Tracy Byrd | |
---|---|
Statistics | |
Real name | Tracy Michelle Byrd |
Nickname(s) | The Lady |
Rated at | Super bantamweight Lightweight |
Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) |
Nationality | American |
Born |
Flint, Michigan, United States |
August 27, 1964
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 24 |
Wins | 13 |
Wins by KO | 4 |
Losses | 10 |
Draws | 1 |
Tracy Byrd (born August 27, 1964, Flint, Michigan) is an American female boxer.
Byrd comes from a boxing family: her father, Joe Byrd, is a former boxer who currently trains her.
Her brother Antoine once lost to Roy Jones Jr. in a bid to win the world's Middleweight title, and her other brother, Chris, is a former heavyweight title holder.
Tracy Byrd enjoyed athletics since she was a young child. She excelled in high school as a basketball player. Her brothers Antoine and Chris, however, inspired her into trying out boxing, so she began to attend the Byrd boxing gym, owned by her father.
On her first professional fight, August 6, 1996, the then 32-year-old boxer beat Sue Chase by a decision in four rounds in Flint. Her first three fights were held in Flint, and she earned first round knockouts in professional fights number two and three.
Her fourth fight, a rematch with Chase on January 28, 1997, took place just outside Flint, in Detroit. Byrd again outpointed Chase over four rounds.
After beating Dee Dufoe by decision in six in what turned out to be her first fight held outside Michigan (the fight was held in Indio, California), Byrd was given the opportunity to challenge for a world championship for the first time: On August 2, 1997, she defeated defending champion Nora Daigle to become the IFBA world Lightweight champion, in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Byrd retained the title on October 24 with a fourth-round knockout of Bethanny Payne in New Jersey. After this fight, and since Byrd continued undefeated in nine fights, Byrd was given some attention by boxing magazines such as The Ring and KO. But, on her second defense, held on June 30, 1998, she lost her title, and her undefeated mark, to Russian Zulfia Koutdoussova, who, as a consequence, inherited the media attention that Byrd was receiving.