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5'4" bantamweight
Shondell Alfred was born in July 1981 in Guyana. She grew up in the
depressed
community of Albouystown where she took to athletics and later karate while in
school. Alfred's father Cecil and uncle Morris had been amateur
boxers but she
says
she began boxing as a pastime before encouragement from her family and friends
turned her hobby into a career.
“Alfred’s father Cecil `Koker Dog’ Alfred was a tough, street savvy boxer who
fought in the featherweight and lightweight divisions as an amateur. He also
represented Guyana at a tournament in Jamaica"
recalls
referee/judge Eion Jardine. Cecil Alfred later turned professional.
Shondell began her own pro boxing career on February 19, 1999, winning a
four-round decision over Stephaney George of Georgetown, who fell to 1-1.
On April 21 1999 in Georgetown she won a four-round decision over Sharon
Johnson, also of Guyana and on August 1, 1999 she won a four-round decision over
Shondell Thomas, another Guyanan who was making her own debut.
On June 9, 2000 at Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Shondell
(123¼ lbs) was TKO'd at 1:14 in the fourth round of a scheduled six-rounder by
Austrian-born Doris Hackl (131 lbs) of Halifax, who was
then the reigning IFBA Junior Lightweight champion and improved her own record
to 5-0 with the win. Hackl had also been a Canadian amateur champion.
On September 23, 2000 at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada, Shondell (116
lbs) was TKO'd at 1:06 in the second round of a scheduled four-rounder with
Lisa Brown (120 lbs) of Canada. Brown mounted a
non-stop attack and stunned Alfred with a left hook that had her pitching and
stumbling forward, prompting the referee to stop the bout. Brown, who had
also been a Canadian national amateur champion, improved her pro record to 3-0
with the win.
Shondell returned to the ring on August 5, 2001 in Georgetown, Guyana with a
four-round decision over pro debuter Jeanette Toby of Guyana.
On December 26, 2001 at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown, Guyana,
Shondell TKO'd debuter Adanna Francis in the first round of a scheduled
four-rounder.
On August 29, 2003 at Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, Wildey, Barbados, Shondell
(108 lbs) TKO'd Vicki Boodram (110 lbs) of Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago in
the first round of a scheduled four-rounder. Boodram fell to 0-2 with this
loss.
On December 26, 2003 at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown, Guyana,
Shondell won an eight-round majority decision in a rematch with Stephaney George
of Georgetown, who fell to 4-2 with her second loss to Shondell.
On February 28, 2004 at Europahallen in Aalborg, Denmark, Shondell (119 lbs)
lost a four-round unanimous (4-36x3) decision to Alexandra Matheus (125¾ lbs) of
Denmark, who improved to 2-0 with the win.
On March 27, 2004 at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown, Guyana, Shondell
lost an eight-round unanimous decision to Alicia Ashley
of New York. Alfred was rocked by a left cross midway through the third round
and her gloves touched the canvas for an official knockdown. Ashley, already a
several-time world champion, improved her record to to 10-5-1 (0 KO's) with the
win.
On October 22, 2004 at the Town Promenade in Princes Town, Trinidad and Tobago
Shondell (114 lbs) won the WIBA Iberian-American Bantamweight Title with a TKO
at 0:34 of the third round of Vicki Boodram (118 lbs) of Princes Town in a
scheduled eight-rounder. Boodram fell to 1-4 with the loss.
On July 9, 2005 in Georgetown, Guyana Shondell won a six-round decision over
Marisol Miranda of Hollywood, Florida who fell to 203 (0 KO's).
On May 16, 2006 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Shondell (114½
lbs) lost a four-round unanimous (40-36,39-37,39-37) decision to Danielle
Bouchard (119¼ lbs) of Montreal, a former Canadian national amateur champion who
improved her pro record to 5-1 with the win.
Shondell next took time away from the ring to focus on her baby son Cameron.
 On April 25, 2009, Shondell returned to the ring at the Cliff Anderson Sports
Hall in Georgetown, Guyana to again face Stephanie George, this time winning the
Guyanese bantamweight title by an eight-round unanimous (80-69,79-71,80-67) decision.
