Melissa Del Valle

Melissa Del Valle (born June 2, 1969 in New York) is an American multiple champion in the sport of women's boxing, both at the amateur and professional levels.[1]

Melissa Del Valle
Statistics
Real nameMelissa Del Valle
Nickname(s)Honey Girl
Weight(s)Light welterweight
Height1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Nationality American
Born (1969-06-02) June 2, 1969
New York, United States
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights37
Wins29
Wins by KO11
Losses6
Draws1

A member of a sports-minded family of Puerto Rican immigrants, 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-heavyweight boxer.[2]

Then fighting under her married name of Melissa Salamone, Del Valle won the New York state Golden Gloves title at 132 pounds in both 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.

Del Valle 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, Del Valle 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 didn't 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 1997–98. 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
Professional record summary
37 fights 29 wins 6 losses
By knockout 11 0
By decision 18 6
Draws 1
No contests 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
38 Loss Belinda Laracuente UD 2007-06-15 Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Global Boxing Union Female World super lightweight title
37 NC Chevelle Hallback 2005-10-07 A La Carte Event Pavilion, Tampa, Florida, USA
36 Loss Mary Jo Sanders UD 2005-03-16 Andiamo Italian, Warren, Michigan, USA
35 Win Trisha Hill UD 2004-05-30 DC Tunnel, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
34 Loss Jenifer Alcorn SD 2003-12-11 Palace Indian Gaming Center, Lemoore, California, USA vacant Women's International Boxing Association World lightweight title
33 Win Kelli Cofer MD 2003-10-11 Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
32 Loss Chevelle Hallback UD 2003-08-30 Civic Center, Savannah, Georgia, USA International Boxing Association female super featherweight title
31 Loss Isra Girgrah UD 2003-08-09 Convention Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
30 Loss Kelsey Jeffries UD 2003-07-10 HP Pavilion, San Jose, California, USA
29 Win Brenda Drexel UD 2003-01-31 Harriet Himmel Theatre, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
28 Win Ada Velez UD 2002-06-21 Convention Center, Waco, Texas, USA Women's International Boxing Association World super bantamweight title
27 Win Carla Witherspoon TKO 2001-09-29 Martinsville, Virginia, USA
26 Win Sophia Johnson UD 2001-07-26 Charleston, South Carolina, USA
25 Win Kelley Jones TKO 2001-05-24 The Plex, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
24 Win Jovette Jackson UD 2001-05-12
23 Win Sophia Johnson TKO 2001-04-28 Nashville, Tennessee, USA
22 Win Carla Witherspoon TKO 2001-04-12 Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
21 Win Layla McCarter UD 2001-01-17 Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, USA
20 Draw Laura Serrano PTS 2000-08-12 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, USA Women's International Boxing Association World super featherweight title
19 Win Lena Åkesson UD 1999-08-14 Loews Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida, USA Women's International Boxing Federation World super featherweight title
18 Win Olivia Gerula UD 1999-06-12 Shriner's Auditorium, Wilmington, Massachusetts, USA
17 Win Cora Webber UD 1999-02-20 Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
16 Win Carla Witherspoon UD 1999-01-22 Milander Auditorium, Hialeah, Florida, USA
15 Win Tawayna Broxton TKO 1998-12-18 Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
14 Win Carla Witherspoon UD 1998-11-13 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, USA
13 Win Melinda Robinson UD 1998-09-12 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, USA
12 Win Tawayna Broxton TKO 1998-08-11 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, USA
11 Win Lakeya Williams TKO 1998-06-27 North River Gym, Miami, Florida, USA
10 Win Jacklyn Rogers TKO 1998-05-02 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, USA
9 Win Monica Taylor 1998-04-18 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, USA
8 Win Denette Montgomery KO 1998-04-04 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, USA
7 Win Gwen Smith 1998-01-31 Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida, USA
6 Win Tequile Haskins TKO 1997-12-20 Club Grand Slam, Miami, Florida, USA
5 Win Taquella Hoskin TKO 1997-12-04 The Moon, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
4 Win Rolanda Andrews 1997-11-21 Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, USA
3 Win Tawayna Broxton UD 1997-10-02
2 Win Tawayna Broxton UD 1997-09-20 Round 1 Gym, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
1 Win Marsha Evans TKO 1997-09-05 Davidson Theatre, Pembroke Pines, Florida, USA
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References
  1. "Del Valle's journey ends in Florida Boxing Hall of Fame". Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  2. Katz, Michael (30 April 1998). "Ring is Their Family Circle". New York Daily News. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
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