses little concern about her next adversary, declaring, "It don't matter." Whoever it is, she won't be taking them lightly.

"There ain't somebody that I just take for granted or take lightly," she said. "'Cause you know why? I did it to a lot of people. When they didn't know who I was, I was knocking their asses out. Until they knew who I was, then they could try to prepare for me. And you can tell when they prepared for me, and they got their soul and heart ready, a few girls went the distance. But the ones that took me lightly, any girl that ever took me lightly, that didn't take me as the fight of their life, got knocked out."

The fight that is being recognized as the biggest upset in Women's Boxing in 2004 will begin airing tonight on cable networks across the nation. Newly crowned IBA Light Heavy Weight World Champion Ann Wolfe (17-1-12) knocked out IBA Heavy Weight World Champion Vonda Ward (18-1-15) at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi on May 8th. With that victory Wolfe became the first woman ever to hold 4 titles in four different weight classes. Also, on the card were Eric "Butterbean" Esch and Mia St. John.

See the chart for scheduled televised times and dates the Wolfe/Ward Fight will air. Also, check your local listings for time changes.

Cleveland, Ohio (May 24, 2004) recently crowned IBA Light Heavyweight champion, Ann Wolfe fought Scott Raab in a three round exhibition fight at the well-known Kronk Boxing Gym in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday, May 22, 2004. The fight is part of an on-going attempt to help inner-city kids stay in school through boxing training.

Scott Raab, a highly acclaimed author and Writer-at-Large for Esquire Magazine fulfilled a long held desire to get into the ring with a world-class female boxer. At fifty-one and weighing in at a trim 250 pounds, Raab is an imposing figure. Raab has trained over a long period of time in boxing to stay in shape, but he had never experienced a serious competitive bout with a highly trained athlete such as Ann Wolfe.

Fighting before an invitation only audience, Wolfe and Raab delighted the crowd with give and take toe-to-toe action. Pressing Wolfe relentlessly, Raab traded some serious shots with the champion, landing a number of well-placed body and headshots. Wolfe seemed content to counter punch with sharp body shots and threw in several of her trademark, bone-shattering rights to the head.

Wobbled slightly in the first round, Raab scoffed at the referee when he began a standing eight count. Both fighters closed on each other repeatedly, fighting on the inside most of the time.

In preflight interviews Raab said he was a little nervous, but you couldn’t tell once the bell rang out the first round. After the fight, both fighters embraced and declared a mutual respect for each other. Ann Wolfe said, when asked what Scott Raab brought to the ring, “the most important thing is heart. Scott has a great heart and he was determined to put on a successful show. I really admire him for that!”

After the bout, Ann Wolfe visited with the kids and guests and signed autographs.

Proceeds from Ann Wolfe’s appearance and Ann Wolfe boxing items sold at the event were donated to the Kronk Gym.

Ann Wolfe (17-1 12 KOS) celebrated her Mother’s Day weekend in Biloxi, MS with a knockout over previously unbeaten Vonda “All American Girl” Ward. Ann knocked Ward out COLD in 1:08 of the first round, and here the 5’9 Wolfe recounts her SWIFT victory over the 6’5 Ward:

ANN WOLFE: I just tried a couple of different things to see how I could get in on her, a jab and overhand right. Then I said let me try to slip inside. I didn’t try to knock her out . I didn’t throw all my power. But every shot I throw is hard, I trained hard. I trained 2 months for this fight.
Ann has been trained by “Pops” Billingsley “ever since I picked up a pair of gloves. He lets me be me.” And the 35 year coaching veteran has much to his credit, with the hard hitting Wolfe punching her way to a near perfect record, logging only 1 loss to Valerie Mahfood, which she avenged in August of last year in the Laila Ali/Christy Martin undercard.

AG: even with this victory, you’re not resting between fights
ANN WOLFE: no, back in gym the day after the fight helping the kids. That might be part of my problem, ‘cause I’m always in the gym. I never relax…tend to over train. I train old school, like old fighters. I hit a tire with a sledge iron. I run behind a truck and hit the bag with my coach driving, a 200 pound bag. I never spar or train without 18 ounce gloves. I really truly spar with men. MEN. My sparring partner is a 270 lb. MAN, a three-time world kick boxing champion. I go with bigger guys that can hold back. And I can spar hard and all out. And I use my skills to stay away. Hard to find sparring partners. Some 165 pound fighter won’t hold back and can hurt me. Because I hit hard, they hit hard back, so they got to hold their punches back. They don’t want to hold back, and they got to throw too. I have to spar with people I know that understand how I fight, we both can throw and I can learn.

