Local female boxers Darcie Kaye and Shalynn Holdsworth hit the road last weekend, traveling to Olympia, Washington for the South Sound Championships.
Kaye, a 27-year-old fighter, won convincingly in her bout against a taller opponent from Portland, Oregon. The win improved her overall record to 3-2 with two knockouts.
Holdsworth, a 14-year-old fighter, won both of her bouts in impressive fashion. The first was a unanimous decision and the second was a technical knockout, with Holdsworth ending things in the second round.
The teenager won the Most Outstanding Boxer award in the novice division, the third time in her young career that she has earned such recognition.
Holdsworth, who weighs in at five-foot-six and 122 pounds, now sports an overall record of 6-0 with three KOs.
“She now has power to go along with her skills, hand speed and south-paw stance,” said her coach and father, Keith Holdsworth. “That combination makes her a tough opponent for anyone in her division.”
The South Sound Championships included 38 bouts over two days, and the locals rubbed shoulders with prominent boxing people.
“We all had a great time meeting world class coaches and pro fighters including Joe ‘The Boss’ Hipp,” Holdsworth said. “He is the first, and I believe only, Native American to ever win the world heavyweight championship.”
Both Chilliwack fighters train out of Four Directions Martial Arts (formerly Revolution Martial Arts).