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The entire year of 2007 that I lived in St. Louis, I had weight issues. It was killing me losing over 15 pounds every fight!
In January of 08′, I decided to move up to flyweight to fight for the NABF Flyweight Title.
Training was going great until a couple weeks before the fight when I caught a bad stomach virus that landed me in the hospital for the first time in my life.
I lost so much weight I was 5 lbs under the flyweight limit for my fight against Sharon Gaines.
Even though I didn’t feel strong during the fight, I knew I could outbox Sharon if I just fought smart.
I pulled out a unamious decision win to capture my 4th title.The next month, I moved to Las Vegas. I spent a training camp in Vegas before and liked it here.
My assistant trainer Chris Tyler stepped up and became my head trainer.
I added Elijah Thomas to my team as well as my new asst. trainer. Elijah managed former Heavy Weight World Champ, Oliver McCall.
I also brought aboard Ron Brand of Atlanta as my manager.
Ron set up a rematch for me against Wendy Rodriguez on Pay-Per-View for 2 world titles.
I had beat Wendy easily our first fight. The fight took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico which I thought to be neutral ground. Training went great and I was in the best shape I’d been in years.
Even the fight went great! The only problems were at the last minute the promoter, Lenny Fresquez changed corners so I was to come out of the challanger’s corner. When the fight was signed nearly 3 months earlier, Lenny agreed I would come to the ring 2nd.
Then, after dominating Wendy so badly the commentator, Al Burnstein said Wendy should retire after this fight (which she did) I had to deal with drama in my corner.
Carina Moreno’s manager, Repo Rick jumped in my corner (after I told him not to, I had a full, experienced team cornerside)
My former opponent Moreno’s manager began to yell at me so I told him to “get out of my corner!”
I couldn’t believe he just pushed my trainer’s aside and took over my corner squirting water on me from a dirty looking dish soap bottle!
I didn’t let it effect my fight though. I continued to dominate Rodriguez only to lose the fight by a split decision, leaving the crowd and PPV commentator’s puzzled.
To make matters worse, I think that fight retired Wendy Rodriguez.
It’s hard to pick yourself back up after something like that.
To give up your life for several months to train and promote the fight. Then, do everything right in the fight and lose. How do I motivate myself for this again?

Luckily, world famous referee, Richard Steele saw the fight and offered me a chance to fight on his show at the Paris Casino in Vegas. I trained alongside my trainer Chris, who was also fighting on the same show. During most of my training camp, I had cameras following me for my reality show “Hotstuff Hollie Beyond the Ropes”.
Since I moved to Vegas, I quit having weight problems. I guess because I stopped going out to eat and began cooking more.
I was giving Sharon Gaines a rematch in the place she had called home for many years.
I stayed on my toes and boxed most of the fight making Sharon miss wildly with her wide hooks. The fight ended in a draw. This was my first draw in over 30 pro fights. I didn’t know how to feel about it. It felt like the fight never happened. And like all the hours spent in the gym were a waste.
I immediately got back in the gym and worked on fixing any mistakes and bad habbits from my previous fights. This would be easier if I had legitimately lost a fight since Regina Halmich in 2005.My next fight was in Seoul, South Korea. I was challanging Ji Hyun Park for the Strawweight World title. I came in at 101 pounds which is a weight I haven’t seen in years.
The first 5 rounds, my tall lanky Korean opponent fought scarred and didn’t attempt to win any rounds. The pace picked up and I finished the fight strong without ever breathing hard.
I knew I didn’t lose more than one or 2 rounds out of ten.
The decision was only announced in Korean then my battered opponent’s hand was raised.
My team and I were outraged but with not a single english translator in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Stadium, our words fell upon deaf ears.
I had never felt so used and taken advantage of.

I returned to Vegas only to my own doubts of “was coming to vegas the right choice?”
I am still signed with Rumble Time Promotions in St. Louis but haven’t fought there in over a year so I’m almost forced to take risky fights elsewhere in the world.
Even though Vegas hasn’t turned out to be the land of boxing opportunity as promised,
it has turned out to be the land of modeling opportunity.
I modeled a bit when I was 18, but quit to focus on boxing.

In June, I headed back to Germany to fight Julia Sahin for the W.I.B.F. Jr. Flyweight World Title. I last returned from Europe with two belts so I was very confident going into this fight. I tried to fight Sahin the same way I fought Belinszky since they had the same European style. By moving in, landing combinations, and getting out. At the end of the fight, I was assured I could get the win. Unfortunately, only one of the three judges saw the same fight. I had not lost in a long time and I forgot how much it hurts.
Universum Box Promotions in Germany arranged for me to stay in Germany after my fight for another month to spar with Regina Halmich.
While training in Germany, my promoter Steve Smith called to ask if I wanted to fight Mary Ortega when I got home? I had just fought a ten rounder a week ago and was staying in good shape by the good sparring I got with Regina Halmich and Anastasia Toktulova from Russia. I think my main motivation for fighting Ortega was I knew beating someone like Ortega who has a record of 28-3-1 would pick my confidence up after the split decision loss in Germany. I continued to train hard in Germany. The best part was I could eat whatever I wanted because the fight was set at 112 lbs. Not having to diet like a Buddhist Monk makes life better!