AG: tell me about your training routine:
ANN WOLFE: run in the mornings, 3 days a week, three to five miles; then run sprints, 200 yard dashes, hill work. Then every other day I go to the gym at 12 PM, and do 500 sit ups, push ups, pull ups, calisthenics Sparring also every other day. And an hour of aerobics every other day.

AG: with the victory over Vonda Ward, you’re now the first female to win 4 championships, which are?
ANN WOLFE: I’ve won 5 world titles, 2 continental titles. Tell you the truth I don’t know. I started out junior middle, then middle, and super middle, then now light heavy.

AG: now the inevitable question-Laila Ali. I’ve read reports she is ready to move up to 175 and fight the winner of your bout with Ward, and that the outcome will be the same no matter who it is, she will win by KO.
ANN WOLFE: y’know…if you have somebody that confident…( Ann pauses for a moment)… but in her true mind she knows better. She don’t know ME, ANN WOLFE. That’ s just talk, everybody should know it. Everybody talks shit. Reporters talk . I’m tired of all the talk. All I can say is I’ll wait for the day. Don’t say what you’re going to do. To me her saying that don’t mean nothing to me. I’ve had people say they’re gonna kill me, so her saying she’s gonna knock me out ain’t nothing. I talk what I talk after the fight. You’ve got a lot to prove when you SAY you’re gonna do something. I’m not scared of anything or anybody. Not intimidated by anybody…

AG: Were you to beat Laila, what would be next for you in boxing?
ANN WOLFE: I don’t know, but then you know what?? I don’t have to beat Laila to be successful. That’s the problem, her problem- she’s got to prove something to fight me. I’m a TRUE junior middleweight, that’s what the majority of my fights are.

AG: Tell me about the Ann Wolfe Boxing Gym
ANN WOLFE: my gym is not just a boxing gym. Sometimes it’s the only cool place on a hot summer day for a child to go. The only place they may get food to eat. 50-60 kids just there with someplace to go…if I could help one child, I would quit boxing NOW. If it meant keeping one child from going through what I went through. Look where I come from…you can never have the joy I have now, knowing where I come from. Laila wants the fame and fortune. That’s shallow. What I’ve I got-I can say I made it, I made a change in other people’s lives. My kids have warm beds, they’re able to go and get something from the refrigerator to eat, basic things, I work for basic. Not for the glory.

AG: You have achieved so much in your career-what advice can you offer to women who are interested in the boxing industry?
ANN WOLFE: I never believed in the American dream, but this is the American dream- I got the opportunity and it happened. I had to fight to get it. My life would have been meaningless. You have to find what you can do, and do the best. It makes me want to laugh-Laila Ali, daughter of The Greatest wants to fight my ass....prove she can fight me that lived on the street, with the sixth grade education. A lot of people say don’t count your chicken's before they hatch, don’t count the eggs. You can DO anything you have a mind to.

AG: what are improvements you feel can be made in boxing?
ANN WOLFE: they need to set aside money for retirement, some type of relief. Also make it where you can’t just fight bums, one sanctioning body, where it goes by division. Like pro football has. You got to win, then, fight a certain person, then win again… you shouldn’t be able to buy fights. Make girls stay amateur until a certain, level unless you get a good fighter. You should stay a certain level for a certain amount of time. You shouldn’t be able to just come off the street and be a professional fighter. Even with me and Laila and all of us, there is now some sort of foundation. Even me at this time now, is when I feel I should actually be pro. Really good men turn pro after between 50-100 amateur fights. Girls should make it least 10 fights before turning pro, fight more amateur. Be in tournaments to advance. The more amateur experience makes their experience better. Not saying they have to, but girls should get more amateur experience. It would make women’s boxing
more competitive, get better athletes against each other. But the level is coming up. On the amateur level, we should focus.

AG: do you think women’s boxing will ever reach the same level as men’s as far as sporting events go-the huge purses, big venues, the same way women’s tennis and golf have?
ANN WOLFE: if we do it right it will, yes, I think it has the potential.
Women’s boxing needs somebody to make sure amateurs are allowed to fight tournaments then go on to pro. If you build a good amateur basis, then it will come, and you’ll have more and more pros.

Ann Wolfe has beaten tougher opponents in her life than any she will ever face in the ring-dropping out of school during the sixth grade, then losing her mother to cancer at age 18. The murder of both her father and brother. Her home life growing up as a child was without many of the luxuries we take for granted, the most basic utilities.... water, lights, heat and air. By age 24, Ann had moved from Louisiana to Austin and lived the hard life on the streets, literally scrapping to care for herself and 2 daughters. She told me people can talk all they want to about being homeless, but unless you’ve never woke up covered in dew and cold from sleeping outdoors all night, then you haven’t been there. But now in less than a decade she’s on TOP of her sport and her life, overcoming what may seem to be insurmountable odds, and in her own words, she did it ” by wanting to make something better for my kids and be better. I never was a quitter. We worked hard when I was young,
my mother instilled good Christian values to me.”

