Jeffries defeats Ramirez in unanimous decision
Hollister – Kelsey Jeffries entered her fight Saturday against Lina Ramirez with the intent of being aggressive and attacking her opponent.
Early on, that didn’t work, so Jeffries made some adjustments against the bigger Ramirez and earned an eight-round unanimous decision in front of a sold-out crowd at Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino in Canyonville, Ore.
“The game plan didn’t work. I had to adjust,” the South Valley-based boxer said. “She was so big and long-armed, I couldn’t get in there.”
Jeffries (36-9-1) and Ramirez battled in July, when Jeffries beat the 27-year-old product of Tijuana, Mexico product in a 10-round decision.
“She was in shape,” Jeffries’ manager Bruce Anderson said of Ramirez. “But she didn’t realize that Kelsey was a different fighter.”
Jeffries, who is celebrating her 31st birthday today, relied on a quick right hand to control Ramirez, who was fired up throughout the match. “The more aggressive I got, the better she got,” Jeffries said.
There weren’t any knockdowns in the fight and Jeffries escaped without so much as a cut, but was still in for a battle.
“She’s strong,” Jeffries said. “She landed a good body shot. That hurt. Those are always the toughest.”
Despite Ramirez’s unimpressive record, which now stands at 4-10-1, Anderson was wary of Ramirez.
“I’d rather fight an undefeated fighter because you know they haven’t fought anybody,” he said.
Jeffries believes Ramirez has a bright future.
“She will be a force to be reckoned with,” she said. “She will fight the best and beat the best – but not me.
“It was probably one of my most challenging fights,” Jeffries added. “She had the most pride of any girl I’ve fought.”
The fight was the fifth this year for Jeffries and fourth in the past five months and for now the plan is to rest a bit.
“Both of us need a rest,” Anderson said. “This was a tough year. Five fights three 10-round championship fights in a row – that’s unheard of. Men wouldn’t do that.”
There stands a remote possibility of Jeffries joining the card at the Nov. 16 Fight Night at the Tank at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, but that appears unlikely.
“I would take that if the opponent was right,” Jeffries said. “You never know in boxing.”
It’s more likely that Jeffries will take the rest of the month off and probably get back in the ring sometime in December or January.
“If I got something end to mid-December or early January, I’d like that,” she said.
Regardless of when her next fight is, Jeffries is anxious to get back to training.
“I can’t wait to start training again so I can work on all the stuff I’ve been learning,” she said.
