Catching Up With The Chico Champ!
Heads turned when female fighter Ava Knight walked across the floor at All Star Promotions’ live boxing show last Friday night at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello. The Northern California slugger came down to L.A. to catch the pro debut of stablemate 
Aaron “Heavy Metal” Coley. Walking with the petite pugilist, I noticed a trail of eyes (the majority being appreciative men, of course) watching as the brunette beauty passed by.
“Your fans are out in full force,” I laugh as I pointed out her admirers.
The humble champ said, “No…Really? I don’t think they recognize me.”
Well after Knight’s stunning ten-round TKO over WBC Asian Boxing Council Champ Hongfah Tor Buamas on March 31 in Los Cabos, more and more fans will take notice of the current IBF Female Flyweight Champion whose ring moniker is the “Lady of Boxing.”
Living up to her name, this little powerhouse is very, very feminine outside the ropes. In fact, as new fans came over to meet her and take photos with the girl from Chico, many questioned: “Are you REALLY a boxer?” Ring announcer Jim FitzGerald had just introduced the fighter (8-1-3, 5 KOs) to the crowd and some just couldn’t believe this slender female was a hard-punching beast on the canvas.
“Do you really fight?” they kept asking, incredulously. Finally, photos of her last victory and a cell phone video of her TKO over the Thailand champ convinced her newest fans that she was indeed the real deal. She has one of the sweetest and down-to-earth personalities you will ever meet. But that persona shifts once she steps inside the ropes. With biceps bulging, nostrils flaring and eyes blazing, there is no doubt that Ava is fierce and focused in the ring. Outside the ring? She’s a normal 23-year-old sporting sparkly sandals, a fashionable handbag and a stylish dress with a soft speaking voice added in. But don’t let that fool you.
“She’s got a vicious left hook,” fellow fighter Aaron Coley told me, shaking his head. The new pro has sparred with Ava and knows she can punch. A pro herself since 2007, Knight has been training with Ben Bautista for over two years at San Francisco’s SFC Boxing Gym. They are working on plans for her next fight but for now will enjoy her March victory in defending her belt (after scoring a KO over Arely Mucino last October).
With victories over Mucino, Kaliesha West, and also hard-fought draws with West (in their rematch) and Elena Reid, Knight is well on her way to making a name for herself. Which woman was her toughest opponent to date? “I’d say Kaliesha,” Ava replies. “She’s mentally tough too.”
Her dream opponents? “I’d like to fight #1 ranked Mariana Juarez and the #2 ranked Susi Kentikian,” she tells me. “I’m #3 ranked so I would love to fight them. And I had such a great time in my last fight; I love fighting in Mexico!”
The multiple champ loves to fight so much that she makes the ultimate sacrifices to reach the top, always giving it 110%. Ava is very disciplined and never has a problem making weight. She usually fights at 112 but her walk around weight is just 118.
While training in the Bay area with Coach Bautista, there are many times she has to travel three hours from her home to keep her training sessions intact, which means there are frequent times that she can’t commute all the way back to her residence. “So I end up sleeping in the gym a lot,” she says with a chuckle. “I don’t mind sleeping there. It’s easier that way than going all the way back home.”
Whatever it takes to be the best.
“What are your other interests outside of boxing?” I ask her.
She thinks for a while. “Hmmm…Well, I’m really kind of lazy outside of boxing,” she slowly admits with a smile. “Oh, I LOVE to cook! I cook a lot and I like learning about nutrition and supplements too.”
All Star promoter Ed Holmes and matchmaker Pete Hironaka are standing nearby when they hear the cutie’s reply. I notice their interest in our conversation.
“Did you hear that guys? She’s a fighter–AND she loves to cook!” I joke with them. “You cook? And do you clean too?”
“Yes, I do! I love cooking and I do clean,” she laughs.
“She’s the total package, guys!” I confirm.
Holmes and Hironaka both admire her boxing skills–while taking in her good looks too.
“She’s the prettiest boxer I’ve seen in a long time–if ever,” Ed Holmes tells us about this c
hica with a winning smile. “In the ‘Battle of the Beauties,’ AVA WINS–no question!”
His business partner Pete Hironaka also remarks about her talent: “I remember Ava from her Chico days; we tried to get her on one of our cards. I’ve heard great things about her.”
“But you don’t look like a boxer!” Holmes states again, sharing the opinion of many.
That’s part of the allure of Ava Knight. She looks more like a ring card girl than a brute. But she is a female who just happens to love to fight. And she’s good at it.
During the night, fellow champion Rico Ramos joined our chat in between fights. The former WBA Super Bantam titlist shares Ava’s focus in not having too many distractions while training. “Video games and Netflix–that’s it for me,” he tells us with a nod.
“Oh yeah, I play video games too,” Knight answers as the two champs compare notes on their favorite games. She also is a doting “mom” to two dogs–her beloved pets, a Chihuahua and a Doberman.
As we watch the live fights and talk more boxing, we ask her who her favorite boxers are. “Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler!” is Ava’s quick response. “I love watching their old fights.”
As the young woman continues in her own career, many more fans will be watching her future fights.
“Maybe your nickname should be Ava ‘Good Night’!” says a member of our group, in regards to her recent KO wins.
“Well, I didn’t knock ALL of my opponents out,” Knight says, a bit shyly.
Always humble and on the shy side, the likable female warrior continues to win fans along the way.
With the lithe build and posture of a ballerina, there will always be a string of admirers who will marvel in the fact that she is indeed a prizefighter.
Her nose isn’t flattened, her forehead remains uncut and she’s got a youthful exuberance to her.
Ava Knight’s just a girl who loves to box. And she’s very good boxer–and a very good cook to boot!
Watch the “Lady of Boxing” as she continues to succeed.
Photos by Michele Chong