When I asked Ann what message she had for her fans, she was both sincere and humble, a little awestruck by the fact many people admire and look up to her, and see her as an inspiration
“I appreciate the fans believing in me…I can’t believe people want my
autograph…to me I’m no different than my fans. I’m just a fighter.”

The next time I’m in Austin, TX I plan to visit Ann Wolfe and get in some time at her gym.

Comments?? agreen@sirinet.net

Waco, TX (May 10, 2004) RPM Boxing, Management for Ann Wolfe, said today that Laila Ali “flatters” herself when she told WBAN she was the “prize” for the winner of the Wolfe/Ward IBA World Light Heavy Weight title fight held on May 8, 2004 in Biloxi, MS.

Brian Pardo, Owner of RPM Boxing said there was no agreement or even the “remotest” understanding that Wolfe would give Ali a shot at the title if she beat Vonda Ward to capture the Light Heavy Weight championship (which Wolfe did). Mr. Pardo said, “Ann Wolfe’s life and career do not revolve around Laila “Ali” McClain or her delusions of self grandeur.”

RPM Boxing said it is considering title defenses with other boxers as well and, “we have not had all that good of an experience with Laila and her husband, trainer, manager, Promoter Johnny McClain.

“Clearly, she has to get by her up-coming super middle weight challenge, before anything happens. That fight is by no means a cake walk for Laila,” Mr. Pardo said.

Two world champions, Ann Wolfe and Vonda Ward are ready to duke it out for the Light Heavy Weight Championship of the world. The fight, set for May 8th at the Biloxi, MS Coast Coliseum is on, according to RPM Boxing, managers for Ann Wolfe.

Vonda Ward (18-0-0-15 Ko’s) is the current Light Heavy Weight Champion. At 6’6”, Ward is an imposing figure with height and reach advantages over virtually everyone she has fought. This will be true of the Ann Wolfe fight as well.

While her KO record is impressive, Ward is not particularly known for hard hitting. Rather, she relentlessly wears her opponents down and, then TKO’s them with a flurry of punches. Ward enters the ring superbly conditioned and ready to fight 10 rounds. Most of her fights have gone into the late rounds.

On the other hand, Ward is seen as mechanical and somewhat robotic, letting her physical advantages work for her. She will have to change these tactics if she wants to beat Ann Wolfe.

Ann Wolfe (16-1-0-11 Ko’s) is a legendary boxer/puncher. Wolfe fights with an arsenal of weapons, not the least of which is a wicked right hand and bruising jab. Perhaps the hardest puncher in female boxing, Wolfe hits hard and often. Wolfe, soft spoken out of the ring, is pure terror in the ring. Ann brings extremely good, versatile boxing skills and superb conditioning, easily able to go toe to toe for ten rounds.

Except for a loss to Valerie Mahfood early in her career, since rectified, Ann has never been knocked down, or even wobbled in any of her many tough fights. Ann has a simple objective in accepting the challenge from Ward, to win the Light Heavy Weight championship of the world.

By doing so, Ann will hold world titles in four weight classes, Jr. Middleweight, Middleweight, Super Middleweight and Light Heavy Weight. This, in Ann’s opinion and that of many others, will install Ann as the best pound for pound female fighter in the world.

Given Laila Ali’s apparent withdrawal from boxing, Ann Wolfe is currently the undisputed Super Middleweight champion of the world. But, to achieve her goal of best pound for pound fighter, Ann first has to get by Vonda Ward.

With both of these capable fighters driven to succeed, the showdown in Biloxi should prove to a fight well worth watching.

Austin, Texas March 1, 2004 - Up and coming young fighters of the Ann Wolfe Boxing Team proved to be a tough test for their opponents at first time fights at the Golden Gloves held in San Antonio this past weekend.

Ann Wolfe took 10 fighters of which 5 of them won silver medals and one won a gold in the sub-novice division. Two others won silver and one won a gold in the Open Division. Angelina Vasquez took home her second Golden Glove title. She won her first one last year in the Open Division.

The team also won Best Sportsmanship of the tournament, while Ann's trainer, Donald "Pops" Billingsly, took home the Best Novice Coach award.

Ann Wolfe opened her new boxing gym in May of last year and has had tremendous success coaching these new young fighters. Ann said, "These kids fight with heart and character like I do. They will keep fighting no matter what. Many of them have been homeless or been in trouble. They are looking for something, and this gym is where they can find peace. They help me by wanting to do something with their lives, and I help them by giving them the opportunity they would have never had without the gym."

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