According to a
report by Rawle Toney in Stabroek News, "Shondell Alfred turned in a
world class performance to beat a determined Stephaney George to retain her
national Bantamweight title in the process. Despite tasting the canvas three
times in their eight-round encounter, Stephaney George forced Guyana’s stubborn
Bantamweight champion to the limit. Alfred floored George in the opening round
and twice in the second, but George showed grit and determination to force the
judges to deliver a unanimous decision." George
fell to 5-7-0 (0 KO's) with the loss.
On September 26, 2009 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown, Guyana,
Shondell (114¾ lbs) won the vacant WIBA Bantamweight world title with a
ten-round unanimous (99-90,97-90,96-92) decision over previously undefeated
Corinne Van Ryck De Groot (117½ lbs) of
Atlanta, Georgia. Alfred knocked de Groot down at 1:13 of
the second round but later went to the canvas four times which were ruled as
slips by the referee. De Groot's team protested the decision and WIBA President
Ryan Wissow mandated a rematch,
saying that "The referee missed a knockdown in round 10, but by then
Shondell was well ahead on points and even if he scored other knockdowns,
Shondell still would’ve won a decision. The referee did a good job from rounds 1
through 9” . De Groot's record
slipped to 11-1 (5 KO's). The 40-year-old DeGroot, who was born in Canada to
Guyanese parents, had made a name for herself in the USA by appearing on the NBC
American Gladiators TV show as the character
"Panther".
 On June 5, 2010 at the Princess Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana, Shondell (116 lbs)
won the mandatory rematch over Corinne Van Ryck De
Groot (118 lbs) in spectacular fashion, TKO'ing De Groot at 1:23 in the
fourth round of the scheduled 10-rounder. As
reported in the Guyana Chronicle, "De Groot's entrance to
the ring was heralded with some boos from the crowd given the fact that many
Guyanese felt she came across cocky in her attitude. Alfred on the other hand
was ushered in with thunderous applauds as the capacity filled venue all rose to
their feet to welcome the champion. The eagerness to put De Groot to sleep could
have been sensed from the opening round as Alfred wasted no time to launch at
her opponent with vengeance but yet still tactically planned her every attack.
All the rounds were the same until the third when the Guyanese hurt the American
in the closing minutes of the round ... Noticing De Groot was weakened from the
blows of the previous round; Alfred came out like an assassinator in round four
and went straight for the kill which she got in dramatic fashion. A three shot
combination did the damage – it started with a launching right, then a hard left
which followed by a jaw twisting right that sent De Groot through the ropes on
the canvas. The crowd were more amazed than shocked and took some time to
respond to what unfolded before there eyes as even President Jagdeo sitting
ring-side couldn’t help standing to join Alfred in celebration."
The Stabroek News
reported
that "The win emphatically set to rest any thoughts
that Alfred’s victory against De Groot in the previous fight was controversial.
Alfred solved the De Groot mystery, connecting with a right hook to De Groot’s
temple and sending her crashing onto the canvas and left her precariously
entangled in the ropes. The Canadian, while on the canvas, receiving her count
from referee Andrew Thorne, tried to shake off the effects of the left right
combination. When she mustered enough energy, she got up but walked back to the
neutral corner on rubberised legs, with a dazed look in her eyes to be revived
by doctors even as Thorne waved the contest off." Alfred advanced to 12-5 (4 KO's) while de
Groot fell to 11-2 (5 KO's).
“I
felt great in the ring and I’m very happy with the win even though I’m not
surprised at all. My coach and I had a plan for Corrine and from the first round
when I attacked her and she opened up, she fell right into it. So, in the third
round I troubled her a bit and I noticed in round four she was weak in the legs
so I just went for the knockout after she opened up again,” Alfred
told the Guyana Chronicle's Rawle Toney.
“I hope my victory is seen as a boost for women in Guyana for I see myself as
their ambassador and will always strive to be a good role model to young women
in sport,” Alfred
told Stabroek Sport in a telephone interview.
Shondell trains
at the modest
James Street, Albouystown Forgotten Youth Foundation Boxing Gym. Her trainers
include Sebert Blake, Wincel Thomas and Joseph Murray, all former local
champions.
Shondell's mother
Ingrid is one hundred percent behind her and her boxing career. “After
all”,
declares Shondell, “she lived with a boxer, my father Cecil “Koker-Dog”
Alfred who campaigned in Guyana’s ring during the fifties/sixties”.
Other Shondell Alfred links
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:
Friday, 25 June 2010 |
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