I returned to the U.S. 5 days before my fight with Ortega. I finished up my training with Chris Tyler, a great pro fighter also out of 12th and Park Gym. After spending 5 weeks in Germany alone, not hearing the English language, I really appreciated getting to fight back home on Rumble Time Promotion’s show. I beat Ortega by an 8 round unamious decision. Our fight was televised on Fox Sports Midwest and Comcast Sports. It was an exciting, toe-to-to match!
I had taken 2 big fights in 2 months and hadn’t been out of the gym all year so I decided to stay out of the gym for a month. I went on vacation to Las Vegas and visited my Mom back in Arkansas. My older brother David was in on leave from the Army. He’s spent a year in Baghdad, Iraq and 4 years in Germany.
A week after I got back in the gym, I called my promoter Steve to talk about the next step we would take. I told him I wanted to fight Carina Moreno. I asked him to make the fight for 108 lbs. Making 105 anymore is near impossible. Steve called back and said he got me the fight with Moreno and it’s at 105 lbs. in 2 and a half weeks.
It was short notice but I thought I could be ready. Steve had me on an plane the next day to prepare in the mountains of Las Vegas until the fight. I trained with Kenny Adams and Chris Tyler. I was also blessed with the presence of Ray Franklin; My personal trainer that woke me up at 5 am and picked me up to do cardio. Ray was also my nutritionist that not only dictated what I could eat, he also went to the grocery store with me to approve or disapprove my items. Ray was going to make sure I made 105 lbs. again. The first time I stepped on the scales in California, I weighted a half pound over the limit. So, I went back to the sauna and came back to the scales at 104 lbs. It felt so good knowing I can make that weight again!
At the end of the fight with Moreno, I was confident but I knew it was a close fight and I had lost some rounds. The judges scored the fight in favor of Moreno ten rounds to none. I couldn’t believe it! I was furious!
I had just lost that split decision in Germany after I won the fight and I wasn’t even this mad then. You can at least see the forrest through the trees on that decision. But ten rounds to none? Carina Moreno was agressive. That’s it. She was the agressor all ten rounds. Apparently, that’s the only thing the judges that night based their judging on.
I am back in the gym now. I haven’t planned my next move yet but I am hopeful of a rematch with Moreno as soon as possible on neutral territory.

A week after my fight in Hungary, my best friend Ashlin “Hotshot” Hensley was fighting on Rumble Time Promotion’s show at the Ameristar I fought against Hamaguchi. I had been training Ashlin for about a year and she has a pro record of 2-0(2ko’s).
While I was in St. Louis, I had an opportunity to talk to Steve Smith with Rumble Time Promotions about me signing a promotional deal with them and making St. Louis my hometown. We spent the entire month of December working out the details and on New Years Eve, I made my move from Fort Smith, Arkansas to St. Louis.
This was a major life change for me. I moved by myself and my entire team changed. Now I have former world champion, Harold Petty training me at 12th and Park gym in downtown St. Louis. 12th and Park is an amateur boxing gym. Harold trained 8 other pros there. I was the only female so no one knew if they should take me seriously. Soon, everyone saw that I was there to work.
After training with Harold a couple months, I fought in California against a late replacement, Stephanie Dobbs and won a unamious decision.

In March I fought Wendy Rodriguez back at my new home in St. Louis and won an 8 round unamious decision. It felt good fighting at home and having my own crowd to cheer me on.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

I was back in the gym the following week after I found out I was fighting Krisztina Belinszky in Budapest, Hungary for Belinszky’s W.I.B.C. and W.I.B.F.-G.B.U. Strawweight World titles. I flew to Hungary a week before the fight.
Krisztina and her team met my team at the airport, along with a photographer and gifts. That wasn’t something I was used to. I trained that week at Krisztina’s gym and spent plenty of time with my opponent and her family the week of the fight.
I tried to study up on my Hungarian language before I came so I knew enough to ask where the bathroom was but I was far from being able to carry on a complete conversation. Krisztina didn’t speak much English so even though we spent plenty of time together, we couldn’t understand much of what the other was saying.
Since I was in a foreign country during Thanksgiving, the U.S. Ambassador, April Foley invited my team to the U.S. Embassy to meet the ambassador and we were invited back for Thanksgiving Dinner. Talk about making somebody feel important!
My gameplan for the fight was to press forward. I’ve never been much of a pressure fighter though. Belinszky tried to stay in the center of the ring and outpoint me using a jab. I won the fight by moving in, landing 3 or 4 punch combinations, and moving out. Krisztina was very sportsman-like after the defeat. We still trade emails to this day and congratulate each other on our success. Leaving Europe with that win was my greatest accomplishment to date.

