Leona Brown

Known as ‘Downtown’ Leona Brown, this New York native was born on July 27, 1960 and is the current WIBC World Bantamweight champion. She got into boxing at fairly late at the age of 37 but this did not stop her from winning a fair number of amateur bouts before turning pro.

She won the New York golden gloves award while an amateur and turned pro on September 27, 1997, making her debut by beating Judy Mayrand in Germantown, Pennsylvania. This was the first of her first seven fights that she would ultimately win as a pro. She lost for the first time to Eva Jones in Bossier City Louisiana. She also lost her next bout after that, this time to Margaret Sidoroff.

Brown earned her first world champion title by defeating Dee Dufoe in ten rounds, becoming the IFBA’s world Super Bantamweight champion. She lost seven of the next eight bouts after that, however, including the FBA title to Michelle Aborro in Germany. Her only win came in 2001 when she defeated Ria Ramnarine in four rounds by a knock-out.

Another chance at getting the IFBA title back came in 2002, but she lost this one as well as to Esther Schouten after ten rounds by decision. After three more lost bouts Brown rebounded with a win against Terri Cruz by a knock-out in 2004. By November she was in the ring fighting for another chance at a world championship title, the WIBC world bantamweight against Stephaney George of Guyana. She beat George with a score of 100-90 by unanimous decision.