Ashley wins WBC award
JAMAICAN FEMALE boxing sensation Alicia ‘Slick’ Ashley won the World Boxing Council (WBC) Comeback of the Year Award last Friday night at the 2016 Female Boxing Convention, which was held i n Tijuana, Mexico, from January 27-31.
Ashley, who lost her WBC Super bantamweight title on September 6, 2014, to Mexican Jackie Nava by way of a controversial majority decision i n Mexico, regained the title on October 29, 2015, with a sparkling victory over Ireland’s Christina McMahon in New York. She was nominated for t hree awards Comeback of the Year, Champion of the Year, and Event of the Year.
She dominated the fight, floored McMahon in the eighth round, and had her in serious trouble in Round 9. McMahon was able to weather the storm however, and ended up with a loss by unanimous decision. This obviously impressed the judges.
Ashley told The Gleaner on Sunday that the competition was keen for the various awards and that she was elated to have picked up the award for her fight against McMahon.
“Winning this award is great. It is icing on the cake after regaining my title, and it shows recognition not only from the WBC, but from the fans all over the world who were part of the decision making process,” she said.
Ashley, who has been consis- tently nominated for the RJR Sportswoman of the Year Award, won the Chairman’s Award in 2014 for her achievements as a boxer. She was the 2015 Female Boxer of the Year and was nominated for the 2015 Sportswoman award.
OLDEST FEMALE BOXER
She said that she was surprised at the ceremony on Friday when she was also presented with certificates from the Guinness Book of Records organisation for being the oldest female boxing champion in the world in 2013 and again in 2015 when at age 48, she defeated McMahon.
She said: “I always get a thrill when people say to me, ‘You do not look 48 years old’. This is a tribute to my lifestyle and my work ethic, and I plan to box for many years to come. I want to continue doing well for myself and my country, so I work very hard.
“It would be great if it is a title fight, but if not, I will still be happy as long as I get to fight before my home crowd and hear them cheering me on over an opponent.”