Andrea DeShong
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Andrea DeShong (born March 16, 1962) is a former United States
female boxer Although women have participated in boxing for almost as long as the sport has existed, female fights have been effectively outlawed for most of boxing's history until recently, with athletic commissioners refusing to sanction or issue licenses ...
who is best remembered for defeating Christy Martin in Martin's fourth professional bout.


Professional career

DeShong made her professional debut on March 11, 1989, when she beat
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by a first round
knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
in
Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in Ohio County, West Virginia, Ohio and Marshall County, West Virginia, Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The county seat of Ohio County, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mo ...
. After one more win, she faced the experienced
Jamie Whitcomb Jamie is a unisex name. Traditionally a masculine name, it can be diminutive form of James or, more rarely, other names and is of Scottish English origin. It is also given as a name in its own right. Since the mid-20th century it has been used a ...
, and also won this bout by a first-round knockout.


First fights with Martin

After winning two more fights, one by a second-round knockout, she and Martin met on November 4, at
Bristol, Tennessee Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 27,147 at the 2020 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundary be ...
. DeShong inflicted Martin's first career defeat, winning by a five-round decision. Right after defeating Martin, she had a second victory against Whitcomb, who lasted five full rounds this time, before losing a unanimous decision to DeShong. On April 21, 1990, she and Martin fought for the second time, and Martin avenged her defeat, while at the same time handing DeShong her own first loss as a professional, by a five-round decision, also at Bristol.


Rematch

It remains difficult for women boxers to find matches, and it was more difficult prior to the mid-'90s. DeShong ended up having a six-year layoff after the rematch with Martin. When she returned to
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
, she was somewhat known to fans, as Martin had become the WBC women's World Welterweight Champion, and DeShong remained the only boxer to defeat her as a professional. It helped DeShong regain prominence that Martin had become a symbol of women's boxing, having appeared in the cover of
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magazine and becoming a popular fighter by appearing on
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boxing undercards as well as
pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
boxing shows.


Return

DeShong returned April 27, 1996, losing a four-round decision to Christine Butts. After two knockout wins against Jackie Rogers and one more win, she faced Kathy Collins, losing by a six-round unanimous decision at
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. After another win, she faced
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, on November 10, at
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The two fought to a six-round draw (tie). After two more wins, she received her first world title try, on March 2, 1997, being knocked out by Jane Couch in seven rounds at
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, for the
WIBF The Women's International Boxing Federation (WIBF) is one of the more recognized world championship fight sanctioning organizations in women's boxing. Founded in March 1989, it is based in Miami, Florida, and presided over by Barbara Buttrick. The ...
's World Jr. Welterweight title. Despite that setback, her next fight was a major event. As part of the undercard of the rematch between
Evander Holyfield Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed championship (boxing), undisputed champion in the cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight division ...
and
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(" The Bite Fight"), which also featured former world champions
Julio César Chávez Julio César Chávez González (; born July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. A multiple-time world champion in three weight divisions, Chávez was liste ...
and Miguel Ángel González, she and Martin met for a third time. The fight was preceded by much fan hype, and both boxers were involved in "trash talking" on the days leading to the match. Martin defeated DeShong by a seventh-round knockout on June 28. DeShong lost to Lucia Rijker in her next fight, September 13, by a knockout in round three. Despite losing three fights in a row, she found herself challenging Kathy Collins for the world title in her next fight. DeShong failed for the second time to win the world title, also losing for the fourth time in a row, when Collins handed her a ten-round unanimous decision loss on January 10, 1998, for the IWBF World Jr. Welterweight title. After two more losses in a row, to
Sumya Anani Sumya Anani (born February 12, 1972) is a retired American professional female boxer nicknamed "The Island Girl." She was 5'6" and boxed as a junior welterweight. She is best known for a 1996 bout which left her opponent severely injured and may ...
and Mitzi Jeter, she retired from boxing. Some fans and critics have observed that, after she gave up boxing for the first time, she should not have returned. When she did return, in 1996, she was 34 years old, an age when most boxers and athletes in general are considered to be "past their prime". Andrea DeShong had 13 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw in 24 bouts, with 8 knockout wins.


Professional boxing record


References


External links


Andrea DeShong at Women's Boxing Archive Network

Andrea DeShong at BoxRec
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deshong, Andrea 1962 births Living people American women boxers Boxers from Ohio People from Mingo Junction, Ohio Lightweight boxers 21st-century American women 20th-century American sportswomen