Kaliesha West
Encyclopedia
Kaliesha West is a professional female boxer and the current WBO Female Bantamweight Boxing Champion
. She was born on February 11, 1988, in South Haven, Michigan. West currently resides in Moreno Valley
California, a small suburb between Riverside
and Palm Springs
. On September 18, 2010, West won the WBO title, becoming the first world boxing champion from the Inland Empire
. Her father, Juan West, is her boxing trainer and manager.
and Seminole Indian descent. Her mother, Melissa, is of Korean and Mexican
heritage.
in Moreno Valley, where she ran track
. She participated in boxing activities outside of school.
, California, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Suzannah Warner.
in Los Angeles
, California, Kaliesha West won the vacant WBO Bantamweight title with a seventh round TKO over Angel Gladney of South Carolina at 0:59 in a scheduled ten-rounder. She made boxing history, as she became the first boxing champion from the Inland Empire. West also became the first female to win a world title on a Golden Boy Promotions fight card.
fan page, http://www.facebook.com/OfficialKalieshaWest. She also has an official twitter
page, http://twitter.com/#!/kwildwildwest.
Bantamweight
Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...
. She was born on February 11, 1988, in South Haven, Michigan. West currently resides in Moreno Valley
Moreno Valley, California
Moreno Valley is a city located in Riverside County, California.A relatively young city, its rapid growth in the 1980s and the first decade of the 21st century made it second-largest city in Riverside County by population, and one of the Inland Empire's population centers. As of the 2010 census,...
California, a small suburb between Riverside
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
and Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. On September 18, 2010, West won the WBO title, becoming the first world boxing champion from the Inland Empire
Inland Empire (California)
The Inland Empire is a region in Southern California. The region sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Inland Empire most commonly is used in reference to the U.S. Census Bureau's federally-defined Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, which covers more than...
. Her father, Juan West, is her boxing trainer and manager.
Multi-cultural heritage
Kaliesha West is an athlete of multi-cultural heritage. Her father, Juan West, is black, Puerto RicanPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Seminole Indian descent. Her mother, Melissa, is of Korean and Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
heritage.
The Early Years
West was first introduced to boxing while attending her father's boxing fights. However, her father was reluctant to involve her in the sport. Juan West tried to appease his 10-year-old daughter by showing her the proper boxing stance and how to punch. He gave her difficult training exercises to discourage her. When she persisted, Juan took her to a gym to fight a much bigger opponent, and she lost. Kaliesha refused to give up boxing and continued her training.High School
She attended Canyon Springs High SchoolCanyon Springs High School
Canyon Springs High School is a public high school located in Moreno Valley, California. Founded in 1987, it is part of the Moreno Valley Unified School District....
in Moreno Valley, where she ran track
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
. She participated in boxing activities outside of school.
Amateur career
West won numerous tournaments and honors, including the 2002 and 2003 Junior Olympic championships, the 2003 and 2004 Silver Gloves championships, and the 2002 125 lb. National Golden Gloves championship for ages 13–14. Her overall amateur record was 98-10.West turns professional
Just after turning eighteen years old, West made her pro debut on February 23, 2006 at San Manuel Indian Casino in San BernardinoSan Bernardino
San Bernardino, California is a large city in the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California.San Bernardino may also refer to:-Landforms:*San Bernardino , a torrent that flows through the Italian province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola...
, California, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Suzannah Warner.
West wins the WBO World Title
On September 18, 2010, at the Staples CenterStaples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, Kaliesha West won the vacant WBO Bantamweight title with a seventh round TKO over Angel Gladney of South Carolina at 0:59 in a scheduled ten-rounder. She made boxing history, as she became the first boxing champion from the Inland Empire. West also became the first female to win a world title on a Golden Boy Promotions fight card.
West signs with HG Promotions
In July 2011, Kaliesha West signed a multi-year, promotional boxing contract with Mexican boxing promoter, Hector Garcia, of HG Boxing.social media
Kaliesha West has an official facebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
fan page, http://www.facebook.com/OfficialKalieshaWest. She also has an official twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
page, http://twitter.com/#!/kwildwildwest.