State featherweight champ Kelsey Jeffries broke her string of
three straight losses to southpaw fighters Friday night
SAN FRANCISCO – State featherweight champ Kelsey Jeffries broke her string of three straight losses to southpaw fighters Friday night as ‘Sweet Power’ won a tightly-contested unanimous decision over lefthander Jo Jo Wyman at the San Francisco Concourse.
So much for the southpaw jinx.
“She started real fast so I knew she’d get tired at the end,” said Jeffries, who was the aggressor throughout her six-round decision over Wyman. “I should of used my jab more like my coaches told me. She was a little awkward. She was moving away a lot and I didn’t want to reach. When I started using that jab, I started nailing her.”
By the end of the fifth round, Jeffries’ power punches had taken their toll on Wyman – who absorbed a string of combinations to the head and body before the bell. After they touched gloves to start the sixth, Jeffries continued to land solid shot after solid shot to Wyman’s body and head. The two combatants finished with some heated exchanges until the final bell sounded.
“I’m happy with the decision. Jo Jo brought a little more than I expected, but Kelsey did what we worked on,” trainer Rick Mello said. “We were having a little hard time with her so about the end of the third round (Wyman) started to tire out so I told Kelsey to rip up off the right side with uppercuts. She did and she popped her with a couple of good ones and then she popped her with a couple of right hands.”
Although Wyman was busier in the opening rounds, Jeffries’ late flurry clinched a 60-54, 58-54, 59-55 unanimous decision in the judges’ eyes. In a strategic move, Jeffries (16-7-1) switched to southpaw – beating Wyman at her own game by landing some solid blows.
“I switched up on her and kept catching her with my left hand and it was hurting her,” said Jeffries, who defeated Wyman for the second time in her career. “She was pretty fast, more than usual. She was a little faster, a little more aggressive because she wanted to get back at me.”
Jeffries did not allow it.
Even when her punches were blocked by Wyman, the powerful impact pushed Wyman back and, eventually, wore her down in the later rounds.
“She still has a habit of getting in too close. She gets real close and hurts herself for power shots,” trainer Vince Hines said. “Pretty much the same fight (as the first one). The last fight Kelsey overpowered her and she basically did the same thing this time. I told Kelsey use your jab and be smart, but Kelsey wanted to get in there and start winging punches.”
With Wyman bouncing around and circling to get away from Jeffries, the Gilroyan pugilist kept stepping towards her – pushing the action and forcing Wyman to exchange punches with her. Early on, it was Wyman connecting with her fast hands. But from the fourth round on, it was Jeffries getting the better of it with power shots and body blows.
“She brought it,” said Jeffries of Wyman. “She hugged me when I went inside. It was awkward (so) I went to the bottom when I moved out and it worked perfect.”
The local state champ – who trains out of the Sixth Street Gymnasium in Gilroy – was happy with the win and, more so, with not suffering any headbutts or cuts before she steps in the ring Nov. 7 for a world title shot against Layla McCarter in Bakersfield.
“I wish I could of got a little more good work in, but this was difficult for me. It was a little awkward,” Jeffries said. “It was a good fight. No major bumps or bruises.”
Mello added: “This is a good fight. I didn’t think it would go the distance. Jo Jo was just a little better than we expected, but Kelsey is on the top of her game.”
Jeffries needs to be on the top of her game if she wants to take McCarter’s world title from her and bring it home to Gilroy.
“That’ll be a great fight,” said Mello of the upcoming title bout. “Kelsey will tear her up. If she tries to come at Kelsey, she’ll have problems.”
