Ada "Ace" Vélez (born September 15, 1969) is a Puerto Rican female professional boxer from Dania Beach, Florida who lives in Miami. Vélez was brought into boxing by former women's boxing world champion Bonnie Canino.
Career
After a successful undefeated amateur career that included a national title, Vélez became the first native Puerto Rican to win a women's world boxing championship on January 19, 2001, when she defeated Kathy Williams on a unanimous decision over 10 rounds to win the IBA bantamweight title. Ten months later, she moved up in weight and challenged undefeated Mary Elizabeth Ortega for the WIBA super bantamweight title, again winning a 10-round unanimous decision.
Vélez won her first 10 pro fights before suffering her first loss as a professional, in her first defense of the WIBA title. On June 21, 2002, Melissa Del Valle decisioned Vélez in Waco, Texas in the featured bout on an all-women's card featuring world champions Ann Wolfe, Sumya Anani, Delia Gonzalez and Kelsey Jeffries.
On December 21, she bounced back to reclaim the IBA version of the world bantamweight title by decisioning Lakeysha Williams over 10 rounds.
Vélez has added the WIBA bantamweight title to her IBA belt on June 28, 2003, when she beat Gonzalez on a seventh-round disqualification.
Vélez traveled to Denmark to defend her WIBA bantamweight title against Anita Christensen. on January 17, 2004, Vélez lost a highly controversial 10 round split decision to Christensen. Vélez had knocked down Christensen in the 9th round, and looked to be the obvious winner of their encounter. The Danish press strongly criticized this decision, saying on record that Vélez was robbed of her title.
She fought Melinda Cooper for the vacant IBF super-bantamweight title at the National Stadium in San José, Costa Rica, on 31 March 2011, winning by split decision with two of the ringside judges scoring the contest 96-94 in her favour while the third had it for her opponent by the same tally. A rematch on 20 November 2011 saw Vélez retain her title by majority decision. One judge scored the fight a 95-95 draw but was overruled by the other two who scored it in her favour 98-92 and 97-93 respectively.
She now teaches kids, teens, and adults boxing at Velez Boxing and Fitness in Oakland Park, Florida. She makes them do exercise machines, running, strength and conditioning, and boxing.
Vélez was inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Professional boxing record
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|-
!
!Result
!Record
!Opponent
!Type
!Round, time
!Date
!Location
!Notes
|-
|28
|Loss
|20–5–3
|align=left|Jessica Rakoczy
|UD
|10
|24 Jan 2013
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|27
|Loss
|20–4–3
|align=left|Katy Wilson Castillo
|UD
|10
|24 Mar 2012
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|26
|Win
|20–3–3
|align=left|Melinda Cooper
|MD
|10
|20 Nov 2011
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|25
|Win
|19–3–3
|align=left|Melinda Cooper
|SD
|10
|31 Mar 2011
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|24
|Win
|18–3–3
|align=left|Mary Ortega
|UD
|6
|10 Dec 2010
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|23
|Win
|17–3–3
|align=left|Stacey Reile
|UD
|8
|27 Feb 2010
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|22
|Draw
|16–3–3
|align=left|Kaliesha West
|MD
|6
|21 Jan 2010
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|21
|Win
|16–3–2
|align=left|Kasha Chamblin
|UD
|10
|24 Nov 2007
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|20
|Win
|15–3–2
|align=left|Jackie Chavez
|MD
|6
|21 Sep 2007
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|19
|Loss
|14–3–2
|align=left|Jeri Sitzes
|UD
|6
|10 Aug 2007
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|18
|Loss
|14–2–2
|align=left|Anita Christensen
|
|10
|17 Jan 2004
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|17
|Draw
|14–1–2
|align=left|Lisa Brown
|
|10
|30 Oct 2003
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|16
|Win
|14–1–1
|align=left|Delia Gonzalez
|DQ
|7 (10),
|28 Jun 2003
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|15
|Win
|13–1–1
|align=left|Leona Brown
|
|7 (8),
|29 Mar 2003
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|14
|Win
|12–1–1
|align=left|Lakeysha Williams
|UD
|10
|20 Dec 2002
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|13
|Win
|11–1–1
|align=left|Rolanda Andrews
|TKO
|4 (6),
|9 Nov 2002
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|12
|Draw
|10–1–1
|align=left|Layla McCarter
|
|6
|18 Jul 2002
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|11
|Loss
|10–1
|align=left|Melissa Del Valle
|UD
|10
|21 Jun 2002
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|10
|Win
|10–0
|align=left|Angie Bordelon
|TKO
|2 (6),
|25 Jan 2002
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|9
|Win
|9–0
|align=left|Mary Ortega
|UD
|10
|16 Nov 2001
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|8
|Win
|8–0
|align=left|Jamillia Lawrence
|
|4
|29 Jun 2001
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|7
|Win
|7–0
|align=left|Kathy Williams
|UD
|10
|19 Jan 2001
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|6
|Win
|6–0
|align=left|Linda Tenberg
|UD
|8
|15 Dec 2000
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|5
|Win
|5–0
|align=left|Lisa Foster
|TKO
|2 (4),
|15 Nov 2000
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|4
|Win
|4–0
|align=left|Pamela Opdyke
|TKO
|3 (6),
|18 Oct 2000
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|3
|Win
|3–0
|align=left|Jamie Chartrand
|TKO
|2 (4),
|8 Oct 2000
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|2
|Win
|2–0
|align=left|Sue Chase
|
|4
|30 Jun 2000
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|1
|Win
|1–0
|align=left|Jocelyn Fontanilla
|
|3 (4),
|21 Aug 1999
|align=left|
|align=left|
|}
See also
- List of female boxers
- List of southpaw stance boxers
- List of Puerto Ricans
- Boxing in Puerto Rico
- List of Puerto Rican boxing world champions
- International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame
- History of women in Puerto Rico
References
External links
- Ada Vélez - Profile at Women Boxing Archive Network
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