I had been taking time off since my fight in February but was anxious to get back into the ring.  I got an email from Steve Smith of Rumble Time Promotions asking if I would be interested in fighting on one of their cards in St. Louis.  We got the fight set up against Sandra Ortiz.  I headed back to the gym and worked harder than ever to get in outstanding shape and improve my skill.
I started back in July coming off an injured achilles tendon.  I was on crutches for about 6 weeks and that was pretty hard on me.  I have never taken a break from training since I began boxing 4 years ago.  It took a couple weeks but I got back to it; working hard and training with Coach Clifford May and sparring with Ivan Garcia, Josh and Andy May.
We dedicated the whole training camp to developing my power.  It was the only thing I was really lacking.  I could move well and my defense was on.  We all knew I had to work on being more aggressive and hitting with greater power.  It was all just a matter of practice and technique and I worked hard to accomplish my goal.

A few weeks into training, the fight was in jeopardy.  Sandra Ortiz had backed out and we were shuffling for an opponent.  I was a little stressed at the thought that I did all that work for nothing.
Rumble Time’s matchmaker, Derrick Spicer called a day later to let us know Dee Hamaguchi was taking the fight.  I was excited about fighting Dee because she is a true veteran of women’s boxing and though her record was not great, everyone knew she could bring it and she had never once taken an easy fight.
Dee was the first woman to fight in the New York Golden Gloves and broke the gender barrier for female amateur boxers in 1994.  She has fought competitively with champions, former champions and future champions and always gave 100%.  I knew I had my work cut out for me which inspired me to train even harder.  Dee would only agree to take the fight if I put my title on the line and I agreed.

My training camp was tough and brutal and I was ready to put on a show in St. Louis.  The fight was on a Thursday and we got there the Tuesday night before.  The promoters took us out to a very nice resturant inside the Ameristar Casino and gave us a tour of the facility which was absolutely gorgeous!  It was the first event in the newly constructed event center.  I also got to meet Dee for the first time in person.  I introduced myself and she was cordial but not overly friendly.  Dee is a professional and when I met her, I knew she was in St. Louis for business only.
Every boxer is different before a fight.  I am always friendly and nice, some people are cordial but not friendly and some are just mean and taking smack.  I guess everyone gets psyched up in different ways.

I spent all of the next day sweating down and getting ready for the weigh in.  I tipped the scales at 101 and Dee weighed 102.  I spent the rest of the afternoon doing interviews and then the evening was reserved for Olive Garden’s chicken fettuccine alfredo.  I just rested and relaxed and prepared myself mentally for the big day ahead.

The day of the fight was the first time in my career when I wasn’t at all nervous the day of.  I though maybe something was wrong.  I got to the venue and layed down for a nap in my dressing room.  A couple of bouts before my fight, I started warming up and focusing on my gameplan.  My strategy for this fight was the come forward more and be more aggressive than usual.  The plan was to open strong then box in the middle rounds.  I knew Dee had never been past 8 rounds so I was planning to come on strong starting in round 8.  I had already been through this fight a hundred times in my head.  It was finally time to walk out and I was more than ready!

When I walked to the ring, I got a great reception from the St. Louis crowd.  The closer I got to the ring, the more excited I became.
When the bell rang, I ran to the middle of the ring and began to feel her out and find my range.  About a minute into the round I decided to come on strong with combinations and the first good combination I landed, Dee went down.  I wasn’t expecting that to happen and was so excited I went to the wrong corner.  Dee got up and came straight at me and I knocked her down again.  Dee got back up and we got right back to business.  She is one tough lady!  The bell rang and I went back to my corner very happy.  I knew Dee had not been on the canbas before and in only the first round I accomplished something no one else had done.  The second through the sixth round was just non stop punching from Dee and I.  She is one of the toughest fighters I have ever fought.  In the seventh round I started to pick up the pace and was throwing harder and faster.  After the seventh round I went back to my corner and Brian told me it was time to crank it up.  I asked him what round and we both looked back at the round card and it said eight.  I still had thirty seconds to go so I got up early and was ready to go.  The bell rang and I noticed Dee was still sitting.  It was awesome to hear ” AND STILL THE WIBA MINIMUMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION”

After the fight, I went back to Dee’s dressing room to check on her.  I told her how much I had always respected her and her accomplishments.  That was sincere.  Dee really has done alot for this sport and she has stepped up and fought everyone.  She thanked me for giving her a title shot.  That surprised me because I mean, who in this division deserved it more than her.  Some of the women in our division turned it down.  She also told me I hit harder than anyone in our division which was a great compliment.  My team and I had worked so hard to make improvments and I had accomplished my goal.  I hugged Dee and went on to celebrate. I got huge compliments from all the fans and have to say St. Louis was great!  Rumble Time has discussed having me back in January and I hope it happens.

