Olivia Ford returned to the ring last week after a nearly five-month hiatus and put in an impressive performance.
Ford headed to Wichita, Kansas, to compete in the USA Boxing Association's 2024 National Junior Olympics and Summer Festival, where she recorded two dominant wins on her way to winning the gold medal in the 165-pound girls youth division.
“As a coach, I couldn't be more proud of Olivia,” said Sean McFadden, owner of Cerberus Boxing in Madison Township. “She did a great job in both of her bouts. All of the judges scored her in all but one round, but I'm not sure what those judges were seeing.”
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Take the crown
Ford, now a senior at Western Wayne High School, was dominant in both the semifinals and finals.
She begins her quest for gold on Wednesday against a familiar opponent, Chastity Scott.
The two last met in December in Louisiana, where Ford won a tough fight, but Scott came out red-hot and determined to avenge the loss.
“She was definitely itching,” McFadden said. “She came at Olivia hard from the get-go, but Olivia weathered the storm.”
Ford countered his opponent's wild attacks with refined technique, using his jab and side steps to disrupt Scott's angles, and counterpunching effectively throughout the bout, frustrating Scott and racking up points.
By the end of the three-round contest, it was clear to McFadden, the fans and the referee that Ford had won, and just seconds after the final bell rang, the referee raised Ford's hand in victory, 4-1.
“It was my first fight in about five months, so I had to shake off some of the rust in the ring,” Ford said. “It was a good fight, but I don't think I performed at my best.”
“I was really happy to win, but I'm my own harshest critic. I'm a student of the sport and I will remain that way until the day I retire. I'm always trying to learn and improve.”
The win advanced Ford to the finals, where she hoped to face Mackenzie Hatfield, a senior at Excelsior Springs High School in Missouri, after a heartbreaking split decision loss to Ford in the Silver Gloves finals last February.
McFadden and Ford had a solid strategy going into the match, but were shocked when Hatfield lost to Talia Corbin in the semi-finals.
“She's a very tough fighter with very strong fundamentals,” McFadden said, “so on Thursday I just worked over and over on what I thought would work, and Olivia just went out there and executed it perfectly.”
Ford dominated the bout from start to finish, winning all three rounds as scored by all five judges, as she danced fluidly around Corbin and used a continuous jab to launch piston-like straight rights.
Ford won the 165-pound national title by unanimous decision. Her career record is 10-3-0 with two stoppages.
“I felt good, but I was definitely a little nervous,” she said. “Thankfully, my boxing IQ is improving and I'm starting to feel more comfortable in the ring.”
“This was hands down my best fight to date. My opponent put a lot of pressure on me, but it allowed me to use more of my outside style. I used my jab to keep him in check and kept winning in the pocket… 'phone booth fighting' as my coach calls it.”
The long and winding road
Mr. McFadden and Mr. Ford embarked on the journey on June 19th and returned on July 2nd.
Between games, McFadden made sure Ford kept to his training regimen. The veteran coach oversaw running, shadow boxing, basketball and ring drills, much of it outdoors in 100-degree heat.
In all, the intrepid duo traveled nearly 3,000 miles and crossed six states, taking a few detours along the way, including a visit to Dodge City and a stop in Illinois for some authentic Chicago-style pizza.
“After a week of hard work, my coach always lets me have a little fun and gives me a learning experience at the same time,” Ford said. “The pizza was great, and learning about Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday was also great.”
One of the highlights of the trip was meeting Trisha Morrison, widow of the late Tommy Morrison, former WBO World Heavyweight Champion.
Morrison also starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in Rocky V and passed away in 2013 after a short illness. He was 44 years old.
“She was very gracious with her time,” Ford said, “and we were able to reminisce and chat about some of Tommy's fights and how he still has an impact on the boxing world.”
What's Ford's next move?
McFadden organized a spaghetti dinner to support Ford's next venture: a trip south to defend her title at the second U.S. Women's Boxing Championship.
The fundraiser will take place at Oliphant's Legal Room on July 14, one month before the tournament, which will be held Aug. 14-21 in Lafayette, Louisiana.
If you would like to attend the dinner or donate towards Olivia's ultimate goal, the 2028 Olympics, please visit the Cerberus Boxing Facebook or Instagram pages.
This article originally appeared in the Tri-County Independent: Western Wayne High School's Olivia Ford wins national boxing title
