Starch Madness (Ann Wolfe x Vonda Ward)
Starch Madness Mascot: Starchibald Spudd
A series of articles appreciating some of the best knockouts in combat sports
Welcome back to Starch Madness! In this installment, the knockout highlighted will be from a female boxing match between Ann Wolfe and Vonda Ward. However, it is not just a regular female knockout, it is one of the most memorable knockouts in female combat sports.
Ann Wolfe will be (and should be) remembered as one of the scariest female boxers that have ever walked the earth. She began boxing professionally in 1998 until her retirement in 2006. She amassed a record of 24-1 and 1 no contest with a resounding 16 knockouts in her career. She suffered her first and only loss by the hands of Valerie Mahfood via TKO and from then on she went on a tear getting victories over every woman that dared stand in front of her. Despite Wolfe fighting during a time where there were not as many eyes on the female fighters, one of the many wins she accrued would go on to be remembered by numerous fans for a long time. That knockout came against WIBA Lightheavyweight belt-holder (at that time) Vonda Ward.
Ann Wolfe with her collection of belts
Vonda Ward was an American boxer from Macedonia, Ohio. She grew up in a sports family and from an early age, it was decided that she would follow in the athletic footsteps of her father, who was a harness racer. However, Ward’s first sports love was not in the center of a ring, but rather a court. She was a gifted and promising basketball player from highschool all the way to college as she received many accolades and honors, and even a scholarship to University of Tennessee getting to be coached by Pat Summitt. Yet, tragically her professional basketball career was derailed when she broke her leg, which led to her finding her passion for boxing.
Ward, much like Wolfe, found a lot of success in the ring beating many of her opponents by knockout. She won her first 14 fights all via KO or TKO. This led to her being able to win the IBA and WIBA belts at heavyweight before she would later clash with Wolfe for the IBA and WIBA belts at lightheavyweight.
Vonda Ward in her prime
Vonda Ward and Ann Wolfe met each other in the ring on May 8th, 2004. The fight took place in Biloxi, Mississippi. Ward towered over Wolfe as they met in the center to receive final instructions from the ref. Wolfe didn’t care. She looked up at Ward with an unwavering icy stare like they were the same height.
Ann Wolfe x Vonda Ward Prefight Staredown
The bell rang and both women quickly gravitated to the middle of the ring. Ward immediately worked to use her reach advantage putting out a few pawing jabs in a row out in front of Wolfe. Wolfe’s aggression was on full display as she smacked Ward with a left hook almost instantly. Wolfe pressed forward as the two exchanged a bit more. Each of them would step back and reset before going back in to engage one another. Ward trying to establish respect for her power while Wolfe looked to make Ward back up and fight on her heels.
Ward worked to keep a healthy distance between her and Wolfe. Wolfe kept trying to load up on overhands, hooks, and the like while evading the jabs of Ward. They clinch for a couple of seconds before being separated and reset by the referee. Wolfe went back in to work.
She sets Ward up with a nice double jab that leads her into a corner. Ward had no choice but to go forward toward Wolfe to get out. Just as she does, Wolfe ducks slightly and throws a flawless right overhand that collides into Ward’s chin flattening the giant Ohioan like notebook paper.
Ann Wolfe’s destruction of Vonda Ward
The ref immediately waved it off without even giving Ward a full count and honestly there was no need. Ward went down hard and was out cold leaving Ann Wolfe to collect her new belts at Lightheavyweight which she would keep until her retirement. This moment may not be widely known by casual mainstream followers of female sports but it is one worth knowing and worth sharing, and it will probably live for many years to come as the best knockout in female boxing.