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Bantamweight Ava
Knight-Salicka was born on August 15, 1988, in the
little town of Chico, California. Half Polish and half
African-American, she takes no shame from what she does. As a child,
Ava never played sports but she did ballet through her years of 4-6. In
school she was always quiet and never out spoken ... one of those girls
that you could walk by and never notice. She has a very loving family
that supports her in what she does.
Ava started boxing at Chico
Boxing for Fitness in June of 2001, at the age of 13. Not knowing yet
that she had the talent to compete, she attended the gym and boxed her
first amateur fight in 2002. She had a hard time getting fights through
the years and had to fluctuate between weight classes and fight the
same people two or three times to stay busy. Though many fights were at
least three or more months apart, she finished with a record of 28-4.
She fought and beat the 2006 110-lb Golden Gloves Champion twice and
the 2006 National P.A.L 114-lb Champion twice. She attended the U.S
Nationals in Colorado Spings in March 2006, but lost to Cheryl Houlihan
by a controversial 13-10 decision on March 10 after defeating Amy
Augendhal by RSC-1 the previous day.
Ava was given her ring name
“Lady of Boxing” by her coach Joe
Rodriguez. She didn’t like the name at first but it came to grow on
her. She is trained by Joe Rodriguez, his son Luis Rodriguez, and her
father Elliot Knight. Ava didn’t know that her father was a former
amateur boxer when he was a kid until she was four years into
boxing. She also trains alongside professional boxer Mario Hernandez
and amateur boxer Morris Rodriguez, both aspiring to be champions in
the future. She loves boxing and wants to conquer it. She is very
humble but takes pride in making everyone around her happy.
Ava made her pro debut on August 30, 2007, at age
19 at Colusa Casino Resort in Colusa, California, . She weighed in at 114 lbs and
fought a to a four-round unanimous (40-37,39-37,39-37) decision over
Leonie Hall (118 lbs) of Oceanside California, who fell to 0-2-1 with
the loss.
On September 20, 2007 at Sagebrush Cantina in
Calabasas, California, Ava (115½ lbs) fought Katarina De La
Cruz (5'3", 116 lbs) of California just hours after she got the call
for the fight, winning by a KO at 1:19 in the first round and sending
De La Cruz's record to 0-2-1.
 Ava's third fight was against Jodi Esquibel
(106½ lbs) of Albuquerque at the Isleta Casino near Albuquerque, New
Mexico, on January 11, 2008. Ava tried to come down to 108
lbs, but could only make 109½ lbs; Jodie’s team still accepted
the fight. Ava fought to a majority draw with Jodi, but many saw that
it as a robbery. The first round was Knight’s with clean
blows and dodging most of Esquibel’s punches, while the second round
was Esquibel’s. The last two rounds appeared to be Knight’s with strong
punches that opened up Esquibel’s nose and put a welt on her forehead.
Judges Rocky Burke and Margaret Garcia scored the fight 38-38, while
Judge Joel Perez had it 39-37 for Knight. Knight felt that
she was robbed by a "home town decision".
Her fourth fight was on February 9, 2008 at
Aquarius Hotel, Laughlin, Nevada against the more professionally
experienced Sharon Gaines
(112 lbs) of Las Vegas, Nevada . Knight won with a unanimous (58-56x3)
six-round decision. Gaines fought a tough fight but Knight fought a
better fight dropping Gaines's record to 11-10-0 (3 KO's).
On June 12, 2008 at Mohegan Sun Casino in
Uncasville, Connecticut, Knight (124 lbs) fought WIBA champion and
aspiring MMA contender Elena Reid
(126
lbs) of Las Vegas to a draw over six rounds. Knight took
the fight a week in advance. The fight was close but Knight felt she
won landing harder cleaner shots stunning Reid at times, while Elena
was hitting Knight mostly with slaps and punches with little behind
them. Knight felt she won again but was not disappointed that she drew
with a world class fighter whose record advanced to 19-4-6 (5 KO's)
with the draw.
According to Christopher Connor of Pound4Pound.com, "While
the bout seemed a mismatch on paper, it was an exciting fight as the
three time S.F. Gold Gloves champ Knight often was the attacker over
the reigning IFBA Flyweight champion Reid. "Baby Doll" did her best
work in rounds three and six as she used her jab and her experience to
frustrate the Chino native, keeping the more aggressive Knight at bay."
"I knew coming into this fight that Ava was the
real deal. I have had
trouble getting opponents so we took Ava on and she came to fight",
said
Reid afterwards. "This was the largest crowd I
ever fought in front of and I was nervous at first of this bout."
Knight stated. "But I did well and there are still some
things I need to do to improve on for my next fight."
On July 31, 2008, Knight went to Schuetzen Park, North Bergen, New
Jersey, to fight a local favorite, Noriko Kariya (5'1", 119 lbs) of
Toronto, Canada. Knight (117 lbs) took the fight a week in advance but
also had to come up two weight classes to 119 lbs. Knight came that
night to make a point. She knocked out Kariya at 00:20 in the fifth
round.
