Inside Women's Boxing:

No easy road for champ Sitzes
Sitzes defends NABF belt on March 16

Deep within America’s heartland, in Springfield, Missouri, lives one of boxing’s best kept secrets in Jeri “Fists of Fury” Sitzes.

Sitzes is the reigning NABF female featherweight champion. Sitzes, 12-6-1, with 6 KOs to her credit, and she’s scheduled to make the first defense of her title on March 16th, against Jayla Ortiz (12-8-4, 3 KOs), of Santa Fe, NM, at the Florentine Gardens in El Monte, CA.

It is a fight in which Jeri is hoping to shine.

“This fight will be the first breakout fight for me,” says Jeri.

“I wish I didn’t have to wait until March. I’m glad Jayla took the fight. Win, lose, or draw, it will be a good fight.”

Sitzes, 27, who trains at Budo-Kai Ring Sports in Springfield, has taken her game to the next level, and has won her last seven fights. Jeri is quick to attribute her success to her trainers, Terry Washington and Ike Stafford:

“I’ve been working with them hard core on the basics. Terry and Ike have helped me improve to where I know I can stay in there with the best. I used to just fight, but my boxing skills have improved so much. I have much better defense. My favorite punch is still the right hand, but now I know my left is just as good. Terry is very technical in his training, and Ike is more spiritual. I have the best of both worlds with them.”

Like many female fighters who found success in mainstream boxing, Jeri got her start in the martial arts, where she won several tournaments.

“I started taking Tai Kwan Do karate at 13, and I got my black belt at 22,” says Jeri.

Sitzes still participates in the martial arts, taking bouts whenever she can. In fact, she fights in the World Combat League, or WCL, which is a team-oriented kick boxing league founded last year by action-film star Chuck Norris. The league’s web site lists Jeri as being a member of the Oklahoma Destroyers.

“Yes, I still kick box,” said Jeri. “I love to fight so much. I had my last match, in Muay Thai, in December. It was the first-ever female bout where we were allowed to use elbows. I still fight in the World Combat League, which is televised on the Versus Channel. The rules allow for a fast pace. There is a lot of brawling, and a lot of wild knockouts. It is a cool concept. I fought [female boxing star] Alicia Ashley in Las Vegas last March. I won that one, but she was very slick. I think she is still on the team from Los Angeles.”

Sitzes has been very active in pro boxing, as well. She fought four times in 2006, winning every bout. It wasn’t always that way for Jeri. In her quest to be the best, Jeri found herself in the ring with more established fighters sooner than perhaps she should have.

“People have said to me that I fought people who I shouldn’t have fought at the time, but I learned and improved from those fighters,” she says.

“There should be less protection. Too many [fighters] are afraid to lose their undefeated record. Being afraid to lose is cowardly. Boxers are supposed to be brave.”

After losing her pro debut to a 7-0 fighter, Jeri won her next two bouts. In her fourth pro fight, Jeri was matched with Mary Ortega, who was an incredible 21-1 at the time. In spite of the vast disparity in experience, Ortega was only able to take a split decision over Sitzes. What’s more, Jeri would get a chance at revenge less than a year later when she stopped Ortega in five rounds.

“That was one of my favorite fights. Her corner threw in the towel,” Sitzes recalls.

In between her fights with Ortega, Jeri traveled to Japan to face the reigning WIBA featherweight champion Emiko Raika. The title was not at stake, and Raika, then 8-1, took a majority decision.

“That fight really happened, but since it was not sanctioned, they should take it off my record,” laughs Sitzes.

“There were amateur fights on the show, so it was not sanctioned. They advertised me as being 13-6, but it was only my sixth or seventh pro match. They said I lost, but she went to the hospital from my shots to her ribs.

“The gloves they used were worn out and had no padding. I had a good defense. I was using an earmuff defense at that time. She wasn’t hitting me, and her eye was swollen shut. I felt deserved at least a draw. We were the main event of an all-female card.”

A July of 2003 bout that took place in Dover, Delaware against Lakeysha “Total Package” Williams was indicative in many ways of Jeri’s early bouts. Taking the fight on five days notice, as a late sub for Washington, DC’s Lisa Foster, the bout took place in front of a pro-Williams crowd. Lakeysha is from Philadelphia, but many of her bouts took place in Delaware.

As was the norm for her back then, Sitzes started slow in the bout, while Williams worked her body. It was in the fifth round when Jeri found a home for her right hand. The late charge was enough to salvage a split draw.

