World Champ goes down in first round, headbutted in last, fights
back for unanimous decision over Wyman
YAKAMA, Wash. – Southpaw JoJo Wyman held true to her word when said she had a surprise in store for world champion Kelsey Jeffries leading into Monday night’s eight-round non-title fight at the Yakama Casino in Washington.
It came in the form of a first-round knockdown of Jeffries – who quickly picked herself up off the canvas and went on to defeat Wyman by unanimous decision, 77-75, 77-75, 78-73, for the third time in as many clashes.
“She was all right. It was just a flash knockdown,” Jeffries’ trainer Rick Mello said. “I just made sure she was OK (in the corner). After I had confidence she was OK, we went back to our game plan and started boxing.”
It was only the second time in Jeffries’ professional career that she was knocked down. The first came one year ago February in Miami when Jeffries was knocked down in back-to-back rounds by Corrine Van Ryckdegroot in a loss.
“I think that’s the last knockdown she’s going to take. We’re going to stay away from left-handers for a while,” said Mello of Jeffries. “She handled herself real well (after going down). She’s a world champ. She’s the Willie Pepp, the Kenny Lane of our era. There’s no girls around that are going to beat her.”
Wyman, however, had another surprise – albeit unintentional – when she opened a deep gash over Jeffries’ left eye with a headbutt in the last 30 seconds of the final round.
“It’s a nasty one,” said Mello, whose fighter was restricted by her doctor from any contact for 21 days. “It needs about six weeks and our next fight is just a little over that. We’re not going to do anything until the last few weeks before fight.”
Jeffries received 12 stitches to the side of her left eye – which Mello described as “puffed up” after the fight. It was the first time in her career she got a gash from a headbutt.
“She wasn’t looking too good, either,” said Mello of Wyman. “Both of her eyes were swelled up, black-and-blue. When she tried to box Kelsey she ran out of steam. From about the third round, Kelsey put a whooping on her.”
Jeffries flew back to Bakersfield to be with her mother and could not be reached for comment.
Like the champion she is, Jeffries persevered from the initial knockdown and then the late headbutt – leading into her June 13 title defense at the San Jose Civic Auditorium. Mello said Jeffries is trying to line-up another world champ “Downtown” Leona Brown from New York – but if it can’t be worked out, then it will be a figther to be announced.
Also fighting on the card in her professional debut will be “Little” Corina Marina – a national 108-pound women’s champ from Watsonville who spars with Kelsey at the Gilroy Community Youth Center gym on Sixth Street in Gilroy. Marina is 21-years old.
Jeffries – who trains out of Gilroy and resides in Hollister – bolstered her record to 20-7 or as Mello likes to put it, “20-2 with five robberies.”
The 37-year-old Wyman gave Jeffries her best fight – returning to the ring under a new well-known trainer, Pat Goossen.
“The new trainer kind of surprised us a little bit. She gave Kelsey a better fight this time, but Kelsey is just in tremendous shape,” Mello said. “Kelsey got her jab loose. Then she switched up on her a couple of times.
“She did really well,” said Mello, downplaying the first-round scare. “She was backing up and was off balance and just got hit. She came storming back, though.”
