Women's professional boxers to take the ring

Referee Richard Steele holds Elena "Baby Doll" Reid's arm up in victory after her fifth-round knockout of Lakeysha Williams on Jan. 29 at the Silverton Hotel Casino. Reid (16-1-5) faces Alicia Ashley (10-5-1) in an eight-round bout at Harrah's in Laughlin on Saturday night. PHOTO CREDIT: MARY ANN OWEN/SPECIAL TO VIEW

Fans of women's professional boxing are in for a treat on Saturday night when five bouts are scheduled for the A Ring of Their Own all-female card at Harrah's in Laughlin.

The main event on the card, which is being held by Rock and Sock Productions, features Elena "Baby Doll" Reid (16-1-5) fighting Alicia Ashley (10-5-1) in an eight-round bantamweight bout.

Reid, currently the No. 1-ranked bantamweight in the world, is originally from Phoenix but now lives in Las Vegas, where she trains under Chris Ben-Tchavachavadze.

In her last fight, the 117-pound southpaw took out Philadelphia's Lakeysha Williams (8-7-3) with a single body shot to the solar plexus in the fifth round of their Jan. 29 bout at the Silverton.

The 23-year-old Reid, who has been boxing since age 15, is on a major roll going undefeated in her last 20 fights, but cannot take Ashley for granted.

"I feel very confident going into this fight," Reid said. "I've got a great trainer, a great manager and a great sparring partner so I'm ready. She (Ashley) usually fights bigger but I'll be ready. It should be a good fight."

Ashley, ranked as the third best junior featherweight by the Women's Boxing Archive Network, is trained by Hector Roca, the same trainer Hilary Swank worked with to prepare for her Academy Award-winning role in "Million Dollar Baby."

Reid is not preoccupied with other female fighters in the game.

"To be honest with you, the only person I'm really worried about right now is myself," Reid said. "I'll fight whoever I have to fight in the future."

In the card's co-feature, Shelley Burton (6-1) faces Akondayne Fountain (4-0) in a six-round junior middleweight bout. Burton, who lived in Las Vegas last year before moving back to her Kalispell, Mont., home, is trained by Jerry Villareal and is managed by Las Vegan Butch Gottlieb.

Burton defeated two-time world champion Lisa Holewyne in her last fight and said she is ready for Saturday's bout.

"Winning against Lisa Holewyne boosted my confidence but I look at it as just another win," Burton said. "Physically I feel great right now. I'm looking forward to this fight. I'm going to play my game, not hers."

Gottlieb said he believes Burton's greatest attribute as a fighter is her persistence.

"Shelley's biggest strength is her undying determination," Gottlieb said. "She's got a never-say-die type of style."

Gottlieb would love to see Burton get a shot at a big-name opponent in the future.

"We see Shelley fighting for a world title later this year," he said. "We've put feelers out for Dakota Stone and may get a match with her later in the year."

Burton said she is ready to fight the best of the best.

"My goal is to become the world champion. I'd like to get a chance to fight Laila Ali or even try to get a fight with Ann Wolfe," she said.

Also on the card, the second of an ongoing series of all-women's boxing events being held by Rock and Sock, is the return to the United States of highly touted Swedish amateur champion Asa Sandell (2-0), who will face Yolonda Swindell (3-2) in a six-round bout.

In her last fight, the 38-year-old Stockholm native scored a unanimous decision win over Chicago's Bose Ijolala, the 2002 National Women's Golden Gloves champion and the 2003 U.S. National Amateur Women's champion who was making her pro debut.

In a battle of unbeatens, Jennie Salinas (5-0) will meet Laura Norton (2-0) in a scheduled four-round bantamweight fight. Rounding out the card will be a four-round bout between light heavyweights Ijola (0-1) and Kiana Owens (1-2), who will fight in the card's opener.

Tickets are available by phone at 298-4600.