It had been several months since I had fought and that is always bad. One of the hardest things about boxing is staying motivated to always train hard. When I have a big fight coming up, training hard is easy because I’m motivated and have a date and goal. I was beginning to get frustrated and discouraged, when I got an opportunity to fight on an all female card and I said “yes”. I was excited to have a fight again and fighting on one of the A Ring Of Their Own cards. If you don’t know about A Ring Of Their Own, you are not a female boxer or female fight fan. They air weekly fights on cable channels and always have great female match-ups. I was origionally set to fight Sandra Ortiz of Topeka, KS in the main event.
I thought everything was all set then, the Missouri commission would not approve the fight because Sandra only had 8 fights. I was depressed because I thought this would be one of the many fights that go south right before they happen.
My trainer came and found me at the gym and told me I had an opponent if I was still interested. I asked who and he said Melissa Shaffer. I was back on top of the world!

One of my goals has always been to avenge all of my loses and this was another opportunity. Melissa had beat me my very first fight and I always wanted the opportunity to fight her again. Melissa and I are from the same area and trained for a long time at the same gym and at one time, had the same trainer.
A couple of years before this fight, Melissa had moved to Seattle, Washington to train with Kim and Mark Messer. Kim Messer was one of the best 108 lb. fighters in the world in boxing and kickboxing. She was one of the first pioneers of women’s boxing and was a great champion. Kim and Mark now own a gym and train fighters of many different styles. I knew that I had improved as a boxer, but so had Melissa. I trained harder everyday and was ready to prove that they were not going to see the Hollie Dunaway of 2003. I changed up my training a little for this fight.
I incorporated different conditioning exercises and I started working with Clifford May. Clifford and his brother Andy are the coaches of an amateur boxing club in Clarksville, AR and they have some of the best amateur kids you have ever seen! I was very pleased when Clifford agreed to work with me and it was well worth the drive.

We got to Kansas City late Tuesday night before the fight on Thursday. I got to the hotel and hit the gym immeditately. I was up early the next morning to hit the gym and make sure I was at the right weight. I ran into Jeanine Garside and Lamara Iverson in the lobby and they were very nice. Everyone came to my room to use my scale since they were stressed about making weight which is typical. It was really neat to meet some of the other fighters. I always read about them on the internet and follow the fight results but it’s always nice to meet everyone in person. That is what’s so cool about A Ring Of Their Own. The whole entire card is top female fighters from all over the country and I was flattered to be the main event.
I went to the weigh in at the casino and I got my picture with everyone and posed for pictures for the photographers. I tipped the scales weighing 99 lbs. Melissa weighted 98 lbs. We were set to go!
First things first. After the weigh in it is chicken fettuccine alfredo at Olive Garden and a big dessert. That’s almost the best part of the fight is making the weight and going to eat after. The rest of the day, I did a couple of radio interviews and just relaxed.

It was the day of the fight and I was ready to go.
I woke up early to do an interview for a local tv show and ate breakfast. The rest of the day, I just rested and relaxed. We met up with Clifford at the casino, ate, then went to the venue. I found my locker room and fell asleep in a big chair. Right before the fight is always tense. It’s a combination of excitement, fear, and anxiety. I started warming up 2 fights out. I had been looking forward to this fight for 2 and a half years but I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Soon, I heard my name called and it was time to walk to the ring. Once you are in the ring, that’s when you know it’s real.
After the introductions, we went to our corners and I couldn’t wait to come out of that corner.

As soon as I threw my first few punches, I knew something wasn’t quite right. I threw several jabs and not one of them landed. I just felt awkward. Then, it occurred to me she was fighting southpaw. I was thrown off for half of the first round. I had never fought a southpaw before and here I had one in front of me.
Melissa origionally fought conventional but I guessed she switched when she started training with Mark and KIm. I’m not sure if it was intentionally kept quiet, but if they did, it was a brilliant plan. I think two things that have helped me are having a good jab and good movement.
When you fight a southpaw, the two biggest hurdles are; it makes your jab almost useless and your movement is completely different. I adjusted quickly. I found my range with my right hand and was very careful with my movement. I planned to be move aggressive but with punches coming from different angles and my movement feeling awkward kind of forced me to fight more conservative. One of the other disadvantages to fighting a lefty is headbutts. We clashed heads in the fifth round and I had a small cut under my eye. Melissa’s skill and ability had improved and she fought tough all 10 rounds.

Melissa and I were in the center of the ring awaiting the decision. The announcer read the scores and I was waiting to hear “and still the WIBA champion” but instead he said “and the new” and that’s all I heard. I was in shock and I looked at
Clifford who
had a half surprised, half angry expression but then I heard them say “Hollie Dunaway”. It was mass confusion. Melissa had thought she won and suddenly realized she hadn’t. It was crazy! Later, I

found out for some reason the announcer was told that it was a vacant title. I was happy though. This fight was important to me as it was kind of coming full circle. I had shown the world, reaffirmed to myself that all the work and sacrifice had paid off.