According to Mike Indri on BoxinginLasVegas.com "Trailing on the scorecards after four rounds of the
scheduled six rounder, Kariya was boxing well but absorbing several
clean power shots from the taller, well-skilled fighter. Early in round
five Knight crushed Kariya with a huge right hand, sending the stunned
Canadian-born bantamweight crumbling backwards onto the seat of her
pants. Momentarily debilitated and obviously hurt, the gutsy Kariya
valiantly tried to get to her feet but could not, getting counted out
by referee Sparkle Lee at the 20 second mark of the fateful fifth
round."
Kariya's record fell to 9-3-1 (2 KO's) with
the loss.
On November 18, 2008 at Table
Mountain Casino in Friant, California, Ava (117½ lbs) won the IFBA
North American Bantamweight title with a hard fought eight-round
unanimous (77-75x3) decision over undefeated California rival Kaliesha
West (117¾ lbs) of Moreno Valley.
According to Mario Ortega Jr of 15Rounds.com, "In a thrilling eight-round bout,
West got off to great start as her speed seemed to bother Knight early.
As the rounds progressed, Knight gained the momentum by landing the
cleaner and harder shots. In the fifth, a knot began to develop on the
left side of Knight’s forehead as the result of a clash of heads.
Action was fast and furious, as neither woman wanted a punch to go
unanswered. Late in the fight, Knight’s clear edge in power seemed to
tilt matters in her favor. Undeterred, West kept coming forward until
the close of a great fight fought at an extremely high level. After an
action-packed eighth round, both fighters received a standing ovation."
West's record fell to
10-1-0 (2 KO's) with the loss.
“This is big for
me,”
said Knight after the bout. “I want to cry, but I can’t get
it out.” Knight's trainer Joe Rodriguez also acknowledged
West after the bout: “West was good, and I take my hat off
to her for giving Ava the opportunity, but Ava Knight is “The Lady of
Boxing,” and she showed that tonight.”
On August 29, 2009 at Ciudad Deportiva
in Mexicali, Baja California,
Mexico, Ana Maria Torres
(115 lbs) of Mexico won a 10-round unanimous (97-94,96-94,99-91)
decision over Ava (115 lbs) for the WBC Junior Bantamweight title. A
local report opined that Torres was 'much superior' and 'used her reach
advantage to good effect' but Knight moved well and made for a
difficult target. She also gave Torres a bloody nose which 'only made
her more determined'. Torres
moved her record to 19-3-2
(11 KO's). 
Video of fight without audio
“That loss was the most
important fight I’ve had to date,” Knight said
later. “I
learned more about the mental game. The physical part is
important but it doesn’t matter if your mind isn’t in it 100-percent.”
 On January
14, 2011 at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, Ava
Knight (110 lbs) won by an emphatic KO at 1:55 in the first
round over
Gloria Salas (108¾. lbs) of Palm Springs,
California,
who fell to 3-6-1 (1 KO) with the loss. The win advanced
Knight's record to 6-1-2 (3 KO's). [Video of KO]
On
June 18, 2011 at the Sports Arena in Pico Rivera, California,
Ava Knight (117 lbs) and Kaliesha West
(118 lbs) of Moreno Valley, California fought
to a 10-round split draw in a rematch for the WBO Bantamweight title.
The scores were: 96-94 West, 96-94 Knight, and 95-95.
Mary
Ann Owen told WBAN,
"West and Knight were like mirror images, their fight was an offensive
battle. Both fighters used excellent combinations in a continuous
struggle to the end." Knight's record moved to 6-1-3 (3 KO's), West's to
13-1-3 (4 KO's).
[Flash
slideshow of fight by Mary Ann Owen]
On October 29, 2011 at El Palenque de la Feria in
Colima, Mexico, Ava Knight (111¾ lbs) knocked out Arely Mucino (111¾
lbs)
of Monterrey, Mexico in the second round of a scheduled ten-rounder for
the IBF Flyweight title. Mucino began the fight aggressively
with
straight lefts and hooks to the liver but Knight used her height
advantage to land a straight left followed by a right hook to the chin
that knocked Mucino to the canvas in a corner. That knockdown was
ruled a slip but Knight quickly followed through with a digging left to
the body followed by a left to Mucino's head that put the Mexican
champion flat on her back. The fight was stopped by the referee
at 0:34 in the second stanza with Mucino still lying on her her back on
the canvas.
“I thought I actually lost
the first round,” Knight told Ryan Maquiñana, "but our
plan was always to come in and go for the knockout, so we were able to
do what we had to do.” Knight improved her record to 7-1-3
(4 KO's) while Mucino fell to 14-1-1 (8 KO's). [Video] Ava was named WBAN's Fighter of the Month for November 2011 and Hottest Rising Star for 2011. Her KO of Arely Mucino was also cited as one of WBAN's Three Biggest KO's of 2011.
Ava attends Butte
College and is working on a Masters in Business. She spends the rest of
her time in the gym.
To check out fight reports,
complete up-to-date boxing records, with huge digital photos you can go
to
the WBAN Records
Member Site
Page
last updated:
Sunday, 30 October 2011
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