FACTOIDS
Full Name: Jennifer Lynn Alcorn
Nickname: Jennifer
Birthday: July 15, 1970
Height: 5’7”
Hometown: Fresno, California
Sports: Boxing
PROFILE
5'7" lightweight Jenifer "All-American" Alcorn grew up in le Grand, California and then moved to Fresno.
Jenifer was well known in Fresno athletic circles before beginning her career as a boxer. She was a stand-out high school athlete and catcher of the Fresno State softball team,
Despite only having six amateur bouts, Jenifer fought in the women’s nationals, 1999 USA Boxing National Championships, losing by 10-1 to eventual silver medalist Jean Martin of Brooklyn, N.Y. in the 139-lb quarterfinal. Jenifer then launched a professional boxing career with one goal above all others ... to set an example of achievement and success through hard work for her children.
She made her pro debut on July 2, 1999 at the Fairground in Fresno, where an estimated crowd of 900 cheered as she TKO'd Robyn Covino of Los Angeles at 0:59 in the first round. Alcorn knocked Covino down with a straight right to the head, then trapped her in a corner with a flurry of combinations that persuaded referee Marty Sammon to jump in and stop the bout. Covino fell to 1-8 as a pro boxer (she was 40-2 as a kickboxer).
On September 4, 1999 in Yerington, Nevada, Jenifer moved to 2-0 with a first-round TKO of Kris Sepulvado of Shreveport, Louisiana. Sepulvado was a favorite opponent for early-career fighters and known for showing up to fight under a variety of names. Tracked by her Federal ID# (LA050112) she was 0-5 with this loss to Alcorn!
Jenifer strikes a poseOn March 31, 2000 at the Spa Casino in Palm Springs, California, Jenifer moved to 3-0 with a four-round unanimous (39-37, 39-37, 40-36) decision over a tough Kelly Whaley of Cedar City, Utah. Alcorn showed no ring rust from her six-month absence from the ring, as she attacked Whaley with overhand rights and rugged body shots. She eased up in the third but finished the fight with a series of rights that bloodied Whaley’s nose. Whaley fell to 1-2.
On May 11, 2000 at Table Mountain Rancheria in Fresno, California, Jenifer impressed her home fans with a TKO over Kanaka Kudo of Long Beach at 0:38 of the first round. Alcorn entered the ring to a standing ovation, then was all over Kudo with a flurry of lefts and rights as soon as the bell sounded. Alcorn knocked Kudo to the canvas with a right cross, then knocked her sprawling below the bottom ring rope. After the second knockdown, referee Marcos Rosales wrapped his arms around Kudo and stopped the bout. Kudo fell to 0-2.
On July 28, 2000 at Selland Arena in in Fresno, California, Jenifer TKO'd Imelda Arias of Ciudad Juárez, México at 1:37 in the first round. Arias was quickly outclassed in this fight and reportedly had her jaw broken during a fusillade of punches landed by Alcorn with Arias cornered. Arias fell to 8-6 with the loss (most of her wins were at home in Juárez).
On September 10, 2000 at Peppermill Hotel Casino in Reno, Nevada, Jenifer (132 lbs) won a first-round TKO over Willicia Moorehead (131 lbs) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who fell to 0-2.
On October 13, 2000 at Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs, California, Jenifer improved knocke out Lisa Lovell of Jacksonville, Florida at 1:03 in the first round. Lovell fell to 1-2-1.
On April 13, 2001 at Spa Casino Resort in Palm Springs, California, a crowd estimated at 1000 saw Jenifer move to 8-0 (7 KO's) with a 23-second first-round knockout of Kimberly Reed of Los Angeles, who fell to 1-4. Alcorn landed a few jabs then decked Reed with a right to the head ... and that was apparently enough to persuade Reed to stay down for the count. "I wish I could give the people here in Palm Springs a longer show but if it comes, I have to take it," Alcorn told reporter Ed Castro. "I wanted to work on some things. But I landed a good punch. It was a hard, solid right hand."
On June 24, 2001 at Coeur d'Alene Tribal Bingo in Worley, Idaho, Jenifer (136 lbs) moved to 9-0 (8 KO's) with a TKO of Jessica LaPointe (5'5", 142 lbs) of Spanaway, Washington at 1:19 in the second round of a scheduled four-rounder. LaPointe was knocked down early in the round but battled on gamely before the bout was stopped. "I'd have preferred a first-round KO," Alcorn said (her first seven KO's had come in the opening round), "but it was good to get the work in. The look in her eyes (after the first round) told me she was going to go down. It was just a matter of bombarding her body with punches." LaPointe, a martial arts fighter and kickboxer who had faced world champion Valérie Hénin in France in April, fell to 2-1 as a pro boxer.
On November 15, 2001 at Centennial Garden Arena in Bakersfield, California: Jenifer (133 lbs) advanced to 10-0 (8 KOs) with a six-round unanimous (60-53) decision over Shakurah Witherspoon (128 lbs) of Williamsport, Pennsylvania who fell to 9-25-1 (4 KOs). Alcorn knocked the durable Witherspoon down in the opening round when she landed several hard body shots with Witherspoon trapped in a corner. She again had Witherspoon in trouble in a corner near the end of the second. Alcorn controlled the rest of the fight and repeatedly had Witherspoon in trouble but could not put her away as Witherspoon used her ring experience to dance and to tie Alcorn up when in difficulty. ("I never had a girl hang on me like that," Alcorn said, after twice having the action stopped when her top became untied during clinches.) "I thought I had her in trouble a couple of times. I could tell because I would land a shot and I would hear her moaning and groaning." Alcorn out-muscled the smaller Witherspoon in clinches against the ropes and in the center of the ring.
"She's tough, very strong," Witherspoon told local reporters after the bout, adding "I think I could have done a little better with my performance." Alcorn said she was happy with the win, but would have liked to get another KO to make "a big splash" in her Bakersfield debut.
Jenifer Alcorn vs. Lisa Lewis On January 17, 2002 at Centennial Garden in Bakersfield, California, 2,740 fans saw Jenifer (133¼ lbs), advance to 11-0 (8 KO) with a 59-55, 59-55, 60-54 six-round unanimous decision over crosstown rival Lisa Lewis (133 lbs) who fell to 2-5. Women's Boxing Page correspondent "Craig O" said that the match, which was the card's semi-main event, drew a standing ovation from the crowd.
