Melissa Del Valle

Last updated
Melissa Del Valle
Born
Melissa Del Valle

(1969-06-02) June 2, 1969 (age 55)
Nationality Flag of the United States.svg American
Other namesHoney Girl [1]
Statistics
Weight(s) Light welterweight
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights37
Wins29
Wins by KO11
Losses6
Draws1

Melissa Del Valle (born June 2, 1969, in New York) is an American multiple champion in women's boxing. [2] She was inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023. [3] [4]

Contents

A member of a sports-minded family of Puerto Rican decent. Del Valle took up boxing in the early 1990s, while her older brother Lou Del Valle was making a name for himself as a light-welterweight boxer. [5] [6]

Then fighting under her married name of Melissa Salamone, she won the New York state Golden Gloves title at 132 pounds in 1996 and 1997. In the latter year, she added the national amateur lightweight title, sweeping all five scorecards in the finals on July 19, 1997.

She then announced she was joining the professional ranks, debuting on September 5, 1997, with a first round knockout of Marsha Evans. She followed that up with several more impressive victories, and one year and one week later, she earned her first title shot. On September 12, 1998, Del Valle won a 10-round unanimous decision over Melinda Robinson to claim the vacant WIBF super featherweight title.

She fought and won six non-title bouts over the next 11 months, then defended her title against fellow unbeaten Lena Akesson on August 14, 1999, in Miami Beach, Florida. Despite suffering a cut over one eye and an early knockdown, she rallied late to win a close but unanimous decision.

Personal problems then kept her out of the ring for nearly a year before she challenged Laura Serrano on August 5, 2000, in Connecticut for the IBA version of the super featherweight title. After 10 rounds, the fight was ruled a draw, but most spectators believed Serrano had won. Del Valle, in an act of candor that won her a great deal of respect, also admitted she thought Serrano beat her.

The controversial Serrano fight did not slow down Del Valle, however, and she won seven straight fights to earn, yet another title shot, on June 21, 2002, against Ada Vélez for the WIBA super bantamweight title. This was the featured event on an all-women's card featuring several of the sport's top boxers. Del Valle rose to the occasion, taking Velez' title by winning seven of the 10 rounds on two cards and nine of 10 on the other.

Over a three-month period in 2003, Del Valle challenged four of the top fighters in women's boxing, suffering her first three losses in the process. On July 10, she fell to 27-1-1 by losing a close decision over six rounds to Kelsey Jeffries. On August 9, she faced junior lightweight world champion Isra Girgrah, taking the fight on short notice. Girgrah was given the decision, but most observers thought Del Valle won, and Girgrah promised her a rematch in the future.

Three weeks later, Del Valle moved back down to the super featherweight ranks once again and challenged Chevelle Hallback for her IBA title in Savannah, Georgia. Hallback defeated her over 10 rounds, handing Del Valle her third straight loss. But she got back on the winning track on October 11, when she handed undefeated Kelli Cofer her first loss in a six-round fight in Greensboro, North Carolina. The win over Cofer improved her career record to 28 wins, three losses and one draw, with 11 knockouts.

Del Valle is also noteworthy as the answer to a handful of boxing trivia questions. She and her brother are the only brother and sister to both win world boxing titles; Lou Del Valle was WBA light-heavyweight champion from 1997 to 1998. She was also the first women's boxer to fight on the same card as her (then) husband, Craig Salamone. The two appeared together on a card in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 21, 1997.

She is known by the nickname Honey Girl, in deference to her brother, who calls himself Honey Boy because of a reputation for being able to slip punches from opponents.

Professional boxing record

37 fights29 wins6 losses
By knockout110
By decision186
Draws1
No contests1
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
38Loss Belinda Laracuente UD2007-06-15Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USGlobal Boxing Union Female World super lightweight title
37NC Chevelle Hallback 2005-10-07A La Carte Event Pavilion, Tampa, Florida, US
36Loss Mary Jo Sanders UD2005-03-16Andiamo Italian, Warren, Michigan, US
35WinTrisha HillUD2004-05-30DC Tunnel, Washington, District of Columbia, US
34Loss Jenifer Alcorn SD2003-12-11Palace Indian Gaming Center, Lemoore, California, USvacant Women's International Boxing Association World lightweight title
33WinKelli CoferMD2003-10-11Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina, US
32Loss Chevelle Hallback UD2003-08-30Civic Center, Savannah, Georgia, USInternational Boxing Association female super featherweight title
31Loss Isra Girgrah UD2003-08-09Convention Center, Washington, District of Columbia, US
30LossKelsey JeffriesUD2003-07-10HP Pavilion, San Jose, California, US
29WinBrenda DrexelUD2003-01-31Harriet Himmel Theatre, West Palm Beach, Florida, US
28Win Ada Velez UD2002-06-21Convention Center, Waco, Texas, USWomen's International Boxing Association World super bantamweight title
27WinCarla WitherspoonTKO2001-09-29Martinsville, Virginia, US
26WinSophia JohnsonUD2001-07-26Charleston, South Carolina, US
25WinKelley JonesTKO2001-05-24The Plex, Charleston, South Carolina, US
24WinJovette JacksonUD2001-05-12
23WinSophia JohnsonTKO2001-04-28Nashville, Tennessee, US
22WinCarla WitherspoonTKO2001-04-12Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, South Carolina, US
21Win Layla McCarter UD2001-01-17Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, US
20Draw Laura Serrano PTS2000-08-12Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, USWomen's International Boxing Association World super featherweight title
19Win Lena Åkesson UD1999-08-14Loews Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida, USWomen's International Boxing Federation World super featherweight title
18WinOlivia GerulaUD1999-06-12Shriner's Auditorium, Wilmington, Massachusetts, US
17Win Cora Webber UD Feb 20, 1999 Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, US
16WinCarla WitherspoonUD1999-01-22Milander Auditorium, Hialeah, Florida, US
15WinTawayna BroxtonTKO1998-12-18Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US
14WinCarla WitherspoonUD1998-11-13Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, US
13WinMelinda RobinsonUD1998-09-12Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, US
12WinTawayna BroxtonTKO1998-08-11Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, US
11WinLakeya WilliamsTKO1998-06-27North River Gym, Miami, Florida, US
10WinJacklyn RogersTKO1998-05-02Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, US
9WinMonica Taylor1998-04-18Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, US
8WinDenette MontgomeryKO1998-04-04Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, US
7WinGwen Smith1998-01-31Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida, US
6WinTequile HaskinsTKO1997-12-20Club Grand Slam, Miami, Florida, US
5WinTaquella HoskinTKO1997-12-04The Moon, Tallahassee, Florida, US
4WinRolanda Andrews1997-11-21Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, US
3WinTawayna BroxtonUD1997-10-02
2WinTawayna BroxtonUD1997-09-20Round 1 Gym, Boca Raton, Florida, US
1WinMarsha EvansTKO1997-09-05Davidson Theatre, Pembroke Pines, Florida, US

References

  1. Claps, Arthur V. (6 February 2003). "Queensbridge's Melissa Del Valle's rough road to boxing glory". Qns.com. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  2. "Del Valle's journey ends in Florida Boxing Hall of Fame". Miami Herald . Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  3. "IWBHF celebrates 10 years". maxboxing.com. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  4. "International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame 2023 & 2024". wbcboxing.com. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  5. "The Lady is a Champ". Sun-sentinel.com. 9 July 2000.
  6. Smith, Malissa (5 June 2014). A History of Women's Boxing. ISBN   9781442229952.