Ada Vélez

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

ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes28Loss20–5–3Jessica RakoczyUD1024 Jan 201327Loss20–4–3Katy Wilson CastilloUD1024 Mar 201226Win20–3–3Melinda CooperMD1020 Nov 201125Win19–3–3Melinda CooperSD1031 Mar 201124Win18–3–3Mary OrtegaUD610 Dec 201023Win17–3–3Stacey ReileUD827 Feb 201022Draw16–3–3Kaliesha WestMD621 Jan 201021Win16–3–2Kasha ChamblinUD1024 Nov 200720Win15–3–2Jackie ChavezMD621 Sep 200719Loss14–3–2Jeri SitzesUD610 Aug 200718Loss14–2–2Anita Christensen1017 Jan 200417Draw14–1–2Lisa Brown1030 Oct 200316Win14–1–1Delia GonzalezDQ7 (10), 28 Jun 200315Win13–1–1Leona Brown7 (8), 29 Mar 200314Win12–1–1Lakeysha WilliamsUD1020 Dec 200213Win11–1–1Rolanda AndrewsTKO4 (6), 9 Nov 200212Draw10–1–1Layla McCarter618 Jul 200211Loss10–1Melissa Del ValleUD1021 Jun 200210Win10–0Angie BordelonTKO2 (6), 25 Jan 20029Win9–0Mary OrtegaUD1016 Nov 20018Win8–0Jamillia Lawrence429 Jun 20017Win7–0Kathy WilliamsUD1019 Jan 20016Win6–0Linda TenbergUD815 Dec 20005Win5–0Lisa FosterTKO2 (4), 15 Nov 20004Win4–0Pamela OpdykeTKO3 (6), 18 Oct 20003Win3–0Jamie ChartrandTKO2 (4), 8 Oct 20002Win2–0Sue Chase430 Jun 20001Win1–0Jocelyn Fontanilla3 (4), 21 Aug 1999

Ada Vélez

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