Leatitia Robinson
Encyclopedia
Leatitia "Baby Girl" Robinson (born September 30, 1980) is the undefeated WIBA
Middleweight Champion of the World in women's boxing
.
, Illinois
in 1980. She began boxing at age 14 to survive in Cabrini–Green public housing projects. She was involved with numerous street fights growing up, and would often beat up large men in these encounters.
Robinson won her first Golden Gloves
competition in 1995. She repeated the performance in 1996, 1997 and 1998, also winning the 1996 Citywide Tournament in Chicago.
On May 31, 1998 in the 156-lb final of the USA Boxing/Everlast National Senior Championships in Anaheim, California
, Robinson lost to Evelyn Rodriquez of New York by a 10-2 score. This would be Robinson's only defeat as an amateur boxer.
On April 15, 2000 in the 165-lb final of the USA Boxing/Everlast National Championships in Midland, Texas, Robinson stopped Eva Longoria
at 0:51 in the opening round.
On May 7, 2000 in the 75-kg final of the prestigious Feenix Box Cup international tournament in Turku, Finland, Robinson defeated Canadian champion Jennyfer Grenon by a 5-4 margin.
On August 12, 2000 in the 165-lb Open Division Final of the 2000 US National/International Golden Gloves in Augusta, Georgia, Robinson won by a 5-0 decision over Angela Josipovic of Toronto, Canada.
Robinson's amateur boxing career ended with a 37-1 record.
On December 14, 2002 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
, in a battle of former US amateur champions, Robinson TKO'd Dakota Stone in the sixth round to win the vacant IWBF
Middleweight title.
On February 28, 2004 at Veterans Memorial Field House in Huntington, West Virginia
, in a battle between two undefeated and top-ranked fighters, Robinson won the WIBA Middleweight title with a ten-round unanimous (98-92 97-94 99-91) decision over Nikki Eplion.
Former Toughwoman champion Eplion was the favorite of the crowd, estimated at 1,000, and had predicted a third-round KO at the weigh-in. But the ring skills that Robinson had honed in her 37-1 amateur career were too much for Eplion as Robinson constantly beat her to the punch.
On September 24, 2004 at the Philips Arena
in Atlanta, Georgia
, Robinson won the IBA
Continental Light Heavyweight title with a ten-round unanimous decision over Valerie Mahfood
. Robinson outboxed Mahfood while punishing her with fast jabs and right hands. Robinson punctuated this performance by knocking down Mahfood in the 10th round.
On February 11, 2005 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Robinson knocked out Mónica Núñez
with only the second punch she threw in the fight, to earn a shockingly easy 36-second win and successfully defend her WIBA Middleweight Title.
Robinson is planning to challenge fighters like Ann Wolfe
and Laila Ali
over another eight or nine years as a pro boxer. Her goal is to be recognized as an undisputed female champion and then to pursue her professional and personal goals by moving into a law enforcement career while running her own boxing gym.
Women's International Boxing Association
The Women's International Boxing Association a sanctioning body for women's professional boxing came into existence in July 2000, and quickly grew into a major force in the sport....
Middleweight Champion of the World in women's boxing
Women's boxing
Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1902. For most of the 20th century, however, it was banned in most nations. Its revival was pioneered by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which sanctioned events for women in 1988. The British Amateur Boxing...
.
Amateur career
Robinson was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 1980. She began boxing at age 14 to survive in Cabrini–Green public housing projects. She was involved with numerous street fights growing up, and would often beat up large men in these encounters.
Robinson won her first Golden Gloves
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States. The Golden Gloves is often the term used to refer to the National Golden Gloves competition, but it also can represent several other amateur tournaments, including regional golden gloves...
competition in 1995. She repeated the performance in 1996, 1997 and 1998, also winning the 1996 Citywide Tournament in Chicago.
On May 31, 1998 in the 156-lb final of the USA Boxing/Everlast National Senior Championships in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, Robinson lost to Evelyn Rodriquez of New York by a 10-2 score. This would be Robinson's only defeat as an amateur boxer.
On April 15, 2000 in the 165-lb final of the USA Boxing/Everlast National Championships in Midland, Texas, Robinson stopped Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
at 0:51 in the opening round.
On May 7, 2000 in the 75-kg final of the prestigious Feenix Box Cup international tournament in Turku, Finland, Robinson defeated Canadian champion Jennyfer Grenon by a 5-4 margin.
On August 12, 2000 in the 165-lb Open Division Final of the 2000 US National/International Golden Gloves in Augusta, Georgia, Robinson won by a 5-0 decision over Angela Josipovic of Toronto, Canada.
Robinson's amateur boxing career ended with a 37-1 record.
Professional career
She made her pro debut on March 23, 2001 in Rosemont, Illinois, winning by a first-round TKO over Aicheria Bell in a scheduled 4 rounder. Bell's pro record fell to 1-4.On December 14, 2002 in Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
, in a battle of former US amateur champions, Robinson TKO'd Dakota Stone in the sixth round to win the vacant IWBF
International Women's Boxing Federation
The IWBF is, along with the WIBA, WIBF and others, one of the more recognized world championship fight sanctioning organizations in Women's boxing. The organization is based in Huntington, New York....
Middleweight title.
On February 28, 2004 at Veterans Memorial Field House in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
, in a battle between two undefeated and top-ranked fighters, Robinson won the WIBA Middleweight title with a ten-round unanimous (98-92 97-94 99-91) decision over Nikki Eplion.
Former Toughwoman champion Eplion was the favorite of the crowd, estimated at 1,000, and had predicted a third-round KO at the weigh-in. But the ring skills that Robinson had honed in her 37-1 amateur career were too much for Eplion as Robinson constantly beat her to the punch.
On September 24, 2004 at the Philips Arena
Philips Arena
Philips Arena is an indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia.Completed in 1999 to replace The Omni, at a cost of $213.5 million, it is home to the Atlanta Hawks, of the National Basketball Association, and the Atlanta Dream, of the Women's National Basketball Association...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Robinson won the IBA
International Boxing Association
The International Boxing Association is a for-profit organization that sanctions professional boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.- Origins :...
Continental Light Heavyweight title with a ten-round unanimous decision over Valerie Mahfood
Valerie Mahfood
Valerie Rebecca Mahfood is a female boxer who is a former world Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion....
. Robinson outboxed Mahfood while punishing her with fast jabs and right hands. Robinson punctuated this performance by knocking down Mahfood in the 10th round.
On February 11, 2005 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, Robinson knocked out Mónica Núñez
Monica Nunez
Mónica Núñez , is a female boxer who is, as of 2005, one of the world's top ranked fighters in the Super Middleweight division....
with only the second punch she threw in the fight, to earn a shockingly easy 36-second win and successfully defend her WIBA Middleweight Title.
Robinson is planning to challenge fighters like Ann Wolfe
Ann Wolfe
Ann Wolfe is a female boxer who held world titles in four different weight classes simultaneously. Wolfe is regarded by many within the sport as the hardest puncher and best fighter in the history of women's boxing...
and Laila Ali
Laila Ali
Laila Amaria Ali is a retired American professional boxer. She is the daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali from his third wife Veronica Porsche Ali.-Boxing career:...
over another eight or nine years as a pro boxer. Her goal is to be recognized as an undisputed female champion and then to pursue her professional and personal goals by moving into a law enforcement career while running her own boxing gym.