Exclusive interview by Marc Anthony/Photo by Team Hallback

“I hear that Christy Martin is trying to make a comeback, which is a great thing especially after her ordeal. That was real unfortunate what happened to her. I have to say that she is a very brave lady; she is really strong to comeback after what she has been through.” – Chevelle Hallback

Chevelle Hallback, 28-6-2, 11 KO’s, first professional fight was back in February 21, 1997, by stopping Connie Plosser in the first round. Four fights later, she captured the WIBF (Women’s International Boxing Federation) Super Featherweight Title against Bonnie Canino on March 6, 1998.

Against Alicia Ashley, Hallback captured the International Boxing Association Female Super Featherweight Title on August 27, 2002 by unanimous decision. On July 2, 2004, by beating Layla McCarter by unanimous decision, she defended her title: the WIBA Super Featherweight Belt for a second time.

In 2008 in August 6th she captured the IFBA Lightweight Title against Jeannine Garside in a very competitive fight by split decision.

Coming off her fresh victory over Victoria Cisneros on December 12, 2010, and having the goal of being the first female boxer to be televised by HBO, she sets her sights on Christy Martin for a possible super fight.

Boxing is not just about great fights but great storylines and this one would be an exciting tale to tell.

MA: I hear that you have an opponent in mind for your next big bout?

Yeah, I hear that Christy Martin is trying to make a comeback, which is a great thing especially after her ordeal. That was real unfortunate what happened to her. I have to say that she is a very brave lady; she is really strong to comeback after what she has been through.

But since she is making a comeback at 147, I would love to have that opportunity. She has a fight in March, and hopefully she can get a “w” under her belt. Maybe in the future, she and I can tangle for a little bit.

When I first started boxing, she was already out on the scene. After my fifth fight, after I fought Bonnie Canino, I spoke with Don King and Don King’s lawyer; I begged them to let me fight Christy Martin. They wanted to sign me on a contract.

At that time, Don King had a lot of girls signed under his management company. But Christy Martin was the only one exclusively signed to him and the only opportunity you had to fight Christy Martin was to be signed under Don King. So I asked and said: “Hey, I would love to fight Christy Martin.”

Every time I got a “no”, they were trying to keep me away from her.

Now that she is with Bob Arum, maybe I will finally get the opportunity to fight Christy Martin, especially if she is fighting at 147. That is the highest I will fight at. And I hear she is making a comeback at 147. It will be a great fight. We are both from Florida and we can see who the best Florida fighter is at 147. Let’s duke it out! I would love the opportunity to fight her before we both retire. We should do this.

Not only do we get to fight, but let’s do this fight on HBO. There have never been two female boxers on HBO. It has never…never been done. She is fighting on a Top Rank PPV and I have fought on a Top Rank PPV. She fought on Showtime under the Mike Tyson card. But, HBO has never showed two female fights. She is good at what she does and I am good at what I do. She has a promoter that can make it happen. So hopefully down the line we can do this on HBO.

MA: How do you see that fight playing out?

Of course I will do my thing. I feel that I am one of the best pound for pound female boxers out there. This fight with Christy Martin is long overdue. She and Lucia Rijker never got to fight. I am still here. I would love the opportunity to fight Christy Martin.

MA: Your last fight was against Victoria Cisneros, which you won. What do you remember about that fight?

It was a great fight. She is a warrior. She was in superb shape especially given the opportunity to train at the altitude she gets to train at. Who wouldn’t be in superb shape training at that altitude? But she is a warrior but I was just too much for her. I was just too experienced for her. I landed some heavy shots and she kept coming. Even though I had clearly hurt her so many times in that fight, but she found the strength deep inside to keep going … to keep coming and it was a great fight. But my speed, my power and my experience were too much for her.

MA: As far as altitude goes, how long does it take your body to get used to it?

I don’t care what anybody says; I have gone up with just days, which is awful. I have gone within four weeks. When you are coming from below sea level, you need at least a good four weeks for your body to get really acclimated. It is hard!

Even when I fought Victoria, I think after the fifth round I was like “My God!” I was in superb shape but I was fighting on pure drive and experience. I was trying to buy my time and open up my lungs. It was difficult. I told the promoter, next time I fight in New Mexico, you guys are going have to fly me out much sooner. I am beating myself, if I go out and just get there three days in advance at that point the other fighters or not beating me I am beating myself.