After the fight in Atlanta, I was on top of the world!  I took about 3 weeks off.  Then, I was ready for my next big challenge.  I had just stated working out again and was offered a big opportunity to fight Regina Halmich of Germany.  It was a real long-shot because I had to fight 3 weight classes higher than I normally compete at and Regina had 46 fights with only one being a loss from ten years ago.  I thought about it long and hard and weighed all the pluses and negatives.  The pluses were; I would get major exposure in Europe.  The purse was also considerably larger than any I had received.  The negatives were Regina was bigger and more experienced and we were fighting in her home country.  I decided to take it.  Not so much for the money, but more to test myself.  I was very nervous while training for this fight because I knew Regina would be the toughest fight of my career.  I watched tapes of her fighting while I formulated my game plan.

We left for Germany one week before the fight.  I wasn’t crazy about the long flight and time zone difference.  We left Arkansas on Saturday afternoon about 5 p.m.  and arrived in Magdeburg, Germany around 6 p.m. their time on Sunday.  I thought we would never get there.  Once we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by the Matchmaker Marcel and shown to our rooms.  We tried to sleep but it was hard to adjust to the time change.  I tried to watch television but the only channels in English were CNN and MTV and that got boring after awhile.

The first thing we had to do was a press conference on Monday morning at a BMW dealership.  I wasn’t prepared for the kind of publicity that surrounded this fight.  When I got out of the car, there were cameras and reporters everywhere!  As soon as we walked  in, I saw a big life-sized card board cut out of Regina and 3 rows of chairs filled with reporters, photographers, and t.v. cameras.  I had never seen anything like it!  Regina Halmich is not just popular in Germany, she is a major celebrity.  When we got back to the hotel and watched t.v. Regina was doing an interview on every other channel.   There was a life-sized poster of Regina every 3 blocks throughout the entire city.  People everywhere recognized me and wished me luck.  Reporters followed me to the gym when I worked out and to the park when I ran.  It was really neat that a women’s boxing match was so popular.

The first day was exhausting but a good experience.  All the people with Universum Promotions, the W.I.B.F. and Regina herself were very nice and I couldn’t have asked for better treatment.  Our security person Niles was wonderful also.  He spoke fluent English and took us where ever we wanted to go and made the whole trip a wonderful experience.  Niles had a tough job though.  He was security, chauffer, and translator all at the same time.  The third day was a public workout at a huge shopping mall.  They had a floor ring set up in the middle of the mall and there were hundreds of people waiting to see the fighters in person.  I was still amazed at what a celebrity Regina Halmich is in Germany.  I couldn’t understand anything she was saying but, when she spoke, everyone cheered loudly.

The day before the fight was a little tense.  The weigh-in held in a dept. store called Saturn.  It was similar to a Best Buy or Circuit City and packed with people.  I was in the back waiting to get on the scales.  When they called me, the security had to push through all the reporters and fans it was so crowded.  I went first and had my picture  taken a hundred times.  After the weigh-in I went back to the hotel to relax and prepare for the big day.  The day before the fight is always the most tense.  The stress and tension can exhaust you more than any physical activity and this is where the mental part of the sport comes in.

The day of the fight was nice and relaxing.  We had breakfast with Jorgen Lutz from the W.I.B.F. and talked about women’s boxing in the U.S. and Europe and how they were different.  Then, we walked to a market down the street and bought a newspaper with Regina and I on the cover.  I went through my usual ritual and ate at an Italian Resturant and had some pasta.  I arrived at the Stadium about an hour and a half before walk out time.  Brian wrapped my hands and I warmed up on the mitts and shadow boxed.  Regina was in the dressing room next to mine and I could hear her warming up on the mitts.  She yelled with every punch and the impact on the mitts sounded like shotgun blasts.  I’m not sure if this was done purposely to intimidate me or if this was her normal warm-up.  I guess we’ll never know.  As I walked out, I was impressed at how many people cheered for me.  I got in the ring and looked around and realized how many people were there.  Wow!  Then, all the lights went out and the whole stadium was silent.  I heard a small drumbeat and all five thousand people there were stomping and clapping in unison and chanting Regina, Regina over and over again.  Then, Regina came out, accompanied by a big German rock star who was singing her walk out music live.  They played the national anthems for the U.S. and Germany, then, it was time.

The first round went my way but the rest of the fight was a back and forth struggle.  She hit me harder than I was used to getting hit but she never really hurt me.  The thing that gave me the most trouble was her ability to adjust.  When something started working, she adjusted.  Then, I would try something else, she adjusted.  Soon, I just ran out of things to try.  Regina is very skilled in her 10 years and 48 fights worth of experience were evident.  After the decision, I went back to the dressing room, and all I wanted to do was cry.  I had not lost in nearly 2 years and it really hurt.  But, I held myself together and went to the post fight conference to answer questions from the reporters.  Regina thanked me for a very good fight and told everyone she was very surprised at how dangerous I was to be so small.  The reporters praised my efforts but it didn’t make me feel any better.  Dealing with losing is tough.  I worked really hard and gave my best effort until the end, but still came up short.

We left the next morning to drive to the Berlin Airport and waited because our flight was delayed 2 hours which caused us to miss our connection in Amsterdam.  Normally, I would have enjoyed an extra day in Europe, but I just wanted to go home.  We stayed in Amsterdam overnight and finally made it back home the next day.  If losing, getting stranded for an extra day wasn’t enough, when I arrived home, they had lost my luggage.  I enjoyed Europe but I was glad to be back in the U.S.

