Sitzes wins by decision over Velez

By Mark L. Elwood
8-11-2007 @ www.womenboxing.com/

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Jeri “Fists of Fury” Sitzes made a statement Friday night, Aug. 10, with a six-round featherweight unanimous decision over former WIBA bantamweight world champion Ada “Ace” Velez of Hollywood, Fla., at the Springfield Expo Center.

She made it clear she is out for another title, and nothing will stand in the way.

Sitzes answered any questions about her mental state with a disciplined decision over a veteran and determined opponent in Velez. Sitzes was fighting a few weeks after being stripped of her NABF featherweight title for failure to defend the strap.
She had canceled her scheduled defense to be with her family after the death of her mother, Devonna, on July 13.

Springfield resident Sitzes improved to 14-6-1 with 6 KOs as Velez, who had not fought in more than three years, fell to 14-3-2 with 6 KOs in the comeback bout. Sitzes leapt onto the ropes and raised both fists in the air as the hometown crowd chanted her name following the reading of the decision.

Both fighters came out busy in the first round, but Sitzes had the edge in the feeling out period. The Puerto Rican-born Velez, fighting under the tutelage of Bonnie Canino, recognized that Sitzes had been holding her left low and threw several overhand rights that gave her the second round and evened the bout.

Sitzes came out in the third with the left up and began initiating combinations off the jab, piling up points. Velez was game, occasionally still tagging Sitzes when the winner’s left would briefly come down, but could not come up with a way to match Sitzes’ aggressive scoring combos as she controlled the remainder of the bout.

Sitzes marked Velez under the left eye in the third, but it did not seem to be a factor in the outcome, and the fighters hugged in a show of respect at the bout’s conclusion.

Scoring was 59-55 on two scorecards and 58-56 on the third. This writer also scored it 59-55. Mike England of St. Louis was the referee.

The bout was the co-feature of a seven-fight card promoted by Buffalo Run Casino and shown on ESPN2. In the main event, Rob Calloway won an action-packed unanimous decision over Terry Smith of Little Rock, Ark., in a battle of Top 50 heavyweight contenders.