“I was a slow starter, but now I jab more, punch harder, and start faster. It used to break my heart when I would get called [to fight] on two or three days notice. I realize that promoters have budgets, so when they call me with two, maybe three weeks notice, I take any fight with any girl in my weight class. I’ve been able to train full time for about a year now.”

Young, well-schooled, and very talented, one would like to view former amateur star Melinda Cooper as the future of women’s boxing. Melinda, whose record was 9-0 then, and 18-0 now, and Jeri, met in Cooper’s hometown (where else?) of Las Vegas on February 27, 2004. Cooper won a six round decision, and earned Jeri’s respect in the process.

“That was one of my favorite fights,” she recalls. “You will never meet another Melinda Cooper. She is one of my favorite female boxers, both her and Missy Fiorentino. They do this sport well. I trained with Melinda twice, and we are good friends. The 122-pounders will have to be at their best, because Melinda can do it all.”

The last time Sitzes lost a bout was on September 23, 2004, when she faced Kelsey Jeffries for the IBA super bantamweight title, in San Jose, California. Kelsey’s career is not unlike Jeri’s, in that early in her career, she had to take fights on short notice, often in her opponent’s hometown. That happened so often, Kelsey was nicknamed “The Road Warrior”. Through perseverance, hard work, and a love of their sport, both women were able to change their fortune.

The fight itself was very close, with Jeffries winning a majority decision.

Jeri recalls, “Kelsey is a wonderful professional, and I love her to death, but I want to redeem myself against her. I feel that I can beat Kelsey Jeffries. I take nothing away from her, but I wasn’t developed as a fighter back then. It was an awesome fight, and I was happy to be there. I thought the fight was a draw, and her crowd actually booed. You can’t fool the fans.”

Jeri has not lost since.

“Boxing is my passion, and I want to train full time,” she says. “I worked at the Sunshine Auto Repair shop in accounts receivable. My boss and I are best friends, so I hated to leave. I have a sponsorship now, and this is the first year that I have been able to fully concentrate on boxing.”

The highlight of Jeri’s career, to this point, was her title winning effort against Jackie Chavez, of Albuquerque. The bout took place on January 27, 2006 at The Palladium in Hollywood, CA, and Jeri put on a boxing clinic, winning eight out of the ten rounds to claim the NABF female featherweight title.

“Skill-wise, that was my best performance,” Jeri says of her bout with Chavez. “I had been waiting almost a whole year, because I had contracts to fight for the WIBF title in Germany. I was heartbroken when my opponent got cut in training, and then fought someone else a few weeks later. By the time January rolled around, I was ready to fight. I knew I was winning the fight against Jackie, and my defense was great, but I didn’t think I was getting the decision. When they announced me as the winner, I leaped in the air like someone gave me a million dollars.”

Jeri has won three non-title fights since becoming champion, and is now preparing for her first title defense.

As a competitor, Jeri is always seeking to test herself against the best. “I’d love to fight Kelsey Jeffries again, and Lisa Brown. With Lisa Brown, it was my fault. I was not ready. Melinda Cooper was different. I don’t think I would fight her again.

“My dream fights would be against [Jeannine] Garside and [Missy] Fiorentino. I want to test myself against them. Missy Fiorentino is so freaking awesome . . . She’s very aggressive. Did you see her fight with Jaime Clampitt? That fight was awesome. Garside is a little arrogant. A fighter should show humility. Maybe that’s because she hasn’t lost yet. Maybe I’ll be the girl to do it.”

Life outside of boxing is no bowl of cherries for Jeri, although you’d never know it from talking to her.

“My mother is terminally ill, and my sister and I have legal guardianship of our niece and nephew,” she confides. “My mom is such a strong person. Everything I have, I got from her.”

When she has time, Jeri enjoys watching movies, reading, playing the guitar, playing softball, going to punk rock concerts, and dancing.

“I want to get the championship fights, and break ground for women fighters,” she says of her future. “Women should fight the person they might lose against, and they should take more chances. I want to be a spokesperson for them, and break more barriers to inspire others. I want to gain more titles, and then open my own gym and train champions, both guys and girls in boxing and kick boxing.

“I want to credit my trainers, Ike Stafford, and Terry Washington in California. Without them, I’d still be working nine-to-five right now. I want to be there for women’s boxing. I want people to say she can do it all. I want to be respected and open up my gym.”

With her infectious spirit and drive, you can easily envision Jeri accomplishing her dream.