MA: What goes in your head when you are that exhausted?

I keep telling myself to relax and throw your hands. I am really speaking to myself to relax… move… Don’t let her hit you… Make her miss… Now hit… make her miss… Now hit. If I am talking to myself, I am not concentrating on my body. I am concentrating on my fighting: Throw your hands or move your body. The mind is a great thing! Mind over body!

MA: Is it hard to find female sparring partners? Do you mainly spar with guys?

I use guys. I do spar with female fighters when I am helping them prepare for a fight but when it’s time for me to prepare for a fight, I spar with the guys, because I need a challenge and I need to take it to another level. I go to different gyms, I go to gyms that Jeff Lacy trains at, Winky Wright trains at, Miguel Cotto and Highlander. I train at different gyms to get different looks. I don’t want the same look over and over.

I try to spar with guys that are a little smaller than me because of the speed, so I can work on my defense. And then I spar with guys who are a little heavier than me. If I do get hit, getting hit by a guy is totally different than getting hit by a girl. So I can work on getting hit and not getting hit. And I know I can take a punch. And, with the heavier guys, I work on my speed as well, anywhere from 118 and no bigger than 147 pound guys.

MA: At what weight do you feel most comfortable at?

135-140 is the perfect weight for me. But it has been extremely difficult to continue to stay busy in that weight class so I have to go up a little bit were I can find the fights. Going higher than 147 could affect my speed and my mobility.

MA: Although your first love is boxing, would you entertain the idea of doing MMA again?

Yeah, MMA my trainer, Mike Yanes, who owns Highlander, I promised one more fight. He says I owe him one more fight. Maybe, I don’t know, but right now I am focusing on boxing. That’s my heart and soul. But it may happen depending on what is going to happen within these next months. I may still do an MMA fight by the end of 2011, or I might do it right before I retire.

MA: Staying on that subject, what do difference do you see in MMA gloves vs. boxing gloves when it comes to striking?

Of course the boxing gloves are much bigger than the MMA gloves so it’s harder when you are blocking a punch from coming in with the MMA gloves since they are the size of your hand. It’s a bit of a difference defending punches. With MMA gloves you are going full those punches much more other than that not much difference.

MA: In a fantasy matchup, how would a fight between you and Chris Cyborg play out?

That would be an awesome fight. Her boxing skills are yet to be tested. Me on the ground, she would kill me. But, if we could go at it standing up? That would be awesome. I would love that fight!

MA: Do you watch MMA?

A little bit. I watch the big fights like Griffin and Rashad. I like them. I watch it every now and then.

MA: What do you remember about the Melissa Hernandez fight?

Oh yeah that was a real good fight. Me and Melissa were good friends and it was hard fighting that fight. There were plenty of times, you can pull it on YouTube, and I think it was the first or second round where I had her in so much trouble and I pulled back, not really wanting to really commit with my punches.

I didn’t want to knock her out because she was my friend. But, at the same time, I was trying to do enough to win the fight. Instead of taking care of business like I should have, it kind of hurt me a little bit. I didn’t lose the fight, but I didn’t want a draw either. It was a hard lesson to learn: When you get in the ring with a friend, you just have to pick up that friendship after the fight.

MA: Is it true you played pro female football? Can you talk a little about the experience?

Yeah, it was for the Tampa Bay Force, a semi-pro football league. I was a running back and linebacker. I love football: Full contact, helmet pads and the whole works! I like defense more than I like offense. I love the feeling of just hitting somebody. But I am real fast, so I was able to get through the holes. Because I wasn’t really getting paid and I was getting paid to box: I love both sports, I didn’t want to jeopardize me getting hurt and that would end my boxing career. I had to give it up.

MA: You are a true athlete! Out of the three sports you have done, which is the more punishing to your body?

Football! Oh my God! The first day of practice, I was going through the hole and this girl, she was about 300 pounds, and she closed the hole up on me and she hit me “BAM” I went to the ground and I was okay…saying to myself: “I can get up and brush it off.” That night, I went home took a hot shower and went to bed. The next morning I couldn’t move! I was like: “Lord Jesus my body is so sore.” I promise you I was so sore, my body has never felt like that on all of the boxing training. I have ever had after one day of training. Football is punishing. Sometimes I see these guys after they finish their pro career they have problems for the rest of their lives.

