Martha Salazar
Encyclopedia
Martha Salazar is an American female boxer
. Salazar, whose global boxing
ID is US-CA-061872, fights as a Heavyweight. She is the WIBF
's world Heavyweight champion. Her nickname is "The Shadow". She hails from San Francisco, California
.
Salazar became the third Hispanic
to become world Heavyweight champion in all of boxing's history, and the second one in women's boxing history. The first Hispanic to win a world Heavyweight championship in boxing was male boxer John Ruiz
of Puerto Rico
.
Salazar debuted as a professional boxer on March 25, 2001, defeating Denise Callahan by a four round decision in Hayward, California
. She followed that victory with two back to back wins over Carley Pesente, defeating Pesente twice by four round unanimous decisions, both times in Tacoma, Washington
.
Salazar won two more fights, including a six round decision win on November 16, 2002, over Kisha Snow
, who had six wins and only one loss coming into their fight.
On March 1, 2003, Salazar made her Las Vegas
debut. She suffered her first career defeat that night, being beaten on points over four rounds by former NCAA
basketball
star Vonda Ward
, who ran her record to sixteen victories and no losses after beating Salazar.
Salazar rebounded with her first knockout
win, however, when she beat Pesente in their third bout, held on May 24, in Vallejo, California
. Salazar beat Pesente in the first round.
Salazar received her first world title shot after that win, attempting to win the IBA
world Heavyweight title on June 11, 2003, when she lost by a ten round decision to Ward in their rematch, held at Canton, Ohio
.
On March 18, 2004, Salazar met Marsha Valley in California
and she lost for the second time in a row, this time by a split six round decision.
On October 16, she and Valley met in a rematch, fighting in Oakland
, for the WBE
's world super heavyweight
title. The Super Heavyweight division is a division that is only recognized in amateur boxing and by a couple of women's boxing organizations. It is not recognized at all in men's boxing. Salazar avenged her earlier loss to Valley and, nevertheless, became a world champion for the first time, when she defeated Valley by an eight round unanimous decision.
Salazar went down in weight to compete for the world Heavyweight championship for the second time, when she was offered a chance to meet Pamela London
for the WIBF's vacant world Heavyweight title.
On November 28, 2004, Salazar had her first fight abroad when she and London met in Guyana
. With a weight of 240 pounds (109 kg) for that fight, Salazar became the WIBF world Heavyweight champion, by knocking London out in nine rounds.
Women's boxing
Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1902. For most of the 20th century, however, it was banned in most nations. Its revival was pioneered by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which sanctioned events for women in 1988. The British Amateur Boxing...
. Salazar, whose global boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
ID is US-CA-061872, fights as a Heavyweight. She is the WIBF
Women's International Boxing Federation
The WIBF is, along with the WIBA, IWBF and others, one of the more recognized world championship fight sanctioning organizations in women's boxing. The organization is based in Miami, Florida, and is not associated with male boxing's IBF.The WIBF was formed in the middle 1990s. It is presided by...
's world Heavyweight champion. Her nickname is "The Shadow". She hails from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Salazar became the third Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
to become world Heavyweight champion in all of boxing's history, and the second one in women's boxing history. The first Hispanic to win a world Heavyweight championship in boxing was male boxer John Ruiz
John Ruiz
John "The Quietman" Ruiz , is a former American professional boxer. Ruiz is the first Latino heavyweight champion and former two-time WBA heavyweight champion. After a professional career spanning over 18 years, Ruiz officially announced his retirement from the sport at a press conference on April...
of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
Salazar debuted as a professional boxer on March 25, 2001, defeating Denise Callahan by a four round decision in Hayward, California
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
. She followed that victory with two back to back wins over Carley Pesente, defeating Pesente twice by four round unanimous decisions, both times in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
.
Salazar won two more fights, including a six round decision win on November 16, 2002, over Kisha Snow
Kisha Snow
Kisha Snow is a female boxer from the United States.In 1999, Snow won the amateur women's boxing American Heavyweight title. She has gone on to have a prosperous career as a professional boxer, fighting and beating some of the top female fighters.Snow has declared that she is gay . However, she...
, who had six wins and only one loss coming into their fight.
On March 1, 2003, Salazar made her Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
debut. She suffered her first career defeat that night, being beaten on points over four rounds by former NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
star Vonda Ward
Vonda Ward
Vonda Ward is an American female boxer who was also a well known NCAA basketball player.-Before boxing:Ward grew up in a sports-oriented family, as her father, Larry Ward, is a famous harness racer....
, who ran her record to sixteen victories and no losses after beating Salazar.
Salazar rebounded with her first knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
win, however, when she beat Pesente in their third bout, held on May 24, in Vallejo, California
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
. Salazar beat Pesente in the first round.
Salazar received her first world title shot after that win, attempting to win the IBA
International Boxing Association
The International Boxing Association is a for-profit organization that sanctions professional boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.- Origins :...
world Heavyweight title on June 11, 2003, when she lost by a ten round decision to Ward in their rematch, held at Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
On March 18, 2004, Salazar met Marsha Valley in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and she lost for the second time in a row, this time by a split six round decision.
On October 16, she and Valley met in a rematch, fighting in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, for the WBE
World Boxing Empire
The World Boxing Empire is a boxing sanctioning body founded in 2001, then under the name World Boxing Syndicate . Its inaugural title fight took place in Annandale, Virginia, on March 9, 2002, between Mitch Green and Danny Wofford...
's world super heavyweight
Super heavyweight
In amateur boxing, the super heavyweight division is a weight class division for fighters weighing in excess of 91 kilograms . Introduced for the 1984 Summer Olympics, the division, despite its grandiose name, is merely the amateur equivalent of the professional heavyweight division...
title. The Super Heavyweight division is a division that is only recognized in amateur boxing and by a couple of women's boxing organizations. It is not recognized at all in men's boxing. Salazar avenged her earlier loss to Valley and, nevertheless, became a world champion for the first time, when she defeated Valley by an eight round unanimous decision.
Salazar went down in weight to compete for the world Heavyweight championship for the second time, when she was offered a chance to meet Pamela London
Pamela London
Pamela London is a female boxer from Guyana. She forms part of a group of young women boxers to come from that country.London is well known in her nation...
for the WIBF's vacant world Heavyweight title.
On November 28, 2004, Salazar had her first fight abroad when she and London met in Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
. With a weight of 240 pounds (109 kg) for that fight, Salazar became the WIBF world Heavyweight champion, by knocking London out in nine rounds.