Jeffries set for bout with lighter Dobbs; Road Warrior eager for
10th appearance at The Tank
Hollister – With the dust finally settled, all that really mattered is that Kelsey Jeffries is stepping back into the ring tonight.
Training without knowing her opponent, strenuous negotiations that involved taking a paycut and fighting at a lesser weight? All of that goes out the window come opening bell tonight when Jeffries steps in against Stephanie Dobbs at Fight Night at the Tank.
Jeffries (34-9-1, 2 KOs) always brings the same mentality to the ring – calculating and fearless – but after several bouts against bigger opponents, Dobbs brings the Road Warrior a different twist. The Moore, Okla.-based Dobbs stands as the lightest opponent Jeffries has faced in more than a year.
“I usually get these huge girls,” Jeffries said on the eve of her 119-pound, six-round bout. “I don’t know what (Dobbs) is going to come in at, but it’s not going to be 130 or 128.”
In her two most recent bouts, Jeffries first earned a split draw against Melissa Hernandez, who outweighed her by nearly 10 pounds, to retain her International Female Boxers Association (IFBA) featherweight belt in June. And then, after Lina Ramirez exceeded the 122-pound weight limit prior to a North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight fight in July, Jeffries went on to defeat her by unanimous decision.
Talking strategy the day before her 10th appearance at Fight Night, the Road Warrior said she knows Dobbs will bring a whole different challenge. “Little girls are hard to fight, especially the quick ones,” Jeffries related. “Speed and quickness are just as hard to get at as big and strong.”
Dobbs (22-22-3, 13 KOs) brings a reputation as a journeyman who doesn’t back down from any fight. With even more professional bouts to her name than the 30-year-old Jeffries, Dobbs has seen her fair share of opponents of all walks.
Bruce Anderson, Jeffries’ manager, said it would be foolish to underestimate the lighter Dobbs. “We don’t take anyone lightly,” he said. “With women, you can just about throw these records out.”
Asked what he was expecting in the evening’s semi-main event, Anderson pointed to Dobbs’ record. “It depends which 22 shows up,” Jeffries’ manager said. “(If) the 22 wins show up, it could be a hard night.”
Or, as the Road Warrior herself said: “I don’t know what the heck I’ve got coming at me, so I’ve got to be on the ball.”
Hector Camacho, Jr. (41-2-1, 23 KOs) will oppose George Klinesmith (22-12-3, 13 KOs) in an eight-round junior middleweight bout that headlines the fourth of five Fight Nights this year.
Jeffries was scheduled to appear on the card on March 23, but Anderson pulled her three days prior to the bout, saying Goossen Tutor Promotions presented an opponent that was two weight classes heavier than his client.
With her return to her ‘home’ arena a done deal, Jeffries said she couldn’t wait to take the ring with plenty of her fans in attendance. “People (here), they love you and support you,” she said. “They drive all the way out from Gilroy and Hollister to see me fight. I love the support. I don’t get that anywhere else.”
On the heels of the fifth anniversary of the Sep. 11 terrorist attacks, the Road Warrior said another one of her motivations to fight in San Jose was to honor the U.S. Army, her longtime backer. “For starters, they’ve been supporting me for the last two years and I’ve only been able to fight in San Jose once,” said Jeffries, who will again have an Army escort to the ring. “Not only are people coming to support me when they come to the fight, but they’re supporting the U.S. Army.”
After an extended absence from the South Bay’s boxing showcase – Jeffries last fought at Fight Night in July of 2005 – the Road Warrior enters the night determined to extend her record at the event to a perfect 10-0.
“It’s weird,” she said. “I used to fight there 2, 3 times a year. It feels like Kelsey’s back. I’m back at The Tank.”