After the fight in Atlanta, I was on top of the world! I took about 3 weeks off. Then, I was ready for my next big challenge. I had just stated working out again and was offered a big opportunity to fight Regina Halmich of Germany. It was a real long-shot because I had to fight 3 weight classes higher than I normally compete at and Regina had 46 fights with only one being a loss from ten years ago. I thought about it long and hard and weighed all the pluses and negatives. The pluses were; I would get major exposure in Europe. The purse was also considerably larger than any I had received. The negatives were Regina was bigger and more experienced and we were fighting in her home country. I decided to take it. Not so much for the money, but more to test myself. I was very nervous while training for this fight because I knew Regina would be the toughest fight of my career. I watched tapes of her fighting while I formulated my game plan.

We left for Germany one week before the fight. I wasn’t crazy about the long flight and time zone difference. We left Arkansas on Saturday afternoon about 5 p.m. and arrived in Magdeburg, Germany around 6 p.m. their time on Sunday. I thought we would never get there. Once we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by the Matchmaker Marcel and shown to our rooms. We tried to sleep but it was hard to adjust to the time change. I tried to watch television but the only channels in English were CNN and MTV and that got boring after awhile.

The first thing we had to do was a press conference on Monday morning at a BMW dealership. I wasn’t prepared for the kind of publicity that surrounded this fight. When I got out of the car, there were cameras and reporters everywhere! As soon as we walked in, I saw a big life-sized card board cut out of Regina and 3 rows of chairs filled with reporters, photographers, and t.v. cameras. I had never seen anything like it! Regina Halmich is not just popular in Germany, she is a major celebrity. When we got back to the hotel and watched t.v. Regina was doing an interview on every other channel. There was a life-sized poster of Regina every 3 blocks throughout the entire city. People everywhere recognized me and wished me luck. Reporters followed me to the gym when I worked out and to the park when I ran. It was really neat that a women’s boxing match was so popular.

The first day was exhausting but a good experience. All the people with Universum Promotions, the W.I.B.F. and Regina herself were very nice and I couldn’t have asked for better treatment. Our security person Niles was wonderful also. He spoke fluent English and took us where ever we wanted to go and made the whole trip a wonderful experience. Niles had a tough job though. He was security, chauffer, and translator all at the same time. The third day was a public workout at a huge shopping mall. They had a floor ring set up in the middle of the mall and there were hundreds of people waiting to see the fighters in person. I was still amazed at what a celebrity Regina Halmich is in Germany. I couldn’t understand anything she was saying but, when she spoke, everyone cheered loudly.

The day before the fight was a little tense. The weigh-in held in a dept. store called Saturn. It was similar to a Best Buy or Circuit City and packed with people. I was in the back waiting to get on the scales. When they called me, the security had to pusy through all the reporters and fans it was so crowded. I went first and had my picture taken a hundred times. After the weigh-in I went back to the hotel to relax and prepare for the big day. The day before the fight is always the most tense. The stress and tension can exhaust you more than any physical activity and this is where the mental part of the sport comes in.

The day of the fight was nice and relaxing. We had breakfast with Jorgen Lutz from the W.I.B.F. and talked about women’s boxing in the U.S. and Europe and how they were different. Then, we walked to a market down the street and bought a newspaper with Regina and I on the cover. I went through my usual ritual and ate at an Italian Resturant and had some pasta. I arrived at the Stadium about an hour and a half before walk out time. Brian wrapped my hands and I warmed up on the mitts and shadow boxed. Regina was in the dressing room next to mine and I could hear her warming up on the mitts. She yelled with every punch and the impact on the mitts sounded like shotgun blasts. I’m not sure if this was done purposely to intimidate me or if this was her normal warm-up. I guess we’ll never know. As I walked out, I was impressed at how many people cheered for me. I got in the ring and looked around and realized how many people were there. Wow! Then, all the lights went out and the whole stadium was silent. I heard a small drumbeat and all five thousand people there were stomping and clapping in unison and chanting Regina, Regina over and over again. Then, Regina came out, accompanied by a big German rock star who was singing her walk out music live. They played the national anthems for the U.S. and Germany, then, it was time.

The first round went my way but the rest of the fight was a back and forth struggle. She hit me harder than I was used to getting hit but she never really hurt me. The thing that gave me the most trouble was her ability to adjust. When something started working, she adjusted. Then, I would try something else, she adjusted. Soon, I just ran out of things to try. Regina is very skilled in her 10 years and 48 fights worth of experience were evident. After the decision, I went back to the dressing room, and all I wanted to do was cry. I had not lost in nearly 2 years and it really hurt. But, I held myself together and went to the post fight conference to answer questions from the reporters. Regina thanked me for a very good fight and told everyone she was very surprised at how dangerous I was to be so small. The reporters praised my efforts but it didn’t make me feel any better. Dealing with losing is tough. I worked really hard and gave my best effort until the end, but still came up short.

