Jeffries returns to Gilroy as a world champion, but the local
fighter wants more.
GILROY – There is a locked case inside Kelsey Jeffries’ office at her home. Inside are four championship belts, but none more important than her latest – the IFBA World Featherweight title she won Nov. 7 in Bakersfield.
“They’re locked up. No one is going to take them from me. I worked too hard for them,” said Jeffries, standing outside the Sixth Street Gym in Gilroy. “It definitely feels good to say I am the world champ.”
Jeffries’ professional boxing career started more than three years ago. After winning three consecutive Gold Gloves as an amateur, Jeffries turned pro and, last year alone, the fighter tagged ‘Sweet Power’ won three belts – including the California State Featherweight title.
“It’s been a long road. It’s been a good year for me. I won three titles this year,” said Jeffries, who went from karate classes to kickboxing to women’s boxing. “I didn’t even know this existed when I started.”
But ever since her climb through the boxing ranks to the top of the world, Jeffries has been hungry for respect. In three years, she has put together a modest 17-7-1 record. All the while, Jeffries kept working hard, taking on all challengers, and eventually becoming a world champion.
“I should have three or four world titles, but it makes it more fun to work for them,” said Jeffries, who fought abroad in world title fights but came up short on the judges’ scorecards. “I wouldn’t take those losses back for anything.”
In fact, the losses just made Jeffries train harder. And now that’s she got one world title she wants them all. There are three major world titles remaining – the WIBA, WIBF and the IWBF.
“There’s one more but those are the main ones I want,” said Jeffries, still trying to let it sink in that’s she’s a world champ already. “It still hasn’t sunk in. I don’t know what to think or feel. I want to work harder and get better. It’s very humbling for me.”
Sure enough, Jeffries is already back to work. Fresh off her world title victory, Jeffries is jogging and working out. That’s just the way she is.
“The kid is a gym rat. It’s hard to keep her out,” said trainer Rick Mello, who saw something special in Jeffries when she was an amateur. “I just saw a lot of potential in her. Then after seeing the way she worked out and her work ethic, I just knew.”
At that time, Jeffries lived in Gilroy but trained in San Jose. Mello introduced her to the Sixth Street Gym in Gilroy and she’s been training there ever since.
“We couldn’t have done it without her striving to be as good as she is,” Mello said. “Now it gets tougher because she needs to get better.”
Now the ball is in Jeffries’ court and she’s taking all challengers.
“I’ll fight anybody anytime,” said Jeffries, still with the fire and spunk of an up-and-coming fighter rather than a world champ. “Everyone wants to fight me now (but) I’ve pretty much beat everyone in California.”
There is no telling what the future holds for Jeffries as she begins her world title defense and quest to unify the featherweight championships.
“I know there will be at least a couple of belts. Within the next year or two, she’ll have a couple more belts if not more,” Mello said. “This is her opportunity to fight for a little money. She can now say this is my ball, my park, and you have to play my game.”
