Kelsey
”
The Road Warrior
”
Jeffries is in a small room deep in the bowels of Legends
Casino.
Hollister – Kelsey “The Road Warrior” Jeffries is in a small room deep in the bowels of Legends Casino. She’s concentrating hard on this Friday afternoon, thinking through her strategy for tonight’s fight at the Tacoma, Wash. venue against Michigan’s Kim Colbert, Jeffries’ second bout in as many weeks.
The Hollister-based boxer is thinking violent thoughts, thoughts that involve her gloved fists battering her opponent into submission.
The assault begins as soon as the bell rings and Colbert (2-7-0, 2 KO’s) should be very afraid.
The Jeffries camp doesn’t know much about Colbert. But Jeffries (31-8-0, 2 KO’s) does know that her opponent is a southpaw and that’s always reason for a little concern. So is Colbert’s deceivingly poor record.
While there’s nothing impressive about two wins against seven defeats, Colbert has been making a name for herself by taking on some of the best fighters in the world in the 135-140 lb. weight range.
“She’s 2-7 but that’s completely irrelevant,” said Jeffries of her opponent in a telephone interview Friday. “This girl has fought the top five fighters in the 135- and 140-lb. division. She’s fought nothing but the best and she can punch.”
Tough or not, the 25-year-old Colbert will have her hands full when she steps into the ring against the 29-year-old Road Warrior. As good as Jeffries is at this point in her career, she’s getting better and better with each bout.
A big reason for her continued improvement is her ongoing work with legendary trainer and cutman Buddy McGirt. McGirt was the fellow in Antonio Tarver’s corner last weekend in Memphis, supporting the light heavyweight in his rematch with Glen Johnson, a fight that Tarver (23-3-0, 18 KO’s) won by unanimous decision.
Jeffries credits McGirt for turning her into a more confident and intelligent fighter, one that refuses to be bullied into abandoning her gameplan. Under McGirt’s tutelage, Jeffries is evolving into the complete package.
“He’s awesome, just a gifted trainer,” said Jeffries of McGirt, who will be in Arturo Gatti’s corner for his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. tonight in Atlantic City. “I’ve learned so much from him. I’m a different person and a different fighter. I’m more confident now and I know how to handle any fighter, whether they’re a boxer or a puncher, I make them fight my kind of fight.”
Tonight’s bout, set to begin at 6pm, will be Jeffries’ final tuneup before she returns home for a July 21 fight at San Jose’s HP Pavilion against an opponent to be determined.