MA: Any final words?

I want to give a shout out to my publicist Amy, to my manager Billy C: He is with talking boxing with Billy C, a radio station you can listen to. I want to let my fans know that I am still here and hopefully Christy Martin and I can get in the ring and rumble and make history by being the first two female fighters to fight on HBO!

Chevelle Hallback
Nickname: “Fist of Steel”
Division: Lightweight
Professional Record: 28- 6-2, 11 KO’s

2010-12-03 Victoria Cisneros Albuquerque, New Mexico W SD 8
2010-03-26 Holly Holm Albuquerque, New Mexico L UD 10
WIBA Women’s International Boxing Association light welterweight title “Super World title”

2008-06-13 Jeannine Garside Albuquerque, New Mexico W SD 10
vacant IFBA International Female Boxers Association lightweight title
2008-02-07 Melissa Hernandez Temecula, California D PTS 10
vacant IFBA International Female Boxers Association lightweight title

2007-07-02 Terri Blair Temecula, California, United States W UD 8
2007-05-23 Holly Holm Albuquerque, New Mexico L UD 10

2005-11-18 Belinda Laracuente Edmonton, Alberta, Canada W UD 10
WIBA Women’s International Boxing Association super featherweight title
2005-10-07 Melissa Del Valle Tampa, Florida, United States NC ND 3
2005-03-13 Fujin Raika Tokyo, Japan W UD 10
WIBA Women’s International Boxing Association super featherweight title
2005-01-26 Kim Colbert Kansas City, Missouri W TKO 2

2004-07-02 Layla McCarter Pala, California, United States W UD 10
WIBA Women’s International Boxing Association super featherweight title
2004-06-04 Bonnie Canino Lincoln City, Oregon, United States W TKO 4
2004-05-20 Mary Jo Sanders Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan L PTS 10
IBA Female Continental Light Welterweight Title

2003-09-20 Michelle Ewing 151 Savannah, Georgia, United States W TKO 1
2003-08-30 Melissa Del Valle Savannah, Georgia, United States W UD 10
International Boxing Association female super featherweight title IBA Super Featherweight Title
2003-06-28 Brenda Drexel Savannah, Georgia W UD 6
2003-05-31 Britt Van Buskirk Savannah, Georgia W UD 6
2003-04-26 Mitzi Jeter Savannah, Georgia W UD 6
2003-03-29 Mitzi Jeter Savannah, Georgia W UD 6

2002-12-28 Layla McCarter Savannah, Georgia W UD 10
Originally a title defense for Hallback of her IBA Jr. Lightweight title. McCarter had pulled out earlier in the week because of a hand injury. Unable to get a replacement McCarter fought anyway in a ten round non-title fight
2002-11-22 Willicia Moorehead Savannah, Georgia W KO 1
2002-10-20 Vicky Clardy Savannah, Georgia W KO 1
2002-09-27 Vanessa Pine Savannah, Georgia W KO 2
2002-08-27 Alicia Ashley Savannah, Georgia W UD 10
International Boxing Association female super featherweight title
2002-06-29 Brenda Drexel Savannah, Georgia W TKO 4
2002-06-04 Carla Witherspoon Savannah, Georgia W UD 6
2002-04-27 Brenda Drexel Savannah, Georgia W UD 6
2002-03-22 Brenda Drexel Savannah, Georgia W UD 6

2001-11-16 Snodene Blakeney Austin, Texas D TD 3
WIBA Women’s International Boxing Association super featherweight title
2001-07-08 Laura Serrano Las Vegas, Nevada L MD 6

2000-04-26 Doris Hackl New Orleans, Louisiana L MD 10
IFBA International Female Boxers Association super featherweight title IFBA Super Featherweight Title

1999-06-11 Hayde N’unez Bossier City, Louisiana W UD 4

1998-03-06 Bonnie Canino Fort Lauderdale, Florida W TKO 7
WIBF Women’s International Boxing Federation featherweight title

1997-09-20 Bethany Payne Boca Raton, Florida W TKO 1
1997-05-21 Judy Mayrand Tallahassee, Florida W TKO 1
1997-03-22 Lucia Rijker Corpus Christi, Texas L TKO 5
1997-02-21 Connie Plosser Miami, Florida W TKO 1

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