Valerie Mahfood

Valerie Rebecca Mahfood (born February 1, 1974 in Beaumont, Texas) is a female boxer who is a former world Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion. Known as "The Wolfe", Mahfood is known in the boxing world by her brawling style of fighting, and by her purple mohawk.

Mahfood began boxing professionally July 27, 1997, knocking out Jeanne Martinez in the first round, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On April 23, 1998, she beat Brenda Cooper by a four round decision in Houston, marking her Texas debut.

She lost two of her next three fights, but she rebounded to win five fights in a row, which earned her her first title try: on September 17, 1999, she knocked out Kathy Rivers in ten rounds at Panama City, Panama, to conquer the WIBF's world Light Heavyweight title. This was also her first fight abroad.

She won three non-title bouts after than, and then, on August 10, 2000, she went down in weight to the Super Middleweight division, to fight Mary Ann Almager for the vacant IWBF title. She won her second title, with a fifth round knockout of Almager in Houston. On her next fight, she became the first boxer to defeat Ann Wolfe, knocking her out in three rounds.

On November 16, 2001, she won the WIBA title by outpointing Trina Ortegon over ten rounds at Austin, and, shortly after, she beat Almager again, by an eight round split decision.

Mahfood and Laila Ali met in a long awaited bout on November 8, 2002. A bloodied Mahfood was stopped by Ali in eight rounds in a fight that unified the IWBF world title with the WIBA title. On June 21, 2003, Mahfood and Ali had a rematch, this time in Los Angeles. Once again bloodied by Muhammad Ali's daughter, Mahfood lost by knockout in six while trying to recover her world title.

She won four of her next six fights, the lone loss in that span being a unanimous decision in a rematch against Wolfe. She also had a draw (tie) against Kathy Rivers.

On September 24, 2004, Mahfood, sporting a Mohawk hairstyle and purple dyed hair, was dropped twice in the final seconds as she dropped a ten round unanimous decision to Leatitia Robinson in Atlanta, Georgia.

On November 6, 2004, Mahfood TKOd Yolanda Swindell in the second round.

Mahfood then went to Germany, and lost a 10 round unanimous decision to Natasha Ragosina.

On August 20, 2005, Mahfood fought Ann Wolfe, losing a ten round decision to Wolfe, who is actively looking for a fight with Ali.

Mahfood has a record of 18 wins, 10 losses and 1 draw, with nine knockout wins.

External links

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* [http://www.womenboxing.com/biog/vmahfood.htm Womenboxing.com bio]