Alicia Ashley to be inducted into International Boxing Hall of Fame

ALICIA ‘SLICK’ Ashley, Jamaica’s most decorated female boxer, and holder on five occasions of three major world titles in different weight classes, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York on June 11 next year, it was announced earlier this week.

The induction ceremony will be held during the Hall of Fame weekend, June 8-11, 2023. On that date, she will join Jamaica’s most outstanding male boxer Michael McCallum, who was inducted in 2003.

Ashley, who is 55, had early aspirations of becoming a professional dancer like her father, but a serious injury put an end to that career. She took up kick-boxing as part of her recuperation, at the urging of her elder brother Devon, who was a world champion, but later changed to boxing and never looked back.

She had her first professional fight on January 29, 1999 with a points victory over Lisa Howarth in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and her last fight was on March 10, 2018 when she lost to Dina Thorslund of Denmark, in Denmark, fighting for the WBC Interim Super Bantamweight title. She ended with 24 wins, 12 losses, and one draw.

HIT AND NOT BEING HIT

She was known for her movement in the ring and this earned her the nickname ‘Slick’ and the gospel that she has always preached is that boxing is the art of “hit and not being hit”.

She left Jamaica at a young age with her parents who migrated to the United States, and lived in New York for many years. She has always stated, however, that, though she lived there most of her life, she always recognised herself as 100 per cent Jamaican and always fought in the Jamaican colours.

She is the holder of Guinness World Record Certificates for being the oldest female boxing champion when, at age 48 years and 67 days, she won the WBC Female Super Bantamweight title by defeating Lisa Howarth and at the same time achieving the feat of being the longest reigning active champion.

Locally, she has won several Boxer of the Year awards and the Chairman’s Award at the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year ceremony.

She is now a boxing trainer in China, focussing on young boxers. She also trains several female boxers and says her hope is to produce a female world boxing champion to follow in her footsteps.