We left the next morning to drive to the Berlin Airport and waited because our flight was delayed 2 hours which caused us to miss our connection in Amsterdam. Normally, I would have enjoyed an extra day in Europe, but I just wanted to go home. We stayed in Amsterdam overnight and finally made it back home the next day. If losing, getting stranded for an extra day wasn’t enough, when I arrived home, they had lost my luggage. I enjoyed Europe but I was glad to be back in the U.S.

I had been training and working out as usual when I got a call.  The fight was 5 weeks away against Teri Moss of Atlanta, GA in Atlanta, GA for the WIBA 102 lb. World Title.  I remember thinking “not another fight in the other fighter’s hometown” but I’m always up for a challenge.
I only had one tape of Teri fighting and she looked to be pretty skilled.  She moved well, had decent punching power and looked to be fairly conditioned.  I was pretty nervous about this fight but I took it the same day it was offered.
I started working harder and formulated my game plan.  I increased the intensity on everything I was doing and trained for my first ten round fight.  There were many things that made me nervous.  I had never been ten rounds before.  I knew Teri would be tough and it was her hometown.  I tried to turn the nervousness into motivation and continued to work harder every day.
Then, the day arrived.  I was pretty calm when I got there.  My main concern was just making sure that I had made the weight.  I was sweating down to make sure and I could not wait to weigh-in.  I got on the scale and was 98.5 lbs. My lowest weight and the best condition I had ever been in.  That night I celebrated with a big victory dinner and ate every three hours until about 3 in the morning.
I slept in the next day and was feeling great!  I got to the venue and just relaxed and waited for my fight.  I wasn’t nervous at all for some reason I was very confident and somehow knew that this was going to go my way.
When I walked out to the ring I had a few cheers but I didn’t expect to have a big crowd this far from home.  When Teri came out, the place erupted in noise, cheers and claps.  I expected this in her hometown but it still makes you a little nervous.  When the fight began I just started slow and worked behind my jab and Teri did the same.  As the rounds went on I picked it up but so did she and it started to get pretty exciting.  In between rounds my trainer kept pressuring me to stay busier and throw more puches.
All during the fight he kept yelling for me to do more and fight harder.  I thought that I was controlling the fight fairly well, but he told me over and over we are not at home you have to do more, I finished the last round fairly strong and at the end I was glad that I had went ten hard rounds.

I was a little worried about getting the decision because it took about 10 minutes for them to add up the score cards.
Then, I heard the announcer say the first judge scores for Dunaway, then judge number two scores for Dunaway and judge number three for Dunaway and the winner and new WIBA minimum weight champion of the world HOLLIE DUNAWAY!!!!!!

I was so excited and happy this is what I had been waiting for!  This is why I spent all those hours in the gym and it all paid off.  I could hardly keep from crying I was so happy.  That belt was so heavy.  Ryan Wissow tried to put it around my waist but it was too big so he just put it over my shoulder.
Words cannot describe how happy I was that night.  Who would have ever thought that I would end up here after the way I started my career.

I started training with a new sense of ambition.  I was training harder and longer and started to live, eat and sleep boxing.  I was really motivated to get back in the ring and get on another winning streak.  My record was now 3-3.
I was training with Kat Garman to get her ready for a fight with ice skater turned pro boxer; Tonya Harding.  I had seen Tonya fight Alejandra Lopez and knew that Kat had a chance since Tonya wasn’t super-skilled.
The week before the fight was supposed to take place in Dallas,  Tonya’s promoter had called and asked if I would rather take the fight since the promoter wanted an experienced opponent instead of someone making a pro debut.  Our records were similar, she had been boxing a little longer and was about 10 pounds bigger.  I said yes knowing I could probably beat her and the publicity would be great for my career, I only had a week notice but I was ready.
I was set to leave that afternoon for Dallas for the weigh-in and the fight the next day.  Then my phone rang. Tonya had refused to fight if she had to fight me.  I couldn’t believe it!  I thought that maybe it was just a bluff by Tonya’s managers to try and get more money or something, but it wasn’t.  Tonya instead fought a girl from Texas named Melissa Yanas who was 130 lbs compared to my 110 and she knocked Tonya out in the first round.  I still got paid but I was very disappointed.  I was told that we would fight in Tunica two months later.

My next opponent was Jacqueline Carlton and I knew this fight was going to be fun.  There was so much hype around the gym and around town about this fight.  We were both from this area, so we knew a few people in common and rumors and trash talk were in full swing.  People were actually making bets and some were betting against me.  It made selling tickets really easy and made training hard even easier.
I was all excited the night of the fight thinking I was giong to have a 4 round action packed fight.  Unfortunately, the girl quit right before the bell ending the first round.  This was just the first win on my new path.  Now, I was getting ready for Tunica and Tonya Harding.  I knew that in spite of the size difference, that I could outbox her and my real goal was to knock her out.  Don’t get me wrong, I met Tonya in Tulsa and she was nice and polite.  Not the monster she is portrayed as in the media.  We all actually hung out a little after her fight in Tulsa and she and her people were really nice to all of us, but this was business. I wanted every round to be one-sided and no doubt whatsoever in anyone’s mind that I won that fight.
I trained hard and worked on the game plan and strategy and it was getting close and I was getting excited.  Then two weeks before Tonya said that she had a sinus infection and pulled out of the fight.  I thought I was going to get paid to stay home again but they gave me the option of fighting Shannon Birmingham.  I really wanted to fight and agreed and before I knew it, I was in Tunica, MS.

