CHEVELLE HALLBACK

26-5-2 (11 KOs)
Age: 36
Born: September 3, 1971 in Plant City, Florida
Hometown: Tampa, Florida
IBA Junior Lightweight Champion
Photo: By Tony Duffy

Pound-for-pound, Chevelle Hallback arguably is one of the top athletes in women’s boxing today, as well as one of the most recognized female fighters because of exposure she’s received several times on television, and her willingness to take on some of the sport’s biggest names.

Unable to find suitable opponents when she first started boxing in 1996, she skipped amateur boxing and turned pro on February 21, 1997, stopping Connie Plosser in the opening round of their fight in Miami.

In her second fight, Hallback gave an indication of the type competitor she is – one who has never ducked an opponent – by facing legendary Lucia Rijker, considered at that time to be the No. 1 fighter in the world. Rijker was tested by Chevelle before ending the fight in the fifth round by TKO. Hallback, though, earned props for her guts and three fights later, Chevelle went into WIBF featherweight champion Bonnie Canino’s backyard in Ft. Lauderdale (FL) and took her belt via a seventh round TKO.

Hallback went into a funk in 2000-2001, losing two and fighting to a draw, before coming out of it with 15 consecutive victories. During this period she won 10-round decisions versus Alicia Ashley for the IBA super featherweight title and Layla McCarter, as well as a pair of 6-round decision against Mitji Jeter. Chevelle successfully defended her IBA belt with a 10-round decision against Melissa Del Valle (27-2-1).

Hallback’s 15-fight win streaked was snapped by undefeated Mary Jo Sanders (8-0), who took a 10-round decision in 2004 for the IBA Continental light welterweight championship. Chevelle rebounded with a fourth-round TKO of Canino and, in another rematch; Hallback captured the WIBA super featherweight title with a 10-round decision against McCarter.

In 2005, Hallback traveled all the way to Tokyo and accomplished the near impossible, beating Japanese start Emiko Raika (12-1-1) in her hometown, by 10-round decision in a WIBA title defense. A no-contest versus Del Valle was soon followed by a win by 10-round decision by Chevelle defending her WIBA title belt against Belinda Laracuente (22-11-2). 

Up next was a showdown against the premier welterweight in the world, Holly Holm (17-1-2), who won a non-title fight by 10-round decision in her Albuquerque home. Chevelle bounced right back with an impressive win by eight-round decision against Terri Blair.

In her last fight, Hallback fought Melissa Hernandez to a 10-round draw this past February 7 for the vacant IFBA lightweight championship.

Hallback was the subject of a short film entitled, Fists of Steel, directed by Annie Griffith, about female boxing, gender-politics, family and religious issues. The heavy-handed Hallback studied psychology at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa.