It’s been nearly a year in the making but Hollister’s Kelsey
Jeffries is finally back in California and on the card for this
evening’s Fight Night at the Tank in San Jose.
Hollister – It’s been nearly a year in the making but Hollister’s Kelsey Jeffries is finally back in California and on the card for this evening’s Fight Night at the Tank in San Jose.
And she has a few new surprises for everybody who makes the trip to San Jose, including her opponent, Leona Brown of Pawling, N.Y.
Last June, Jeffries and Brown met in Canyonville, Ore. at the Seven Feathers Resort. Jeffries got the victory by way of a unanimous decision. It was a battle all the way and Jeffries expects more of the same tonight at the Tank.
“She reminds me a little of Mike Tyson,” said Jeffries of the 44-year old Brown. “She’s short and muscular and she fights a lot like him. You never know what to expect from her. She’s a tough girl. (Last June’s fight) was a very competitive bout. But since then, she’s gone on to win a world title at 118 (pounds). She’s fought a lot of good fights since then and she’s won a lot of good fights.”
Of course, the same can be said for Jeffries.
The Hollister-based fighter has been very busy in recent months. Her first fight of 2005 was against Lakeysha Williams at the Seven Feathers, a bout that she won by unanimous decision. Just nine days later, Jeffries got back into the ring at Legends Casino in Yakima, Wash. for a fight with Kim Colbert and again won by unanimous decision.
Look out, Leona. Kelsey’s gunning for a 3-0 record this summer. And she’s looking to do it in front of her hometown fans.
“I just want to make all of the Hollister people and all of the South Bay people proud,” Jeffries said.
For her return to the ring in California, Jeffries decided on a change in nickname. No longer will she be known as the “Road Warrior.” Now, it’s the “Ali’i Warrior of the South Bay,” in honor of the area she calls home.
“Ali’i” means “great one” or “greatness” in Hawaiian. Jeffries was brought up in Hawaii, so she decided to incorporate something Hawaiian, along with something Californian, in choosing her new moniker.
“Hollister and Gilroy are very special places to me,” Jeffries said. “I get unbelievable support from both and I want to do my best to represent them.”
Tonight’s bout should be a thriller. Not only is Jeffries facing a rematch with a very tough opponent, but the New York boxer’s aggressive style is perfectly matched for Jeffries’ finely-tuned boxing skills.
Brown will no doubt be looking to exploit any weaknesses in Jeffries that she picked up on in their last meeting. But the Hollister-based fighter is sporting a much more complete boxing package than she was this time last year, thanks to world-class trainer Buddy McGirt.
“I’m able to execute a lot better now,” Jeffries said. “Obviously, Buddy McGirt has a lot to do with that. He’s a master in the ring and he’s instilling in me much better technical skills. You’re going to see a different Kelsey on Thursday.”
Tonight’s action at the Tank starts at 7:30pm. There are five fights on the card and Jeffries vs. Brown is scheduled to be the fourth bout of the evening before the main event, Fernando “Wary” Beltran Jr. vs. Idelfonso “Poncho” Martinez.