“When I got in the casino, there were these huge posters of me and Tonya everywhere in the casino and around town.”

When we went to the weigh-in, we were sitting in the hallway and I was standing by the door when I looked up and saw Christy Martin walking right toward me.
I told everyone “hey there’s Christy Martin!”  Everyone was like “yea right whatever.”  Then, she just walked through the door and said hi to everyone.  It was so cool!
During the weigh-in, I was sitting right behind her and kept trying to get my nerve up to ask her to take a picture with me.  It took about four tries and she said sure and was really nice.

Then, I started looking for my opponent and the only girl around was 6 foot tall.  Then it hit me, that’s her!  I started to get really nervous when we were going up to the scale I had my warm-up suit on and layers of clothes and my shoes to weigh 115 lbs.  Shannon almost had to get naked to weigh 120 lbs.  I tried to remain calm and confident but it was a struggle.
When we got in the ring, we looked like David and Goliath.  I was David.  I managed to pull off a unanimous decision but it was a tough fight.  I stayed right on top of her all four rounds.

Now, I am 5-3, 3 ko’s. 2 wins in a row and I beat a girl who had a winning record.  My career is looking up and going in the direction I want to go in.  I was back in the gym and looking for the next fight.  My trainer called three weeks later, around noon and asked if I wanted to fight in Oklahoma City. We had to leave in about three hours because it’s a three hour drive.
So I got my stuff and we were on the road to Oklahoma City where I won agianst Kathy Garman (my old training partner) with a fourth round tko.

I was now (6-3) and was named WBAN’s Busiest Rookie of the Year for 2003.  I was back in the gym and ready to go again the next week when we got the call for a rematch with Stephanie Doobs in her backyard, Shawnee, Ok.  I said yes, signed the contract, and stepped up my training.  I knew this fight meant a lot to my career so I wanted to be ready.  I knew that I was at a disadvantage fighting in her home state but it never really made me nervous. Only more determined because this time, I was going to leave no doubt.  I felt great the night of the fight as I walked into the ring.  I knew  I was going to make this my crowd.
When the bell rang, the action started and it never stopped for all six rounds.  Stephanie, as always was a non-stop punching machine from bell to bell.  I did everything I had trained to do and controlled the fight with my movement and defense.  I won a six round majority decision and felt great.  I had avenged one loss and that gave me hope to avenge the other two.

(7-3) everything is going great.  I got back in the gym and fought and won three weeks later in Oklahoma City agian against Nikki Verbeck  I fought again in Oklahoma City a month later. A rematch with Kat Garman that I won by 3rd round tko.
My record is 9-3 and still climbing.

I had a fight set for April at a small show in Clarksville, AR.  My opponent changed three times before the day of the show and right as I was about to leave to go to the weigh-in, I got a phone call that my opponent had not shown up.  I was almost in tears at this time because I had sold a bunch of tickets and my fans were not going to see my fight.
Alejandra Lopez (Harding’s last opponent) saved the day at the last minute.  She was eating a piece of pizza and put it down and told us she would do the fight with the condition that we reimburse her for the pizza.  I said deal and won by 3rd round tko to make me 10-3.

My next fight was in Fort Smith.  I was glad to fight at home again.  I was fighting Angel Shipps, who was a tough girl from St. Joseph, MO.  She had never been stopped.  We were fighting for a regional 108 lb. belt.  I was excited to get to fight someone who could go some rounds and I needed a challenge.
There was a lot of excitement going on that day since it was an outdoor event and it rained all day long.  It stopped just in time for the fights to start and it was a beautiful June night.  In spite of the rain delay, it was a sold out event and I went to the ring hearing many cheers and clapping and was excited.
The bell rang and Angel came straight forward and walked right into a right hand.  She looked kind of dazed but kept coming forward.  I moved to the side and she backed up to the ropes.  I just let my hands go until the referee stepped in and stopped it 44 seconds into the first round making my record 11-3.

I took a few weeks off and worked on some new things and was set to go again in October.  I fought Tammy McGuire. Sho was a tough girl several inches taller and a few pounds bigger.  She frustrated me a little with her height.  She was good at tying me up whenever I got inside and that made her difficult to hit.  I stayed at it and finally stopped her in the 3rd round to make my record 12-3.

It had been another busy year and I was feeling great and moving in the right direction except I wanted a bigger challenge.  Something that would move my career forward in a big way.  That was just about to happen.